Lisbon to Rome (Civitavecchia)

Lisbon, Portugal's enchanting capital, stands out for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture. Must-try experiences include savoring local dishes like bacalhau à brás and pastéis de nata at Mercado da Ribeira. The best time to visit is during the spring or fall, when the weather is mild and the city is alive with festivals and events.

Portimão is the Algarve's most storied port city, where Phoenician trading heritage meets golden-cliff beaches and Portugal's finest grilled sardine tradition along the Arade River. Visitors should not miss the charcoal-grilled sardines at the riverside churrasqueiras and the dramatic sandstone formations of Praia da Rocha. The port is at its luminous best from May through October, when long Atlantic days bathe the coastline in honeyed light and the August Sardine Festival electrifies the waterfront.

Cádiz, founded by Phoenician traders around 1100 BC and a strong contender for the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe, juts into the Atlantic on a narrow peninsula where honey-colored ramparts frame improbable views of open ocean and the sun sets directly into the sea. The old quarter is an intoxicating labyrinth of baroque churches, hidden plazas, and carnival spirit — Cádiz's annual February carnival is the wildest and most satirically sharp in Spain — while the tapas culture here, centered on fresh Atlantic seafood cooked with Andalusian simplicity, represents Spanish cuisine at its most elemental and joyful. Visit February for carnival or spring for gentle Atlantic breezes. Seville is ninety minutes inland by bus or rail.

Tangier is Morocco's storied gateway between Africa and Europe, a city of Phoenician origins where a whitewashed medina, vibrant souks, and a cosmopolitan waterfront converge at the Strait of Gibraltar. Visitors should not miss savouring traditional pastilla in a rooftop riad and exploring the Kasbah's amber-lit ramparts at sunset. The ideal season to arrive is April through June or September through October, when mild Mediterranean temperatures and fewer crowds allow the city's layered beauty to reveal itself at an unhurried, luxurious pace.

Málaga distils three thousand years of Mediterranean civilisation into one of Andalusia's most compelling port cities, where the Moorish Alcazaba fortress surveys a modern waterfront of elegant promenades and sun-drenched café terraces. Do not leave without visiting the Museo Picasso — the artist was born here in 1881 — and ascending to the ruined Castillo de Gibralfaro for panoramic views stretching to the Rif Mountains of Morocco on clear days. Malagueta anchovies fried in olive oil and the sweet Pedro Ximénez-laced dessert wine are the city's defining pleasures. The shoulder seasons of April, May, and October offer perfect Mediterranean warmth.

Cartagena, Spain, is a storied Mediterranean port city founded by the Carthaginians in 227 BC, where a spectacularly preserved Roman Theatre and Modernista architecture reveal layers of civilisation along a sheltered natural harbour. Visitors should not miss the caldero rice at a harbourside restaurant and a morning exploring the archaeological quarter from the Roman Forum to the Punic Wall. The mild Murcian climate makes autumn through late spring ideal, when temperatures invite leisurely wandering without the intensity of high summer.

Alicante, a historic port city on Spain's Costa Blanca, captivates visitors with its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culinary scene. Must-do experiences include savoring traditional paella by the seaside and exploring the bustling Mercado Central. The best time to visit is during the spring or early fall when the weather is pleasantly warm and the city is alive with festivities.

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.

Palma de Mallorca announces itself with one of the most spectacular Gothic cathedrals in the world — La Seu, its honey-coloured sandstone buttresses rising directly from the bay, its interior modified by Antoni Gaudí and illuminated by the world's largest Gothic rose window. The old town behind it is a quarter of Arab baths, Renaissance palaces converted into boutique hotels, and the Passeig del Born — a plane-tree-shaded promenade where Balearic life conducts itself with unhurried grace. The local ensaïmada pastry and fresh sobrasada sausage from the island's black pigs are essential breakfast rituals. Visit May, June, or September: warm, brilliant, and measurably calmer than the July–August peak.

