A Piece of Greece, a Slice of Sicily & the Corinth Canal
£3,348pp
Itinerary
Discover Italy and Greece at their best, when towns and beaches are less crowded and the weather is just right for strolling historic ruins and admiring Greece’s 5,000-plus wildflowers. Feast your eyes on the smooth bone-white columns of Athens’ Parthenon, and the honeycombed spires of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia. Inhale the heady aroma of wild rosemary and thyme mingled with fresh-baked guttiau bread in Cagliari, and the citrus tang of kumquat liqueur in Corfu. In Messina, watch as the bell tower clock’s bronze characters come to life, announcing noon with a lion’s fierce roar and a rooster’s loud crow. Spot bright pink flamingos stilt-walking the white salt flats in Trapani. Enjoy the sweet sound of Argostoli’s street musicians playingkantadeson mandolins. And discover the tranquility of Delphi, where oracles channeled the prophecies of Apollo to kings and commoners. On this voyage you’ll visit ports reserved for small ships like Itea, dock closer to key attractions than larger ships can in Trapani and Barcelona, and cross the Corinth Canal, too narrow for most modern ships but just wide enough for your small ship.
Day to Day Itinerary
| Date | Country | Port | |
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| Day 1 | Greece | Athens | |
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With 3,000 years of history, you can't turn around in Athens without encountering the past. The Acropolis, a UNESCO site, the Plaka, and the Acropolis Museum are must-sees. But leave time if you can to climb Pnyx Hill for photos of the Parthenon at sunset, to buy your own set of Greek komboloi (worry beads), and to explore the metro stations that serve as mini-museums for the relics that are constantly being unearthed. |
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| Day 2 | Greece | Delphi | |
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Before there were fortune cookies there was the oracle of Delphi, dating back to 1400 B.C. The oracle gave cryptic guidance to the leaders of the day and was so highly respected that Delphi, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, became known as the center of the world. An optional tour lets you go exploring, from the Temple of Apollo to the Delphi Archaeological Museum, which contains some of the finest works of art in Greece. |
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| Day 3 | Greece | Corfu | |
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One of the most beautiful and popular islands, located on the Ionian Sea, Corfu has wonderful beaches and small villages throughout the island. Take in the Venetian influence at the two fortresses located in Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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| Day 4 | Greece | Argostoli | |
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The active harbor of Argostoli features a long promenade offering excellent opportunities to see the main attraction here - the caretta-caretta turtles who feed at the nearby lagoon or around the fishing boats who toss their unwanted catch to them. There is a variety of restaurants and cafes to try the delicious Kephalonian meat pie. |
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| Day 5 | Italy | Messina | |
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The cobblestone streets of Messina, Sicily, are the perfect launching point for an optional visit to nearby Taormina. Stroll along flower-filled streets in search of a delightful lunch or an artist's palette of colorful gelati. The ancient Greek Theater is an ideal place to sit back and admire shimmering waters below and Mount Etna, languidly smoking in the distance. |
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| Day 6 | Italy | Trapani, Sicily | |
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At once ancient and contemporary, Trapani is a city of contrasts. From the salt marshes that produce much of the Mediterranean's signature colored salts, to the intricate mosaics of Mozia and the famous wines of Marsala, to the best view in all of Sicily from the medieval hill town of Erice where the colorful gardens are rivaled only by the cannolis for pure sensory delight. The line of 17th century windmills, still hard at work in ancient Phoenician salt marshes beckons you to return to Trapani again and again. |
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| Day 7 | Italy | Cagliari | |
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Cagliari is known for Il Castello, a hilltop medieval walled quarter majestically watching over the town. Beautiful Poetto Beach sits on the edge of town with sparkling blue waters and lively activity. Other sites to see include the 13th century Cathedral di Santa Maria, the Torre Dell'Elefante and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari with its displays of bronze objects, Roman ceramics and artifacts from the Nuragic age to the Byzantine era. |
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| Day 9 | Spain | Barcelona | |
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The old meets the new in this sunny Catalan metropolis, where narrow alleyways contrast with grand boulevards, trendy cuisine meets homemade tapas, and everywhere you're greeted by the warm, welcoming smiles of the fashionable locals. Don't miss UNESCO sites like the mind-boggling architecture of Antoni Gaudí or La Sagrada Familia Cathedral, with its eight decorative spires soaring hundreds of feet into the sky. |
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