30-night Best Of The Mediterranean Cruise

Mahon is a town known since antiquity for its natural harbor. Its coastline includes beautiful natural coves, rocky cliffs, and long beaches. Menorca is an open-air museum with archaeological remains giving evidence of Mediterranean cultures of thousands of years ago. Traces of English rule remain, especially in the design of tall houses with sash windows overlooking the harbor. Watersports are most popular of the wide range of leisure activities available. Sail boat rentals are available at numerous beaches and a golf course is located in Son Park. Menorca was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993 - an acknowledgement of the island's environmental importance and artistic and cultural heritage. Santa Maria Church, located in Plaza de la Constitucion, was founded in 1287 and rebuilt in neo-classical style in the 18th century. Its 19th-century organ is one of the world’s largest, with 3,004 pipes. Sa Mesquida and Cala del Pilar are the two best beaches.

Lying inside the protected Gulf of Olbia in the northeast of Sardinia, the town with the same name sits by the sea. This quaint seaside villiage was originally started as a Greek colony and was the scene of a Roman victory over the Carthaginians in 259 BC. Phoenician and Roman tombs are still in the area and the Pisan Romanesque Church of San Simplicio in the town is a site to behold.

Cast in the Tyrrhenian sea, the Lipari Islands experience an increasing amount of tourism due to unusual scenery and mild climate. The variety and beauty of rock formations, the volcanic phenomena of Stromboli and the crystalline waters always impress visitors. Local-style architecture adds charm to picturesque villages. The main islands include famous Stromboli and Lipari. In a bay on Lipari’s east coast lies the main town of the same name - dominated by the Castello or Acropolis, which separates the town’s two harbors. Within Castello are the cathedral and the former Bishop's Palace, which now houses the Archaeological Museum. It is noted for its fine collection of relics from recent excavations, Greek masks and statuettes from theatrical life as far back as Sophocles and Euripides. At Marina Corta there are hydrofoils and boats offering trips to neighboring islands. The most southern Lipari Island, Vulcano Island, has a spectacular volcanic landscape of rugged peaks rising above beaches. A steep trail leads up from the plain to a 1,150-foot crater.

Roses is located in the Spanish region of Catalonia on the Costa Brava. Those interested in the region's rich history and culture will be delighted by the wealth of ancient sites, monuments and buildings which still remain as reminders of ancient civilisations.