7-Night Secluded Southern Italy & Greece Cruise

Valletta is the capital of Malta. This remarkable fortified city with its massive bastions followed the most advanced Renaissance ideas in town planning, with streets laid straight on a grid looking over the Grand Harbour. Outside the 'City Gate' is the famous Triton Fountain. 'City Gate' has public buses and vendors selling soft drinks and all sorts of traditional fresh Maltese bread and sweets. Freedom Square shows an extraordinary capital with buildings of fine architecture of different tastes and styles ranging from the Mannerism to Baroque to Rococo to Neoclassicism. Valletta is a fascinating city for wandering around looking at what used to be the Knight's own cathedrals and Auberges. The city's backbone is Republic Street, which runs straight through the city center to Fort St. Elmo. Valletta has several narrow, steep side streets decorated with traditional Maltese pastel colored balconies and a statue on almost every street corner. There are plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants to choose from.

The east coast of Sicily is considered by many to be its most magnificent. Lovely Taormina was called "the greatest work of art and nature" by Goethe in his Italian Journey. Situated above the Ionian Sea with Mount Etna as a spectacular backdrop, this storybook town of sculpted gardens, stately palaces and ancient monuments is easily one of Sicily’s most striking sites. There is much to see and do here; the main attractions in Taormina are seen on foot. Incredible vistas are available from Taormina's Public Gardens which are filled with exotic flowers and plants. In Giardini-Naxos, close to the pier, the Bourbon fort contains a fine museum, Museo Archaeologico. The entrance is via a garden bisected by an ancient lava flow.

Visitors will enjoy visitng the many medieval buildings and relaxing on the beautiful beaches. The Cathedral is a beatiful blend of neo-classical and Baroque styles. Another historic building worth visiting is the 16th century castle of Charles V, as it also houses the Town Museum. Visitors will find plentiful dining, shops, and cafe's along the beaches.

Sitting on the heel of Italy in Salento, this seaside escape used its fertile lands to breed the best horses across the country. It's colorful past retained much influence from the Greeks, Byantines and Turks. Visit the Romanesque mosaic that rivals the famous Ravenna mosaic. It is preserved in the 12th-century Otranto cathedral that hovers over the bones of 813 martyrs behind the altar. 

Cephalonia (Kefalonia) is the largest in area of the Ionian islands. The slopes on the eastern side of the island are covered with pine forests that run down to the sea. In ancient times Kefalonia formed part of the kingdom of Odysseus and here at least archaeologists have been able to find evidence of the ancient sites mentioned in Homer. The tombs at Krani are said to be the best examples of Mycenean tombs in Greece. Kefalonia produces excellent Robola white and red wine and for those who like a rose, the Manzavino is very good. The major earthquake of 1953 demolished every town on Cephalonia except Fiskardho. Fiskardo, the northenmost harbour on Cephalonia, has kept its traditional colour. Lying opposite and very close to Ithaca, it is surrounded by a thick cypress glade. The picturesque 19th century houses set amid green pine groves remain pretty much original. The village is named after Robert Guiscard (thus Guiscardo/Phiscardo/Fiscardho), a Norman adventurer who briefly ruled.

Itea, in the Gulf of Corinth, is the port from which you can visit Delphi and the monastery at Osios Loukas. Docking at the pier close to the centre of town, a twenty minute bus or taxi journey takes you to Delphi, perhaps the most magical classical site in Greece.

Corinth, Greece, located 53 mi/86 km west of Athens, consists of both an old and a new town 4 mi/7 km apart. It is worth a half-day visit. The old town, where St. Paul once preached, is by far the more interesting of the two. Be sure to stroll its lively waterfront area, take in the view from the Acrocorinth hilltop and see the museum at the site of ancient Corinth.

Also visit the Temple of Apollo (sixth century BC), the Agora (Forum) and the remains of the Long Wall. Just before arriving at ancient Corinth, take a look from the bridge at the freighters below as they squeeze through the 82-ft-/25-m-wide Corinth Canal.

Hydra, in the Saronic Gulf off of the Greek mainland, may have served as the natural model for ancient architects when they were designing the marvelous acoustically magical amphitheaters in Greece and Rome. Its horseshoe-shaped harbor welcomes boats at all hours. As with most Greek islands, Hydra's port is the center of activity and is lined with tourist shops, restaurants and merchants. It is a wonderful place to sit in a cafe, munching on a Greek salad, writing postcards or watching the world go by. Around the corners to either side of the port are beaches, although some are more rock than beach. Mandhraki beach offers sand for those who want to feel grit between their toes. The beach to the west, in Kamini, is rocky, as is the one at Vlykhos, a half an hour further west. Most of what people consider premium tanning spots on this island are rocks. The further from town, the more private the area is likely to be. Every sound down at the port can be heard, no matter where one is in the town. Even from the Monastery of Profitis Ilias at the top of the mountain, every sound is crystal clear.

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. Climb the hill of Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and find a welcoming taverna for spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and energetic Greek dancing. Piraeus is the largest harbor in the country. The white chapel of St. George at its summit has a theater bearing the same name. The hill of Nymphs is the site of a planetarium, which is located above magnificent Thesseio temple. Among all of these hills, Acropolis is the one that glorified Athens and the whole Greek world and became the symbol of the western civilization. Bays and small rocky or sandy coves dot the area and during the summer are filled with Athenians and foreigners enjoying their beauty.