Barcelona is the city where Roman history, Gothic grandeur, and Gaudí's delirious Modernisme collide in a Mediterranean coastal capital of astonishing energy and beauty. The Sagrada Família — still under construction after 140 years — continues its audacious ascent toward completion, while the Gothic Quarter's Roman-era foundations and the Passeig de Gràcia's extraordinary concentration of Modernisme masterpieces reward days of exploration. For a complete sensory experience, lose an afternoon in the covered labyrinth of La Boqueria market before descending to the waterfront for Catalan seafood at its finest. May through June and September through October offer the most pleasant weather; the city connects directly to Paris by overnight train.

Palamós is an authentic Catalan fishing port on the Costa Brava, renowned for its legendary deep-water Gamba de Palamós red prawns and a vibrant working harbor where daily fish auctions continue centuries of maritime tradition. Must-dos include the Fishing Museum, coastal walks on the Camí de Ronda, and dining on fresh-from-the-sea Catalan cuisine. May through October offers ideal Mediterranean conditions.

Saint-Tropez is the legendary Côte d'Azur fishing port turned global glamour destination, where Provençal authenticity endures beneath the mythology of yachts and celebrities. Must-dos include browsing the Musée de l'Annonciade's Fauvist masterpieces, tasting tarte tropézienne and fresh-caught rouget, and strolling the Sentier du Littoral coastal path to hidden coves. May through June and September through October offer the best weather with fewer crowds.

Monaco, Monaco is a distinctive port city where deep cultural heritage meets authentic local atmosphere, featured on itineraries by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. 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.

Portofino is a jewel-box fishing village on Italy's Ligurian coast, renowned for its pastel harbour, Castello Brown fortress views, and exquisite pesto-dressed trofie pasta at waterside trattorias. Visitors should walk the coastal trail to the Cristo degli Abissi underwater statue at San Fruttuoso and savour focaccia di Recco with a glass of local Vermentino. The ideal season stretches from late April through October, with September offering the perfect balance of warm Mediterranean light and the intimate calm that returns after summer's peak.

Purpose-built as a Medici utopia in the late sixteenth century, Livorno was conceived from the outset as a city without discrimination — its founding Leggi Livornine granted equal rights to Jews, Christians, Muslims, and merchants of every nation, making it one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Renaissance Europe. Today, the Venetian-style canals of the Venezia Nuova quarter reflect colourful palazzi with a distinctly faded glamour, while the Mercato Centrale's fish counters display the cacciucco ingredients — a robust Livornese brodetto of five sea creatures — that make this port city a pilgrimage for serious eaters. Day trips to Pisa and Lucca are effortless from here. The season runs April through October.

Ajaccio, the vibrant capital of Corsica, enchants visitors with its rich history as Napoleon's birthplace and its stunning coastal views. Don't miss trying local delicacies like figatellu and brocciu, and explore the nearby picturesque villages. The best season to visit is during the mild spring or fall months, when the weather is pleasant and the crowds are fewer.

Bastia is Corsica's most authentically Genoese port city, where a crumbling Vieux Port, the island's largest Baroque church, and a citadel museum create the Mediterranean character that tourism brochures often overlook in favor of flashier resorts. Visit September via Seabourn or Silversea for Cap Corse's medieval watchtowers, Muscat grape harvest, and the genuine Corsican atmosphere that only centuries of Franco-Italian cultural layering can produce.

Sardinia is a rugged, history-rich island in the western Mediterranean renowned for its luminous turquoise waters, bronze-age nuraghi towers, and a fiercely independent culinary tradition anchored by porceddu roast suckling pig and hand-pinched culurgiones pasta. Visitors should explore the Costa Smeralda's granite coves by boat and venture inland to taste Cannonau wines in centuries-old vineyards. The ideal season stretches from May through October, with late September offering warm seas, golden light, and blissful absence of peak-summer crowds.

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.