Jewels of the Ionian Sea & Ephesus - 7369A Seabourn Encore departing 1 Oct 2023

Piraeus has been the port for Athens since 482 BC. The busy harbor is filled with ferries and cruise ships making their way to the Greek Islands and other Mediterranean cities. The busy metropolis of Athens and its treasure trove of antiquities lie just a few miles from the port. Even as the reality of the modern city took hold, with its high-rise apartments, crowded sidewalks and bustling traffic, the beauty of the Acropolis, the outstanding museums, charming cafés, sidewalk markets and startling views come together in a cultural mosaic for all to enjoy.

The lively island of Skiathos, one of the Sporades, boasts no less than 60 inviting beaches around its perimeter. Many of these have been developed and are easily reached by taxi or bus, while others remain more isolated and require transport by boat. The island’s medieval Kastro, high atop a hillside, once protected 30 churches and 300 houses from various invaders. No organized excursions are available. Please check on board for suggestions.

Kavala is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the Egnatia motorway, a one-and-a-half-hour drive to Thessaloniki and a forty-minute drive to Drama and Xanthi.

Spanning Europe and Asia, exotic Istanbul is one of the world’s most fascinating cities. Domes and minarets enhance the skyline. In the old Stamboul area, traces remain of every city built since the community was established over 600 years before Christ. Once Rome’s eastern capital, Istanbul was also the center of the huge Ottoman Empire. Landmarks include Hagia Sophia, once Christendom’s greatest church; the Blue Mosque with its striking Iznik tiles; Topkapi Palace, containing a sultan’s ransom of treasures; Chora Church with its Byzantine mosaics; and the Grand Bazaar, the ultimate shopping experience.

Spanning Europe and Asia, exotic Istanbul is one of the world’s most fascinating cities. Domes and minarets enhance the skyline. In the old Stamboul area, traces remain of every city built since the community was established over 600 years before Christ. Once Rome’s eastern capital, Istanbul was also the center of the huge Ottoman Empire. Landmarks include Hagia Sophia, once Christendom’s greatest church; the Blue Mosque with its striking Iznik tiles; Topkapi Palace, containing a sultan’s ransom of treasures; Chora Church with its Byzantine mosaics; and the Grand Bazaar, the ultimate shopping experience.

The magnificent Aegean coast features no shortage of appealing ports of call, and Izmir is a fine example thereof. The birthplace of Homer has grown into a thriving metropolis, filled with fine hotels along its sweeping bay. A fine Archaeology Museum and Ethnography Museum house a multitude of treasures and exhibits, while nearby resorts provide distractions of another sort. Earthquakes and fires over the centuries have obliterated most of ancient Smyrna, as it was once known, but remnants of the 4th-century fort atop Mt. Pagos still provide excellent views of the city and Gulf of Izmir.

Kusadasi, which means “bird island,” is set in a superb gulf known for its sparkling water, broad sandy beaches and large marina. The city has managed to retain a certain earthiness while doing a brisk trade in Turkish carpets and leather goods to visitors. The town’s old quarter is a picturesque maze of winding streets and houses adorned with flowers and birdcages. In the center stands a 17th-century caravanserai, now converted into a hotel. The resort is also gateway to important sites of archaeological and religious interest.

The quintessential Greek island of Mykonos is marked by whitewashed houses, domed churches, imposing windmills, and a labyrinth of winding streets designed to disorient pirates. Everywhere there is a dash of bright, bold blue – doors, shutters and window frames, sea and sky. The harbor bustles with colorful fishing boats, vendors selling fish and locals gathered with visitors in the casual seaside cafes. The port even comes with two beloved mascots, the pelicans Petros and Irini.

Mylos has all the components of a perfect Greek isle – fantastic rock formations, dozens of beaches from broad strands to secluded slivers, villages of sugar-cube houses, whitewashed windmills, and glowing azure coves. The famous statue of Aphrodite of Mylos, re-named Venus de Milo, was discovered here in 1820. The French Consul, recognizing a great beauty, bought her and gave her to Louis XVIII. Today she resides in the Louvre in Paris, a symbol of the civilization that flourished on this island in centuries past.

Piraeus has been the port for Athens since 482 BC. The busy harbor is filled with ferries and cruise ships making their way to the Greek Islands and other Mediterranean cities. The busy metropolis of Athens and its treasure trove of antiquities lie just a few miles from the port. Even as the reality of the modern city took hold, with its high-rise apartments, crowded sidewalks and bustling traffic, the beauty of the Acropolis, the outstanding museums, charming cafés, sidewalk markets and startling views come together in a cultural mosaic for all to enjoy.

Poros is a small Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, about 58 km south from Athens’ port of Piraeus and separated from the Peloponnese by a 200 m wide sea channel, with the town of Galatas on the mainland across the strait.

