Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Taormina, Piraeus/Athens, Katakolon (Ancient Olympia), La Valletta, La goulette, Cagliari, Cartagena-, Tangier, Lisbon

Our gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome's seaport since the 13th century, boasting a long and venerable history. Its location near the modern city, made it a perfect vacation resort for emperor Trajan, who built a pleasure villa. while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications. Yet the Eternal City, the ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2.000 years, is our main reason to be here. YYou can visit the ruins of the Forum and the Colosseum, throw a coin in Fontana di Trevi to make sure you return to Rome one day, take a photo in front of the Vatican, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome's Bohemian Quarter and enjoy a delicious gelato, in the glamorous area.

Naples is the third-largest municipality in Italy, after Rome and Milan and one of the chief commercial cities of Europe. The city center has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the surrounding areas are dotted with cultural and historical treasures, with most notable, the restored ruins of Pompeii. Naples itself is mere enduring greatness. Highlights include Castel dell' Ovo, Castelnuovo, Castel Sant'Elmo, a medieval fortress located on a hilltop and national museums dedicated to art and archaeology. There is also a docile bay; the peaceful cypress-tufted islands of Ischia, Procida and Capri and over the city, Mount Vesuvius, volcano and national park. Take the opportunity to see the only active volcano on the European mainland, which blew in A.D. 79 and buried the city of Pompeii, or visit the magnificent Amalfi and Sorrento coasts.

Taormina is a small town on the east coast of Sicily, Italy. The site of the old town is crowned by a very steep rock, with a Saracen castle situated on its top.

Piraeus port is the gateway to Athens center. Don't miss the Parthenon, the temple to Athena which looms over Athens from its perch atop the Acropolis, an eternal icon of art and civilization. Completed in 438 B.C., the temple still astounds as the flowering of Greek art and architecture. When you come down off the hill, don't miss a visit to the Ancient Agora, Syntagma Square, the Acropolis Museum and the city's historic centre, around Plaka. Ideally, sit and relax at a cafe on the foot of the hill, sample some Greek souvlaki or a frappe, take a glance back up the hill from time to time and give the goddess her due.

Katakolon Port occupies the north-west part of the Peloponnese. To the west it is washed by the Ionian Sea. It is the current harbor of the regions capital city Pyrgos and serves as the gateway to the site of ancient Olympia, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world and birthplace of the Olympic Games. Visitors can see the remains of the original Olympic stadium, the Bouleuterion and the Temple of Zeus, enjoy free time in modern Olympiato shop or visit the Museum of the Olympic Games. 

Valletta, The Fortress City, Citta' Umilissima, "a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen" is Malta's capital city: a living, working city, the administrative and commercial heart of the Islands. The city is busy by day, yet retains a timeless atmosphere. The grid of narrow streets boasts some of Europe's finest art works, churches and palaces, among which St. John's Co-Cathedral, with its elaborate inlaid marble tombstones and Caravaggios and the Grand Master's Palace. Enjoy visiting the famous Three Cities across the Grand Harbour and if you have time, Sliema/ St. Julian's/ Paceville area, renowned for its cosmopolitan feel and lively nightlife.

Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, spreads on a hillside overlooking the aptly named Gulf of Angels. Visit the old Castello Quarter, with the narrow and shaded streets and the old buildings, or enjoy the wide and expansive beaches of Sardinia, basking in the Mediterranean sun. All over the island, there are traces of ancient settlements, such as neolithic ruins at Nora; Phoenician, Cathaginian and Roman relics near Cagliari; and Arab, Genoese and Iberian heritage evident in architecture dating back to the Middle Ages.

Cartagena is major naval station located in south-eastern Spain, in the autonomus Region of Murcia. Since its foundation in 229 B.C, it has been inhabited by several cultures which have left their mark on its artistic heritage as one of the most important defensive ports in the country. The highlights of the city include the Muralla del Mar ('Sea Wall'), built by Charles III (18th century), the Old Cathedral located on the Camino del Parque Torres (behind the Muralla del Mar wall), the recently restored Roman Theatre (among its numerous other Roman remains, built between the 5th and 1st centuries BC), the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology ARQUA (at Paseo Alfonso XII, 22), the Town Hall, a gem of modernist architecture dating from the early 20th century and a number of modernist buildings made for its military fortifications. The best way to learn more about the Modernist architecture of Cartagena is to take a walk along the Calle Mayor, which leads off the Plaza del Ayuntamiento square. Here visitors will find the houses of Cervantes and Llagostera, by the Cartagena architect Victor Beltrí. Time given, don't miss Concepción Castle, built on one of the five hills of the old Carthagena and today home of the Centre for the Interpretation of Cartagena's History.

Tangier is part of the Kingdom of Morocco, Africa's whitewashed gateway to Europe and the Mediterranean, a rich blend of cultures, exotic souks, colourful riads, the Kasbah, lively markets.. Wide palm-lined boulevards and humming souks are Tangier's distinctively Moroccan characteristics, but Spanish, French and Berber influences are found everywhere: watch the arched wooden doors, the hefty silver ornamentations, the tighly-woven carpets that tell tribal legends.You can take a tour at the caves of Hercules and the colourful souks of the Old Medina, the Kasbah and the majestic mountains of the Rif.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on the southwest of the country, has been the main gateway for the rest of the planet for more than 19 centuries. Ships captained by Portuguese explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan, skittered across the globe, hauling treasure home and making Lisbon a global capital. Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies, until 1755, when a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city, leaving intact only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas. Eternally linked to the sea, Lisbon's magnificent harbor is spanned by the longest suspension bridge in Europe. Among the city's landmarks are the iconic Castelo de São Jorge, the World Heritage Sites of Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, both built in Lisbon's native Manueline architectural style.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on the southwest of the country, has been the main gateway for the rest of the planet for more than 19 centuries. Ships captained by Portuguese explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan, skittered across the globe, hauling treasure home and making Lisbon a global capital. Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies, until 1755, when a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city, leaving intact only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas. Eternally linked to the sea, Lisbon's magnificent harbor is spanned by the longest suspension bridge in Europe. Among the city's landmarks are the iconic Castelo de São Jorge, the World Heritage Sites of Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, both built in Lisbon's native Manueline architectural style.