Dalmatian Delights & Grecian Gems

Dubrovnik, Croatia's stunning port city, is a blend of rich history, dramatic architecture, and vibrant culture, making it a must-visit destination. Don't miss a stroll along the city walls for breathtaking views and savor local dishes like "peka" and "black risotto." The best time to visit is in late spring or early fall when the weather is pleasant and the crowds are thinner.

Korčula is a magnificently preserved medieval island town on Croatia's Dalmatian coast, renowned as the legendary birthplace of Marco Polo and celebrated for its Venetian herringbone streets, exceptional white wines like Grk and Pošip, and centuries-old culinary traditions including slow-braised pašticada and fresh Adriatic seafood. Visitors should explore the fortified old town's limestone calles at golden hour and taste the island's rare vintages in a harbourside konoba. The best months to visit are May through early October, with late September offering warm seas, golden light, and blissful absence of peak-season crowds.

Brindisi is an ancient Adriatic port city in Puglia, southern Italy, where the storied Via Appia once met the sea — a place of Templar churches, Swabian fortresses, and some of the finest seafood in the Mediterranean. Visitors should not miss tasting raw sea urchin at the harbor and exploring the baroque grandeur of nearby Lecce or the white city of Ostuni. The mild southern Italian climate makes spring through early autumn ideal, with September and October offering warm seas, golden light, and fewer crowds along the Puglian coast.

Sarandë is Albania's Ionian coast jewel, where the UNESCO-listed Butrint archaeological marvel and the impossibly turquoise Blue Eye spring create a Mediterranean experience rivaling Greece at a fraction of the cost. Visit June via Emerald Yacht Cruises or Virgin Voyages for six-civilization archaeological sites and Albania's exciting Mediterranean frontier.

Zakynthos is a lush Ionian island famous for the spectacular Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach, endangered loggerhead turtle nesting sites, and a Venetian-influenced town rebuilt after the 1953 earthquake. Must-dos include a boat trip to Navagio Beach, watching turtle conservation efforts at Laganas Bay, and dining on grilled fish at a harbor taverna. Visit May to June or September to October for warm weather without peak crowds.

Nafplion, the first capital of modern Greece, is a refined Peloponnesian port town where Venetian architecture, Byzantine churches, and neoclassical elegance converge along one of the Mediterranean's most beautiful waterfronts. Climb the 999 steps to the Palamidi Fortress for commanding views of the Argolic Gulf, then descend for an afternoon tasting Agiorgitiko wines in the nearby Nemean valley. The best months to visit are April through June and September through October, when mild temperatures and fewer crowds allow the town's intimate charm to shine.

The port that launched Athenian democracy's naval supremacy at the Battle of Salamis, Piraeus remains Greece's maritime heartbeat — and the most convenient gateway to both the Acropolis and the Aegean island chains. Dine on grilled sea bream at a Mikrolimano harbourside taverna, visit the extraordinary bronze Piraeus Apollo, and set sail for Hydra or Santorini by afternoon. Late April through June and September offer the Aegean at its most golden and uncrowded.

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.

Monemvasia, a fortified port town on the Peloponnese, is celebrated for its medieval architecture and rich history dating back to the 6th century. Must-do experiences include savoring local dishes like **mpakaliaro** and exploring nearby attractions such as Nydri and Symi. The best time to visit is spring or early autumn when the weather is mild and the crowds are manageable.

Delphi is the legendary sanctuary of the Oracle, set on a dramatic mountain terrace above the Gulf of Corinth and recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors must walk the Sacred Way past the Temple of Apollo and ancient theatre, and see the bronze Charioteer in the superb archaeological museum. Spring and autumn offer the best light and most comfortable temperatures for exploring the site.

Nydri is a charming harbor town on Lefkada's sheltered eastern coast, overlooking a chain of Ionian islands that includes the legendary Skorpios, once owned by Aristotle Onassis. Must-dos include dining on grilled octopus at a waterfront taverna, boat-tripping to Porto Katsiki beach and Meganisi's sea caves, and tasting the unique Vertzami white wine. May through October offers warm Mediterranean conditions, with shoulder months providing fewer crowds.

Sarandë is Albania's Ionian coast jewel, where the UNESCO-listed Butrint archaeological marvel and the impossibly turquoise Blue Eye spring create a Mediterranean experience rivaling Greece at a fraction of the cost. Visit June via Emerald Yacht Cruises or Virgin Voyages for six-civilization archaeological sites and Albania's exciting Mediterranean frontier.

Dubrovnik, Croatia's stunning port city, is a blend of rich history, dramatic architecture, and vibrant culture, making it a must-visit destination. Don't miss a stroll along the city walls for breathtaking views and savor local dishes like "peka" and "black risotto." The best time to visit is in late spring or early fall when the weather is pleasant and the crowds are thinner.