Azamara Pursuit - October 9, 2025

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.

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.

Often called the "Pearl of the Riviera," this charming hideaway on the Ligurian Sea is a favorite vacation spot of many wealthy Europeans. Once a quiet fishing village, Portofino is now best known for its chic boutiques, wonderful outdoor restaurants, and beachside cliffs that are speckled with pastel-colored villas. An optional day trip by boat lets you explore the picturesque coastline villages of Paraggi and Santa Margherita.

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.

Menorca is considered the gem of the Balearic Islands. Mahon, its most important port, is also its capital. Journey to the top of Monte Toro, the highest mountain on the island, and savor a most spectacular view. Occasionally as far as Majorca. Explore Binibeca, a fishing village rich in vacation homes and villas built in the old Catalan style. Or escape to the lighthouse at Favoritz and enjoy a secluded beach.

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.