Traverse the Mediterranean Sea while exploring lesser-known Italian small ports, Greek ruins and Holy Land shrines during this exceptional 16-day cruise with overnight stays in Rhodes and Haifa. Browse the small, uncrowded shops or nibble on briny local sheep cheese paired with tart, Malvasia white wine amid the unhurried coastal elegance of Cagliari, a less touristy Sardinian port rich in modern art and authenticity. Cook up Sicilian seafood with a chef in the fishing port of Trapani, Sicily. Examine recently recovered Middle Age frescos in the Greek Monastery of St. Andrew, then sip rare Rombola wines in Kephalonia. A small ship exclusive transit of the lesser-traveled Corinth Canal provides more time to explore the Temple of Delphi near Itea and the famed Acropolis high above Athens. Reflect upon Jerusalem’s historic and holy sites and savor optional inland excursions to Masada, the Dead Sea and the sandstone temples of Petra in Jordan.

The major seaport of Haifa has many fascinating sites like Elijah’s Cave, a pilgrimage site for believers, the Stella Maris Church and Monastery, located near the Cave, Muhraka, now a Carmelite monastery on the site where Elijah the Prophet defeated the prophets of Baal, and the Bahai Shrine, a lovely gold-domed shrine where the remains of Said Ali Muhammad, one of the two founders of the Bahai religion are buried. Three gardens of note are The Remembrance Garden, Gan Ha’em, situated in the Carmel Center, and the Sculpture Garden, where 22 bronze statues overlook the striking bay area and landscape. Here is your gateway to Petra with an overnight tour.

The major seaport of Haifa has many fascinating sites like Elijah’s Cave, a pilgrimage site for believers, the Stella Maris Church and Monastery, located near the Cave, Muhraka, now a Carmelite monastery on the site where Elijah the Prophet defeated the prophets of Baal, and the Bahai Shrine, a lovely gold-domed shrine where the remains of Said Ali Muhammad, one of the two founders of the Bahai religion are buried. Three gardens of note are The Remembrance Garden, Gan Ha’em, situated in the Carmel Center, and the Sculpture Garden, where 22 bronze statues overlook the striking bay area and landscape. Here is your gateway to Petra with an overnight tour.

Ashdod is one of the most ancient cities in the world. Visit the Korin Maman Museum, which has a permanent archaeology exhibition called “Philistian World,” Climb to Giv’at Yonah, the highest point of the city at 492 feet, with a city lighthouse atop and named after the prophet Jonah, believed to be buried there.  Ashdod is your gateway to Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.

Limassol is known for several historic buildings like the Limassol Castle, Built in 1000 A.D. and used as a prison from 1790 to 1940 with a collection of artifacts covering 400 to 1879 A.D. Sites to see include the Archaeological Museum of Limassol, which exhibits artifacts from the Neolithic to the Roman period and the Folk Art Museum with a Cypriot Folk Art collection that awarded the museum the Europa Nostra prize in 1989.

This gracious oasis, known as the “Island of Roses,” was home to the legendary Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today it is a yachting paradise, whose shores are lined with sparkling beaches and lush green mountainsides. A scenic drive leads you through quaint villages and lemon groves to the ancient Acropolis of Lindos, standing guard over the picturesque town or to the Old City of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This gracious oasis, known as the “Island of Roses,” was home to the legendary Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today it is a yachting paradise, whose shores are lined with sparkling beaches and lush green mountainsides. A scenic drive leads you through quaint villages and lemon groves to the ancient Acropolis of Lindos, standing guard over the picturesque town or to the Old City of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Heraklion is the birthplace of El Greco, Nobel Prize winning poet Odysseas Elytis, and Nikos Kazantzakis. The major site of Crete’s biggest city is Knossos Palace, the Minoan-era castle unearthed by British archaeologist Arthur Evans. But the first site you will see is the Koules Venetian Fortress built in the early 1500s on the harbor walls, it houses restored interior and exterior reliefs of the Lion of St. Mark. A typical feature of Heraklion’s city center is the number of Venetian and Turkish fountains, the most notable being the Morosini Fountain, built to supply Heraklion with 1,000 barrels of water a day.

Wake this morning to the postcard-like scene of Mykonos, the classic Greek isle dotted with hundreds of whitewashed churches and thatch-roofed windmills, in a harbor bobbing with fishing boats and luxurious private yachts. An optional  tour including a scenic ferry ride takes you back to the 6th   century B.C. to the tiny island of Delos, a UNESCO site and the mythical birthplace of Apollo.

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. 

You’ll want to be on deck today as we transit the narrow Corinth Canal with other private yachts and Greek mail steamers. It’s a shortcut reserved for petite ships like ours, and as we cruise between the narrow limestone walls we are the envy of all the ancient Romans who once portaged their ships along this very route before there was a canal.
 
Canal transit time and duration is subject to change based on traffic and canal authorities.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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 13^th 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.

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.