Grand Voyage: Athens to Malaga Cruise

Day 1 - Athens

Arrive: Sat 19 October 2024 / Depart: Sat 19 October 2024

Walking in the shadow of the Acropolis in the Agora, you can almost hear the voices of Plato, Socrates and Aristotle arguing about who was the greatest philosopher. In the soaring, subtly curved Doric columns of the Parthenon you see the masterful hand of Pericles, Athens' greatest general and builder. And in the ethereally graceful bodies of the Karyatids supporting the porch of the Erectheum, you behold the beauty of the immortals. Ancient Athens, the birthplace of democracy and epicenter of western civilization, is a city for all eternity.

Day 2 - Nafplion

Arrive: Sun 20 October 2024 / Depart: Sun 20 October 2024

Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf

Day 3 - Monemvasia

Arrive: Mon 21 October 2024 / Depart: Mon 21 October 2024

Monemvasia is a town and a municipality in Laconia, Greece. The town is located on a small island off the east coast of the Peloponnese. The island is linked to the mainland by a short causeway 200m in length

Day 4 - Pilos, Navarino Bay

Arrive: Tue 22 October 2024 / Depart: Tue 22 October 2024

Pylos, historically also known as Navarino, is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It was the capital of the former Pylia Province

Day 5 - At sea

Day 6 - Taormina

Arrive: Thu 24 October 2024 / Depart: Thu 24 October 2024

Perched on the shoulder of Mt. Etna overlooking the green Gulf of Catania, Taormina inspired Goethe to say that "It is the greatest work of art and nature". Shop along the steep, cobblestoned streets of Corso Umberto. Or listen to the ghosts of the ancients in the Greek Theater, where even a whisper can be heard.

Day 7 - Syracuse,Italy

Arrive: Fri 25 October 2024 / Depart: Fri 25 October 2024

Syracuse is a city in New York State. It’s home to the Erie Canal Museum, tracing the waterway’s history in the 1850 Weighlock Building. In the old state armory, the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) offers interactive exhibits and a planetarium. Designed by I.M. Pei, the Everson Museum of Art focuses on American artwork. The opulent 1920s Landmark Theatre hosts Broadway hits and concerts

Day 8 - Gozo

Arrive: Sat 26 October 2024 / Depart: Sat 26 October 2024

Legend says that Ulysses tarried with the goddess Calypso on Gozo, hence it's original name of Calypso's Isle. And no wonder he didn't want to leave - her cave overlooks an enchanted lagoon of gin-clear water surrounded by tall cliffs called the Inland Sea. Look out to the blue Mediterranean through the Azure Window, a soaring arch of rock spanning sky and sea, carved by eons of wind and water.

Day 9 - Malta

Arrive: Sun 27 October 2024 / Depart: Sun 27 October 2024

The Knights of St. John put Malta on the map in 1565 when they withstood an invasion of 30,000 Turks with only 700 Knights. For that a grateful Europe gave them the means to build the city of Valleta. And a beautiful city it is. See the graves of the Knights guarded by masterpieces by Caravaggio in the imposing St. John's Co-Cathedral. Marvel at frescos in the Palace of the Grand Knights. Or drive to the ancient ruins of Hagar Qim, where Neolithic temples more than 5,500 years old are believed to be the oldest human structures on earth.

Day 10 - Gozo

Arrive: Mon 28 October 2024 / Depart: Mon 28 October 2024

Legend says that Ulysses tarried with the goddess Calypso on Gozo, hence it's original name of Calypso's Isle. And no wonder he didn't want to leave - her cave overlooks an enchanted lagoon of gin-clear water surrounded by tall cliffs called the Inland Sea. Look out to the blue Mediterranean through the Azure Window, a soaring arch of rock spanning sky and sea, carved by eons of wind and water.

Day 11 - At sea

Day 12 - Cagliari

Arrive: Wed 30 October 2024 / Depart: Wed 30 October 2024

Cagliari is the capital city of the Italian island of Sardinia. It’s known for the hilltop Castello, a medieval walled quarter situated high over the rest of the town. Architectural highlights include the 13th-century Cagliari Cathedral. Housed in a former arsenal, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari displays bronze objects, Roman ceramics and artifacts from the Nuragic age to the Byzantine era.

Day 13 - At sea

Day 14 - Mahon, Spain

Arrive: Fri 01 November 2024 / Depart: Fri 01 November 2024

You can see why Lord Nelson choose this spot as the base for the British Mediterranean fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. Imagine dozens of ships of the line, being fitted out for battle in this historic harbor. Reminders of those times can still be seen in the gracious Georgian buildings that climb the steep hills backing the Moll Ponent. Mahon's heritage also includes the invention of mayonnaise and the first distillation of gin from juniper berries.

Day 15 - Majorca

Arrive: Sat 02 November 2024 / Depart: Sat 02 November 2024

Palma is a resort city and capital of the Spanish island of Mallorca (Majorca), in the western Mediterranean. The massive Santa María cathedral, a Gothic landmark begun in the 13th century, overlooks the Bay of Palma. The adjacent Almudaina is a Moorish-style Arab fortress converted to a royal residence. West of the city, hilltop Bellver Castle is a medieval fortress with a distinctive circular shape.

Day 16 - Ibiza

Arrive: Sun 03 November 2024 / Depart: Sun 03 November 2024

Ibiza is a place where people hang out because they can let it all hang out. With a wildly mixed population of trendy artists, aging hippies, laid-back ex-pats, and dedicated club goers, Ibiza has a well-earned reputation for the bizarre and outrageous. Except for the medieval walls, you could almost think it was the Med's version of Key West. But away from the hustle of town, some lovely beaches await.

Day 17 - Cartagena, Spain

Arrive: Mon 04 November 2024 / Depart: Mon 04 November 2024

Cartagena is a port city and naval base in the Murcia region of southeast Spain. Founded by the Carthaginians around 220 B.C., the city boomed during the Roman period. Among its many Roman ruins are a 1st-century B.C. theater and Casa de la Fortuna, a villa with murals and mosaics. The Muralla Púnica (Punic Wall) interpretation center houses the remains of a 3rd-century B.C. defensive wall.

Day 18 - Motril, Granada

Arrive: Tue 05 November 2024 / Depart: Tue 05 November 2024

The town of Motril is located in the Spanish region of Andalucia on the Costa Tropical. Nestling at the foothills of the Sierra Lujar mountains, Motril lies at the heart of the Costa Tropical which is one of the most lush and productive agricultural areas of Spain. The town’s coastal strip includes two main beaches - the busiest being Playa Poniente, which is well served with tourist facilities, and the quieter Playa Granada. There are also many sheltered coves, rocky inlets and impressive cliff faces along this stretch of coastline making it popular with divers, snorkelers and sailors.

Day 19 - Malaga

Arrive: Wed 06 November 2024 / Depart: Wed 06 November 2024

When the Moors crossed over from Africa to Andalucía in 714, they were to establish a kingdom that would become the glory of the Middle Ages. Malaga's fortress palace of the Alcazaba and the Castillo de Gibralfaro are splendid examples of Moorish architecture. But it is in Granada that you can see the most romantic and magnificent expression of the Arabesque style in the glorious Alhambra Palace. Ferdinand and Isabella lived here for a while, as did Washington Irving, author or Tales of the Alhambra