Aboard Sea Cloud II, discover Mediterranean islands rich with history and spectacular beauty.
Aboard the sumptuous Sea Cloud II, discover Mediterranean islands rich with history and spectacular beauty. From Malta’s capital of Valletta, sail to Sicily’s ancient port of Trapani. Discover the magnificent remnants of an ancient Greek colony that thrived in Sicily, enjoying an inside look at the marvelously well-preserved temple of Segesta, which was built in the fifth century B.C. Continue to the Italian island of Sardinia and its ancient capital of Cagliari, which traces its history back to the Phoenicians and Romans. Float along Sardinia’s west coast to Alghero, colonized by the Catalans in the 14th century.
Enchanting Islands with Breathtaking Natural Beauty
Discover Sardinia’s domed stone fortresses called nuraghi, striking evidence of an advanced Bronze Age civilization on the island. Be on deck when Sea Cloud II approaches French Corsica and Bonifacio’s stunning natural harbor, with its breathtaking setting atop limestone cliffs. Sail north to the enchanting island of Elba, Napoleon’s place of exile, and explore Napoleon’s residence, Villa San Martino, now a museum. Arrive in Tuscany on the Italian mainland, where you will have a choice between excursions departing from the port of Livorno: Wander through the medieval fortified town of Lucca, the birthplace of Puccini, or venture to Pietrasanta, a tiny contemporary art community that Michelangelo once called home.
Highlights
- Cruise the Mediterranean aboard the luxurious Sea Cloud II, following in the wake of Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Spaniards to lands awash with natural beauty and treasures of antiquity
- Travel to islands rich with Napoleonic history: the lush French territory of Corsica, where the famed military leader was born, and the Italian island of Elba, where he spent his exile
- In Sicily, enjoy an inside look at Segesta’s extraordinarily well-preserved Greek temple, built in the fifth century B.C.
- Join a scholar-led inside look at the ancient Sardinian city of Nora, with its gorgeously mosaicked Roman ruins and Carthaginian warehouses left behind after submersion by massive floods
- Discover Sardinia’s Bronze Age and medieval highlights, including the spectacular Nuraghe Palmavera, one of the most famous and well-preserved of Sardinia’s Bronze Age stone fortresses, dating back to as early as 1600 B.C.
- Enjoy a behind-the-scenes visit to Villa San Martino, Napoleon Bonaparte’s summer residence during his exile on Elba, now a museum filled with frescoes, 19th-century prints, period furnishings, and Napoleonic antiques
- Savor exceptional regional wines in enchanting settings, including the 17th-century country wine estate, La Chiusa in Elba, which is ensconced in a vineyard surrounded by olive trees overlooking the ocean
- Navigate the impressive fjord-like waterway into the dazzling clifftop city of Bonifacio, Corsica, where you will attend a private polyphonic concert inside a centuries-old church
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