Mediterranean from Genoa

La Superba — 'the Proud' — earned its epithet as one of the four great maritime republics of medieval Italy, and Genoa's UNESCO-listed Palazzi dei Rolli, some of the finest Renaissance and Baroque palaces in Europe, still announce the city's historic ambitions with magnificent authority. Renzo Piano's revitalised old port introduces a modern chapter alongside the medieval carruggi, the labyrinthine alleys where the city's true character breathes: Ligurian focaccia straight from the wood oven, pesto ground to ancient recipes, and farinata — chickpea flatbread — served on marble counters since the twelfth century. Spring and autumn offer the most pleasant conditions for exploring this underestimated city.

Union Island, the southernmost gem in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, rises from the Caribbean as a volcanic sentinel that generations of sailors have used as a landmark on the passage to the Grenadines — its Twin Peaks offering spectacular hikes rewarded with panoramas across a tapestry of cays, reefs, and indigo water. The island serves as the yachting hub of the southern Grenadines, with Clifton Harbour bustling with sloops bound for Tobago Cays, Palm Island, and Carriacou. The dry season from December through May delivers the Caribbean's finest sailing conditions and crystal-clear visibility for diving the thriving coral gardens.

Santiago de Compostela, renowned for its historic cathedral and vibrant pilgrimage culture, is a port city steeped in rich traditions. Must-try experiences include savoring “pulpo a la gallega” and exploring the Mercado de Abastos for local delicacies. The best season to visit is spring, when the city’s festivals and natural beauty come alive.

Beneath Ibiza's sun-drenched reputation as the world's clubbing capital lies a layered history stretching back to Phoenician traders who settled this Balearic island in 654 BC. The UNESCO-listed Dalt Vila — the walled hilltop citadel above Eivissa town — rewards exploration with Carthaginian burial grounds, Renaissance ramparts, and sweeping Mediterranean panoramas. For quieter pleasures, the crystalline coves of the island's north, such as Cala d'en Serra and Es Portitxol, rival any beach in Europe. The Phoenician necropolis of Puig des Molins is unmissable for history devotees. The season runs May through October, with June and September offering ideal weather without peak-summer crowds.

Cagliari, Sardinia's sun-drenched capital overlooking the Gulf of Angels, has absorbed three thousand years of Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman, Pisan, and Spanish ambitions into a layered and deeply compelling Mediterranean city — where the flamingo-fringed salt lagoons stretching to the city's western edge create one of Europe's most surreal urban vistas. The Castello quarter's medieval ramparts enclose a cathedral, Pisan towers, and panoramic terraces that survey the entire city and coastline, while the Marina district below offers some of the finest bottarga pasta and fresh tuna in Italy. Visit May through September for beach perfection; the prehistoric Nuraghe Su Nuraxi at Barumini, a UNESCO Wonder, is an hour's drive north.

Rome's ancient maritime gateway since the Emperor Trajan commissioned its harbour in 106 AD, Civitavecchia is the natural prologue to the Eternal City — just seventy minutes southeast by express rail. The port's Renaissance fortress, designed in part by Michelangelo, anchors a working waterfront that has welcomed travellers for millennia. Beyond Rome's unmissable monuments, consider an afternoon in the Civitavecchia thermal baths, drawing on mineral waters prized since antiquity. Spring and autumn offer the ideal balance of mild weather and manageable crowds for exploring the capital's layered history.

La Superba — 'the Proud' — earned its epithet as one of the four great maritime republics of medieval Italy, and Genoa's UNESCO-listed Palazzi dei Rolli, some of the finest Renaissance and Baroque palaces in Europe, still announce the city's historic ambitions with magnificent authority. Renzo Piano's revitalised old port introduces a modern chapter alongside the medieval carruggi, the labyrinthine alleys where the city's true character breathes: Ligurian focaccia straight from the wood oven, pesto ground to ancient recipes, and farinata — chickpea flatbread — served on marble counters since the twelfth century. Spring and autumn offer the most pleasant conditions for exploring this underestimated city.