My Adriatic Escape

I just returned from visiting 10 of the most romantic spots in the Med, in 10 days. How did I maximize my experience?

I simply combined top weather (September is my favorite time of the year!) and a 10-day Mediterranean cruise itinerary created by Regent Seven Seas Cruise Line, offering a very special port of call each day of the cruise.

I felt like i was in a fairy tale, as I experienced sunrises and sunsets at some of the most magic destinations: Venice (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Kotor (Montenegro), Corfu (Greece), Taormina (Sicily), Sorrento, Rome, Livorno, Portofino (Italy), and Monaco to wrap up this super itinerary with a BANG!

What is there not to like? Venice, the city built on water; Dubrovnik and Kotor, two completely preserved medieval walled-in cities; the Greek isle of Corfu and its amazing beaches; Taormina and its Greco/Roman Theater in the shadows of Sicily’s Mount Etna; Sorrento, and its Amalfi coast getaway to Capri; and magnificent Rome!

From Livorno, I also ended up visiting Lucca, a walled-in medieval city with its walls actually dating from early Roman times! And Monaco, with its multi-million dollar yachts and its famous casino was the perfect port at which to overnight for our last evening.

Sometimes the best experiences hide behind unforeseen circumstances: I will never forget how amazing visiting Lucca was, because we got stranded under a September thunderstorm! It was so romantic, to walk through the little cobblestones streets under an umbrella with our wet feet, looking for a place to dry out and drink some Italian Cappuccino.

Likewise, I went kayaking around the walls of Dubrovnik town, on a windy day. Our little group ended up braving some 3-foot waves! But we all had so much fun, taking great pictures and snorkeling along the protected island of Bodrum. We also became THE Kayak team that day, and it’s like the whole cruise ship knew about it.

I could have not enjoyed such a compact experience without Regent. This itinerary was perfect for what I was looking for, which was to be on the land discovering magic towns every day, while relaxing intensely. Their shore excursion team is fantastic as they handle all passengers wishes with such efficiency. Some destinations in the world are perfect to discover this way, as without packing and unpacking you hit a different spot every day. My choices would be Scandinavia, Alaska, to mention a few.

Florence Brethome