Azamara Journey - April 28, 2026

Nice, the pearl of the French Riviera, is a busy commercial city and the capital of the Alpes Maritimes department. Nonetheless, beauty, a fine climate and affable citizens keep its charm and year around appeal intact. The cuisine, like the city, is cosmopolitan, Mediterranean and delightful.

Portoferraio is the mainport of Elba. After Napoleon abdicated the throne, he was exiled to the island of Elba, located off the west coast of Italy, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Your stay here will feel less like exile and more like an escape as you sample the local wines and walk among her rich olive groves and relax on the beaches of her numerous resorts. Be sure to visit Napoleon's chief residence, the Mulini Palace, and his summer residence, Villa San Martino, which now houses a museum and his collection of engravings.

Porto Vecchio bursts with a beauty found only in Corsica. Sun-kissed beaches, shady pine forests, and an animated city have recently made Porto Vecchio a popular tourist destination. Sailing and diving are extremely popular activities.

As Sardinia's capital, Cagliari is both a thriving modern city and a fine example of the varied history of this Italian island. Explore the Roman amphitheater, Spanish townhouses, and Pisan watchtowers. Antiquities from the native Nuraghi culture and from the Phoenician era onward are well-displayed in the National Archaeological Museum.

La Goulette, or Halq al-Wadi, serves as a gateway to the capital of Tunis, linked by a seven-mile long canal. La Goulette's proximity to both Lake Tunis and the Gulf of Tunis makes it a popular resort. Visit the ruins of forts that date back to the Spanish and Turkish occupation of the island.

Located in the middle of the Mediterranean, Malta's coastline features many harbors, bays, sandy beaches and rocky coves. After a leisurely stroll through the Barracca Gardens you'll be awarded with a spectacular view of the harbor of Valetta.

Originally settled by Greece, Siracusa (Syracuse) is famous as the Greek headquarters in ancient Sicily and site of one of the world's first democratic revolutions. Much of the architecture only dates back to the early seventeenth century, due to an earthquake. Visit the island of Ortygia and the Great Harbour. See what remains from antiquity in Neapolis, including a Greek theater, a Roman amphitheatre and altar, the Euryalus fort, and the Baroque cathedral. Visit the remains of the Temple of Apollo and the gorgeous Montalto Palace as well.

With the smoking cone of Mt. Etna as a backdrop, the chic resort of Taormina, is absolutely stunning. The town's ancient Greek theater is a wonder. Built in the third century B.C., with apparently perfect acoustics, it is still used today for open-air concerts. Spend some leisurely time along the Corso Umberto, where there are many interesting places to shop and dine.

Take advantage of the many on board activites during your day at sea. You'll have more than enough to fill your day!

With its steep volcanic flanks looming straight up from the sea, and the tiny white village of Thira clinging high atop the cliffs, Santorini is perhaps the most breathtaking and legendary of all the Greek Isles. To the south is Akrotiri, where recent Minoan excavations support the theories that Santorini might be the fabled lost continent of Atlantis.

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. In a single day, you can climb the hill of the Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and then find a welcoming taverna for some spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and with luck, energetic Greek dancing.

It is built around a magnificent lagoon in a deep blue bay on one of the most beautiful spots os the Mediterranean. The beauty here is endless with the seasons succeeding one another. There are vine-covered terrace cafes for people watching along the waterfront of this enchanting harbor. An hour and a half drive away, the majestic ruin of Knossos illuminates one of the most advanced ancient civilizations ever discovered.

Take advantage of the many on board activites during your day at sea. You'll have more than enough to fill your day!

Steep, rugged Sicily had bred a race of fierce, funny and passionate people. From this important port, drive up the coast to visit Taormina. First Greeks, then Romans used this as a place of worship and reward. View the temples and the theater, Mt. Etna in the distance, or take a stroll and shop in the little village before you leave.

Some of Italy's most romantic villages cling to the dramatic slopes of the ruggedly beautiful Amalfi Coast. Sorrento's one so beautiful it inspired a song. Take a drive along the scenic coastal road. Or venture further, to the amazing ruins of Pompeii, uncovered from the ashes of Vesuvius, or to Capri, known as the "Island of Love."

Civitavecchia is just moments from Rome, Italy's Eternal City. One of the most geographically perfect ports in the world, Civitavecchia boasts a number of compelling area attractions. Stroll through the streets of the medieval town of Tarquinia. View the resplendent Madonnina at the Resort of Pantano.

From Livorno, your path leads through the rolling green hills of Tuscany to Florence, the flower of the Renaissance. The creative explosion happened right here, with masterworks by Michelangelo, Brunelleschi and Botticelli now landmarks of daily life. Ufizzi, Academmia, il Duomo: the art treasures of a golden age are commonplace to blessed Florentines. Livorno also serves as the gateway to Pisa, home of the famous leaning tower.

Nice, the pearl of the French Riviera, is a busy commercial city and the capital of the Alpes Maritimes department. Nonetheless, beauty, a fine climate and affable citizens keep its charm and year around appeal intact. The cuisine, like the city, is cosmopolitan, Mediterranean and delightful.

The most populated city in France after Paris, Marseille has all the sights and sounds of a Mediterranean melting pot, which it has been ever since the Phocaean Greeks invaded around 600 B.C. Its industrial docks rub shoulders with the picturesque old harbor, the Vieux Port, founded by the Greeks 2,600 years ago. Packed with colorful fishing boats and yachts, the Vieux Port is the heart of Marseille.

Though the scenery is strikingly dramatic, below the rugged headlands and rocky promontories you'll find quiet, beach-bordered bays rimmed by pine woodlands. Palamos is the southernmost of a series of small isolated ports that cling like oysters to tiny harbours set along Catalunya's northern coast. It sits on a high rock over the harbor, a favorite destination for yachts that vie for space with local fishing boats.

Barcelona is the cultural heartland of Spain, yet its first language is Catalan, the native tongue of the proudly independent Catalonia region. Stroll down the shady, tree-lined Ramblas between street musicians and elegant bistros. Then perhaps visit the venerable Gothic cathedral, Picasso Museum or enjoy the architectural genius of Antonio Gaudi's Church of the Holy Family.