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Spotlight on the Eastern Mediterranean
From the delights of the Adriatic, to the stunning Greek Isles and beyond, cruising the Eastern Mediterranean is something you can do again and again and still find a new destination to discover.
Here are our LoveitBookit’s favourite ports from Eastern Mediterranean itineraries.
1) Dubrovnik, Croatia
The walled city of Dubrovnik is one of the best preserved medieval cities in the world and UNESCO world heritage site. In the pedestrian only Old Town, there are plenty of red-roofed churches, museums, palaces in to explore along the narrow cobbled streets and lots of bazaars to shop at. Sponza Palace is definitely worth a visit, a huge Gothic and Renaissance palace dating back to 1272.
Croatia offers some stunning beaches to rival those of the Caribbean, which are mainly found to the south but there are a couple of beaches accessible from Dubronvik, the most popular, Banje Beach is a 10 minute walk away but it can get a little crowded in summer. A little further out and a bit smaller is Sveti Jakov beach – be warned though, there are 163 steps to get down to the shore.
Top Tip: If you are a fan of HBO’s show, Game of Thrones (and let’s face it, who isn’t these days?) then you will recognise the old-town as the city of ‘Kings Landing’. Head there in September and you might just find the cast filming and throughout the year, you can take a ‘Game of Thrones’ themed walking tour in the city, which points out some great locations.
2) Santorini, Greek Isles
With breathtakingly views, Santorini ( or Thira, as the Greeks call it) is probably the most stunning of all the Greek islands. Formed in 1450BC by a massive earthquake, you can expect to see jet-black beaches and whitewashed houses sat high amongst the cliff tops.
To get up to the popular town of Fira, you can climb the 700 feet in a cable car, or if you’re feeling energetic you can hike the distance, but beware you will share the journey with donkeys who also carry passengers up and in the height of summer, it can get a bit busy! When you reach the top you can browse the shops, explore the 9th century clifftop ruins or visit the Prehistoric museum with some amazing collections dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries BC.
However, if you want to explore the picturesque, white and blue-topped houses and churches of Oia, you can do this via an excursion with your cruiseline, or you can take a public bus from Fira. The town itself is quite small but worth it for those views and a nice place to spend a leisurely lunch.
Top tip: Get up early to see the sunrise as you come in to Santorini and to avoid the rush – at busy summer periods the wait for the cable car up the cliff can be excessive, especially if there are a lot of ships in port.
3) Venice, Italy
We couldn’t pick our favourite Eastern Mediterranean cities without giving the winding canals of Venice a mention. There has been lots of controversy regarding ships being able to cruise along Grand Canal outside St. Marks Square – to date – its been overturned but that could all change again, so the best way to get around Venice is to get a day ticket for the Vaparetto, that way you can hop on and off at various destinations as many times as you like.
If you are going to pay tourist prices for a coffee anywhere in the world than St. Marks Square is the place to do it – and a visit inside the Basilica is a must as well. The queues tend to be shorter towards the end of the day before it closes, so try to go then and miss wasting any of your precious day in port stuck in a queue. Another other must see is the Rialto Bridge – one of the best ways to experience it is by gondola and the going rate is around €80 per gondola for a half an hour trip. Some gondoliers are more enthusiastic than others, so don’t be afraid to observe before you make your selection! If you are a fan of slightly more kooky tourist attractions, take the vaparetto over to San Servelo island, which used to house nothing more than an old insane asylum, dating back to the 1700s. For €3 you can take a pre-booked guided tour of the gardens and the museum and the vaparetto ride over the lagoon is quite an experience in itself, especially on a clear day.
Top Tip: If you have an overnight port stop in Venice and want to experience Opera or are an Opera fan looking for a new experience, check out Musica a Palazzo. Set in an old Palazzo, it offers an intimate opera experience for around 70 people and your ticket includes a drink during the interlude.
4) Kotor, Montenegro
The journey in and out of this small town in Montenegro is as much as a highlight as the town itself. It takes over an hour to sail in down the old submerged river canyon and it’s on par with visiting the Fjords with breath-taking mountain scenery on all sides.
The medieval old town has several churches and museums to explore and plenty of shops to browse but the actual town is quite small, so enjoy a long lazy lunch. If you are up for a challenge and enjoy hiking though, you can visit the fortress of San Giovanni, high up in the mountains and accessible by a winding path in the old city walls. It’s around 1500 steps and will take you a good couple of hours up and back down, but there is lots of see along the way and the views are incredible. Make sure you wear decent shoes and take plenty of water!
Top Tip: You’ll want to get up at about 6:30am to experience the sail into Kotor if you’re docking in around 8am – it’s worth it to experience the stunning scenery over breakfast.
5) Kusadasi, Turkey
Kusadasi is a small, seaside port in Turkey and it’s biggest pull is the ancient city of Epheus, which was the 2nd biggest city in the world during the Roman era and one of the best ancient classical sites in this part of the Mediterranean. It can be difficult to access Epheus via public transport, so if you are planning to visit, you are probably best to take a ship / private excursion. It can get very hot and dusty and the ground is naturally a little uneven, so ensure you dress accordingly. Make sure you visit the House of the Virgin Mary and see the frescoes at the Church of John the Baptist.
If you prefer to spend your time in port shopping, then Grand and Orient Bazaars are easily accessible from the port. You can buy traditional crafts like carpets, ceramics and jewelry as well as leather goods and there are plenty of other bits and bobs to try your hand haggling at.
Top Tip: There are some fantastic fish restaurants along the waterfront, so make sure you take a break from your shopping to enjoy the local cuisine.
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