Mediterranean Tourist Guide
Still the most popular vacation region in the world, the
countries lining the Mediterranean Sea have played host to leisure
visitors for over a hundred years, and to seaborne traders,
invaders and military forces for thousands of years before that.
The result is that on a Mediterranean cruise you are treated to a
vast array of historical and cultural wonders unique to this
region. The Med is popular for cruise ships as it has a huge
variety of fascinating and awe-inspiring destinations within a
short sail time.
Still the most popular vacation region in the world, the
countries lining the Mediterranean Sea have played host to leisure
visitors for over a hundred years, and to seaborne traders,
invaders and military forces for thousands of years before that.
The result is that on a Mediterranean cruise you are treated to a
vast array of historical and cultural wonders unique to this
region. The Med is popular for cruise ships as it has a huge
variety of fascinating and awe-inspiring destinations within a
short sail time.
Gibraltar, standing at the gateway between the Atlantic Ocean
and the Mediterranean Sea, is decidedly British in style but
Continental in mood. All the region's ports and cities have been
shaped and influenced by a succession of empires and the occasional
individual creative genius. Barcelona, for centuries Spain's main
sea trading port, also has a rich cultural and human history
reflected in art and music. Don't miss the opportunity for an
evening of Flamenco or a tour of the weird and wonderful
architecture of Antonio Gaudi all around the city - not least the
fabulous Holy Family cathedral.
The French Riviera has long been a favourite vacation
destination and the cities of Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo continue
to bask in glamour and style. But beyond the elegant palatial
buildings that line the shore there are medieval villages perched
on hillsides bathed in the Mediterranean sun. The valley of the
Rhône river, which flows through Avignon and out into the
Mediterranean near Arles, is carpeted with vines which produce the
renowned Côtes du Rhone wine.
The landscape of Provence has had enormous influence on many
great artists including Renoir, Van Gogh, Matisse and Cézanne. The
coastline of the south of France has inspired artists and writers
for many decades. Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed
in the picturesque port of Antibes in the 1930s, for example. Pablo
Picasso used Château Grimaldi as a studio and workshop and paid the
rent in pictures now displayed in a museum in the town.
From long before package tours and cruises were ever thought of,
Venice was a seafaring and trading city and the heritage of past
glory and wealth is in the architecture that stands today. St
Mark's Square and the Grand Canal lined with palaces and
aristocratic villas are not only a reflection of the past but part
of the modern life of the city.
The island of Malta has a rich military history as a strategic
haven at the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. Its 16th century
capital is bursting with treasures in churches, palaces and
military installations. Even here history does not stand still -
Valletta's Grand Harbour which once was the greatest naval base in
the Mediterranean is now a spectacular marina, home to a fleet of
yachts and a port of call for cruise liners.
The Mediterranean Islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza have
their glitzy resorts and garish nightlife but also charming
traditional Spanish villages where island life goes on at a relaxed
pace. The French island of Corsica and Italy's Sardinia and Sicily
have a wealth of natural beauty in the landscapes and
coastlines.
Greece and the Greek islands have a history all their own.
Athens, the heart and soul of Greece, is a monument to the
civilising influence of the ancients but is a bustling modern city
at the same time. The Aegean Sea has over 1,400 islands each one
offering a different and memorable experience for the visitor, from
the idyllic Skopelos to the vibrant nightlife on Mykonos and
Paros.
The Mediterranean has something for everyone from sunny
well-developed modern beach resorts to a rich variety of cultural
experiences and breathtaking scenery, shaped by nature and the
influence of traders and empires down the centuries.
Search for cruises in the
Mediterranean >>