The Eastern Med with Egypt

An incredible journey in just over three weeks visiting eight countries – Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Malta, Algeria, Morocco and Portugal – that has only been made possible by embarking on a cruise of their surrounding waters. The Mediterranean has always been a popular cruise destination, offering a wealth of historic places, stunning coastlines and fascinating cultures.

The second largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia was important to the Phoenicians and Romans, in particular Cagliari where they built an amphitheatre in the second century. In contrast, the smaller Aeolian Islands, located north of Sicily, are known for their volcanic black-sand beaches and rocky coastlines. From the seaside town of Katakolon, Ancient Greece comes to life in nearby Olympia, where the first Olympic Games were held in 776BC, whilst the charming island of Corfu has a Venetian fortress overlooking the Ionian Sea. It was E. M. Forster who observed that ‘few cities have made so magnificent an entry in history as Alexandria’. It flourished as one of the greatest Graeco-Roman cities of its time with Ptolemy ll creating in the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the Seven Great Wonders of the Ancient World. Continuing along the North African coastline, this cruise additionally takes in Algiers, which was ruled by the Ottomans, and Tangier, an ancient Berber and Phoenician town. Concluding the voyage in Lisbon, home to the UNESCO sites of Jerónimos Monastery and Belém tower.

On-board Lecture
This sailing features a talk on ‘Ancient Mythology’ presented by Adrian Cooper.