The Delights Of Turkey - Athens to Rome

Piraeus, the bustling port city of Athens, is a vibrant blend of ancient history and modern charm, inviting travelers to explore its rich culture. Must-do experiences include savoring traditional Greek dishes at the Varvakeios Agora and embarking on day trips to nearby islands like Symi and Nydri. The best time to visit is during the spring and fall when the weather is pleasant and the tourist crowds are fewer.

Bozcaada Island, Turkey, Turkey is a distinctive port city where deep cultural heritage meets authentic local atmosphere, featured on itineraries by Star Clippers. Must-do experiences include walking the historic center to experience the layered architectural heritage, and seeking out the regional culinary traditions at a locally favored establishment away from the port area. The optimal time to visit is May through September, when mild temperatures and long days favor unhurried exploration.

For more than fifteen centuries, Istanbul has been the pivot upon which empires turned — Byzantium, Constantinople, the Ottoman capital — and nowhere else on earth compresses so much history into a single horizon. The Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Topkapi Palace form an incomparable trinity of architectural genius along the Golden Horn; the Grand Bazaar's four thousand shops offer a sensory immersion unlike any other marketplace. Must-dos include a Bosphorus sunset cruise and a meal of mezze along the waterfront at Karaköy. Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) offer the most gracious climate for this inexhaustible city.

Izmir is Turkey's cosmopolitan Aegean capital, a three-thousand-year-old port city with a vibrant waterfront kordon, the labyrinthine Kemeraltı bazaar, and easy access to the ancient city of Ephesus. Must-do experiences include tasting boyoz pastries, exploring the Roman Agora, and day-tripping to Ephesus and its Library of Celsus. April through June and September through November offer the most pleasant temperatures for exploration.

Santorini, the ancient volcanic caldera rising from the Aegean, is Greece's most theatrical landscape — a crescentic island of sheer white cliffs plunging into an indigo sea, its clifftop villages of Fira and Oia draped in bougainvillea and culminating in the world's most photographed sunset. The island's unique Assyrtiko wine, grown on ancient ungrafted vines in volcanic pumice, is one of the Mediterranean's greatest expressions of terroir. Byzantine frescoes of extraordinary beauty fill the Prehistoric Museum of Thera. The volcanic black and red sand beaches of Perissa and Perivolos are unlike any others in Greece. April through June and September through October offer the finest conditions.

Valletta, the golden fortress capital of Malta, was hewn from a limestone peninsula in defiant haste after the Knights of Saint John — warrior monks of extraordinary valor — repulsed an overwhelming Ottoman assault in 1565. Its grid of steep baroque streets is dense with Caravaggio masterworks in the Co-Cathedral of St. John, shaded piazzas alive with café society, and bastions commanding breathtaking views over the Grand Harbour's legendary twin forts. The mild Mediterranean climate welcomes visitors year-round, though spring and autumn offer the most pleasurable temperatures for unhurried exploration of this compact UNESCO World Heritage capital.

Catania is Sicily's dramatic second city, built from the black volcanic stone of Mount Etna and layered with Greek, Roman, and baroque heritage dating to 729 BC. Visitors should not miss the riotous Pescheria fish market and a tasting of authentic pasta alla Norma, followed by an excursion to the summit of Etna for views stretching to the Aeolian Islands. The best months to visit are April through June and September through October, when mild temperatures and thinner crowds allow the city's baroque streetscapes and extraordinary cuisine to be savored at a leisurely, unhurried pace.

Amalfi is the former maritime republic that gave its name to Italy's most celebrated coastline, where the Arab-Norman cathedral, medieval paper mills, and whitewashed buildings cascading to the Tyrrhenian Sea create the definitive image of Italian coastal beauty. Visit April through June via Windstar or Azamara for the Cloister of Paradise and the coastline that has been the world's standard for scenic perfection.

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.