Eastern Mediterranean- Greece, Black Sea, Turkey, Israel, Egypt
The dreamy ‘White City’ of Tangier sits where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet. Lose yourself in the atmospheric alleyways of its labyrinthine medina; watch the world go by as you sip sweet mint tea at a café in the Grand Socco; stretch yourself out on the fine white sand of the city beach; or explore the Caves of Hercules, with their unique sea window that’s shaped like a map of Africa.
Sitting off the central Dalmatian coast, the wonderfully-green island of Korčula is dotted with olive groves, vineyards and pine forests. The main town’s pretty Old Town exemplifies Croatia’s rich Venetian heritage. At its center, you’ll find the 15th century St. Mark’s Cathedral rising high above the red-roofed Gothic and Renaissance buildings. Go wine-tasting in Smokvica or Cara; soak up some sun on a Lumbarda beach; or take a kayak tour of the islets of the Skoji archipelago – especially Badija, with its pretty monastery.
Life in this exuberant city revolves around its outstanding UNESCO World Heritage Site, Diocletian’s Palace. Don’t be mistaken though – this is no quiet palace or stuffy museum – it’s an elaborate ancient complex of 220 buildings that make up the beating heart of this beautiful city. Home to around 3,000 people, Diocletian’s Palace is a precious Roman gem where the locals go about their daily lives undeterred by the fact that they’re living in a historical wonder.
Dating back to 734BC, Siracusa was once one of the great ancient capitals of Western civilization. Today it’s a lively city with a charming historic center, lovely Baroque architecture and some amazing Greek and Roman ruins, like the monumental Teatro Greco at the Parco Archeologico – one of Sicily’s most impressive archaeological sites. At Siracusa’s heart you’ll find the beautiful island of Ortygia, which was first inhabited by the ancient Greeks.
As the city of Carmen, Don Juan and Figaro, Seville has an undisputed reputation for theatricality and exuberance, which means that it perfectly encapsulates the intensity and passion of the Andalusian spirit. After sailing in via the Guadalquivir River Wander around the exquisite Old Town and you’ll come face to face with Baroque churches, medieval alleyways, aristocratic mansions and a majestic Gothic cathedral – the largest Gothic cathedral in the world.
Gallipoli means ‘Beautiful City’ in Greek—and this gorgeous little town on the Salento Peninsula certainly lives up to its name. Surrounded by water and accessible only by sea or via a 16th century bridge, the town’s historic heart sits on a small island that juts out into the Ionian Sea. This is a place that displays its proud seafaring heritage at every turn, and you’ll see fishermen fixing their nets at the harbor and the freshest seafood dishes adorning the menus of the Old Town.
Italy’s ‘City of Flowers’ simply overflows with Riviera-style grandeur. Ostentatious villas and grand hotels line the sun-kissed streets that have been attracting Europe’s aristocratic elite for over a century. The city has managed to retain all of it’s early 20th century glamor – an age when it was the playground of choice for people like Russia’s Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Soak up a sense of the city’s sumptuous past in the old squares of the La Pigna neighborhood or head out of town to explore the artist colony at Bussana Vecchia.
The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is at the heart of a stunning land-and-marine park between mainland Italy, Corsica and the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas. The main town of Portoferraio sits on a hill, its 16th century fortifications still visible today. Napoleon was famously exiled here, but Mother Nature is Elba’s real attraction. Along the rocky coastline you’ll find numerous gorgeous small bays, coves and beaches, while in the mountainous interior you’ll discover endless hiking trails that showcase the island’s rugged beauty.
Porto Cervo’s magnificent yacht marina is the swish centerpiece of Sardinia’s dazzlingly beautiful Costa Smeralda. This stylish port, founded in the 1960s by the Aga Khan, has since become a playground for the rich and famous and a vacation spot of choice for the international jet setter. Celebrities like to flock here to enjoy the resort’s high-end charms, so it’s no surprise that it’s the summer headquarters for the Italian paparazzi.
With its elegant architecture, cobblestoned streets and restaurant-lined marina, Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel is the charming capital of the Azores. See the three-arched Ponta Delgada, which dates back to 1783; sample local cheeses in the Mercado da Graça; or stop to smell the flowers in Antonio Borges Garden. Venture outside the city and you’ll never forget the view from the Mirador do Rei lookout.
