Cultures of the Mediterranean Barcelona to Civitavecchia

Barcelona, located in Catalonia Spain, is Europe's largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast, and one of the world’s major global cities. Today, Barcelona balances itself on the cutting edge of architecture, intellectual life, and style. Indeed Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect. Read more about Barcelona, Spain

Palma de Mallorca is the major city and port on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of the island on the Bay of Palma, and almost half of the total population of Majorca live there. Visitors are spellbound by its blue waters, white beaches, lush foliage (almost 40 percent of the island is protected countryside), and 300 days of sunshine each year. Read more about Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region in Italy. An ancient city, it has seen the rule of several civilisations and in the ‘old city’ that lies on the top of a hill with a wonderful view of the ocean, it’s amazing to see the walls still intact, together with its two 13th century limestone towers. Importantly, the city is also home to exceptional beaches, rocky cliffs and numerous underwater caves. Read more about Cagliari, Italy

Tunis, the capital of the Tunisian Republic and its largest city, is situated on the large Gulf of Tunis. It may be but a slim wedge of North Africa’s vast horizontal expanse, but Tunisia has enough history and diverse natural beauty to pack a country many times its size. The city takes you by surprise with its modern conference halls, hotels and banks, and bright yellow taxis rushing passengers to business lunches. Read more about Tunis, Tunisia

Porto Empedocle is a little port in Italy on the Strait of Sicily, founded in the eighteenth century. It is in the Caos district, and is well known to Italians because the home - which now contains a small museum - of the famous writer Luigi Pirandello, is located there. The town is also very well known as the setting of the Inspector Montalbano books, written by Andrea Camilleri, who when aged 80 years still had a home here where he lived for part of the year. Read more about Porto Empedocle, Italy

Valletta (aka Belt Valletta, Città Umilissima) - traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's principal administrative district - is the capital city of Malta, located in the central-eastern portion of the island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is essentially Baroque in style, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture. Don’t miss the the majestic St John’s Co-Cathedral, with its imposing bastions and a treasure of priceless paintings. Read more about Valletta, Malta

Sorrento is a small, enchanting, Italian town, located over white steep cliffs that offers a fantastic view over the Bay of Naples, offering views of many famous neighbouring tourist attractions. Indeed, its location allows visitors to comfortably reach the delightful and enchanting towns of Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast. Renowned for its natural attractions of landscapes, including the impressive rocks of the limestone mountains, and breathtaking panoramic views, it is also filled with fascinating historical and religious architecture. Read more about Sorrento, Italy

Rome, sometimes referred to as "The Eternal City," is the capital city of Italy. Cruises from Rome depart the Rome Cruise Terminal which is approximately 1.5 hours by train North-West of the city centre. Rome is renowned across the world for its rich past, impressive archaeological sites, delectable cuisine, gorgeous gardens, homes of local nobility, and significant structures including the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona. Read more about Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy