Grand Mediterranean Odyssey

Welcome to Athens. You have 2 nights to explore the city.

Laurium or Lavrio is a town in southeastern part of Attica, Greece. It is part of Athens metropolitan area and the seat of the municipality of Lavreotiki. Laurium was famous in Classical antiquity for its silver mines, which was one of the chief sources of revenue of the Athenian state.

Mykonos is an island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. It’s popularly known for its summer party atmosphere. Beaches such as Paradise and Super Paradise have bars that blare thumping music. Massive dance clubs attract world-renowned DJs and typically stay open well past dawn. Iconic landmarks include a row of 16th-century windmills, which sit on a hill above Mykonos town.

Kuşadası is a beach resort town on Turkey’s western Aegean coast. A jumping-off point for visiting the classical ruins at nearby Ephesus (or Efes), it’s also a major cruise ship destination. Its seafront promenade, marina, and harbor are lined with hotels and restaurants. Just offshore on Pigeon Island is a walled Byzantine castle that once guarded the town, connected to the mainland via causeway.

Patmos, an Aegean island in the north of Greece’s Dodecanese island group, is a significant Christian pilgrimage site. Its Cave of the Apocalypse is where John of Patmos (St. John the Theologian) is said to have written the Book of Revelations. A fortresslike, 11th-century monastery dedicated to the saint overlooks the whitewashed houses of the hilltop capital, Hora (also known as Chora).

Rhodes is the principal city and a former municipality on the island of Rhodes in the Dodecanese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It has a population of approximately 50,000 inhabitants.

Santorini is one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. It was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC, forever shaping its rugged landscape. The whitewashed, cubiform houses of its 2 principal towns, Fira and Oia, cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera (crater). They overlook the sea, small islands to the west and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles.

Back in Lavrion today as the ship completes its Aegean loop. No need to disembark, stay onboard and settle in as Celestyal Discovery turns west, heading towards Italy and the next leg of the journey.

Tarragona was once the Roman capital of Hispania, and the old town still shows it. Walk the amphitheatre overlooking the Mediterranean, wander the Roman circus ruins tucked into the modern streets, and climb to the Cathedral of Santa Tecla for views across the rooftops.

Beyond the Roman city, Tarragona sits at the edge of the Costa Daurada and the Priorat wine region. Head inland to the steep terraced vineyards for a tasting, or stay coastal and walk the long stretch of golden sand at Platja Llarga.

With Barcelona under an hour away by train, today’s a good day for a side trip into the city itself, or for staying local and exploring Tarragona’s fish market and old fishing quarter, El Serrallo, before the ship continues west tomorrow.

Melilla is a Spanish city on the North African coast, bordering Morocco, and one of the more unusual stops in the Mediterranean. Its old town, the Melilla la Vieja fortress, dates back to the 15th century, while the newer city holds one of the largest collections of Modernist architecture outside Barcelona, the work of local architect Enrique Nieto.

Lisbon rises in tiers above the Tagus, all faded pastel facades and steep cobbled hills. Ride the yellow trams through Alfama’s old streets, climb to the Castelo de São Jorge for views over the rooftops, and stop for pastéis de nata somewhere that isn’t trying too hard to sell them to tourists.

A second day gives you time to head out of the centre. Belém is the easy choice, with its 16th-century tower and monastery, or take the train along the coast to Cascais or Sintra for something further afield before the ship continues south tomorrow.

Your holiday comes to an end today. Interested in extending you stay? Ask us about our amazing range of packages available or speak with a Cruise Travel Advisor who will be able to customise your holiday with you.