Now a sun-bleached provincial capital, Siracusa was once one of the most prestigious cities in the known world. Founded in the 8th century BC by settlers from Corinth, Siracusa gradually grew in prestige to rival Athens and was considered the western capital of Magna Graecia. In the Greek world dictators, often called tyrants, exercised unlimited power over colonies like Siracusa. Although often unpleasant people, they also often patronized poets and artists and competed to bring intellectuals to their courts. Siracusa was home to Archimedes, Plato and Aeschylus during its height of power and prestige. Today’s visitors come to marvel at the remains of the ancient structures, reminders of the past glory and rich history of the area. The city is superbly situated at the head of a beautiful bay and enjoys a mild climate. The coastline to the south is renowned for its beauty, clear waters and evocative, mythical scenery. There are romantic abandoned coves and wide, sandy beaches not easily matched anywhere else in Italy.

Lipari is the largest of the seven major islands making up the Aeolian Islands. They were originally named after Aeolus, the mythical god of wind who the ancients believed made his home in a cave here. Recently renamed the Lipari Islands, they were created by volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago and have a primitive rocky beauty accented by Mediterranean greenery. Their natural beauty and easy lifestyle have made the islands increasingly popular for those who wish to escape the modern world and its stresses. The crystal clear aqua-blue waters and the volcanic beaches are some of the most inviting in Italy. Many are inaccessible except by fishermens’ boats. An abundance of fish and shell fish makes for some very good restaurants specializing in seafood.

Occupied successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, French and British, Malta has been of strategic importance throughout history. A British Crown Colony until 1964, Malta received the George Cross for its valiant resistance to German occupation in WWII. The island’s rich heritage is reflected in the architecture of Valletta, the current capital, and Medina, the capital until 1565. In Valletta the Knights of St. John built such masterpieces as St. John’s Co-Cathedral and the Palace of the Grand Masters, along with the fortifications that guard the town’s magnificent harbors.

Lying along the north coast of Crete is Chania, the second largest city of the island. Chania is bordered by endless stretches of seashore, with inlets and islands of exotic beauty and sandy beaches tucked away at the foot of the island’s forbidding mountains. This is a self-sufficient region that is blessed with rich flora and fauna, as well as impressive gorges, holy caves, rivers and lush, green plains blanketed with citrus groves. The city of Chania is comprised of two sections, the old town and the larger modern city. Situated next to the old harbor, the old town is the focal point from which the urban area has developed. Some of the eastern and western parts of the original old Venetian fortifications from the 1500s that surrounded the town have survived and can still be seen.

Marmaris is situated on a marvelous natural harbor where Lord Nelson organized his fleet for the attack on the French at Abukir in 1789. The once sleepy fishing village has 10,000 permanent residents but its numbers swell in the summer months when Turkey’s rich and famous come for holidays. Tucked into the recesses of the bay, surrounded by pine-clad mountains, Marmaris has become Turkey’s largest and most modern yacht harbor. The town is a convenient starting place to visit the ancient Carian city of Kaunos, to venture to the beaches for a lazy day in the sun and sparkling waters nearby, or to enjoy waterfront cafes and the local ambience.

Today Bodrum is a picturesque yacht harbor filled with traditional wood-varnished sailboats, charming outdoor cafes and streets bursting with small shops selling carpets, leatherwear, jewelry and local artwork. In antiquity, it was the site of ancient Halicarnassus. Under King Mausolus, the city prospered, and in death, the king left the city its most enduring legacy, his majestic tomb, from which we derive the term “mausoleum.” Only its massive foundations remain today but it was the largest tomb ever built by the Greeks and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Models on the site recreate its form for visitors. Alexander the Great attacked the city in 334 BC, leveling all but the Mausoleum, which was later destroyed by an earthquake.
When the Knights of St. John lost their castle in Smyrna in 1402, they came here. Finding the mausoleum in ruins, they used the stone to construct the Castle of St. Peter, which proudly stood sentinel to the city. Together with their fortifications on Kos and Rhodes, the Knights dominated the southeastern Aegean, running a hospital for passing pilgrims and ruling the seas as privateers in swift vessels. They remained until 1523, when Ottoman ruler, Suleyman the Magnificent, conquered Rhodes and the Knights’ position became untenable. The castle still dominates the harbor and houses an archeological museum.

Naxos is a Greek island in the South Aegean, the largest of the Cyclades island group. Its fertile landscape spans mountain villages, ancient ruins and long stretches of beach. The namesake capital (also called Hora or Chora) is a port town filled with whitewashed, cube-shaped houses and medieval Venetian mansions. Kastro, a hilltop castle dating to the 13th century, houses an archaeological museum.

Piraeus has been the port for Athens since 482 BC. The busy harbor is filled with ferries and cruise ships making their way to the Greek Islands and other Mediterranean cities. The busy metropolis of Athens and its treasure trove of antiquities lie just a few miles from the port. Even as the reality of the modern city took hold, with its high-rise apartments, crowded sidewalks and bustling traffic, the beauty of the Acropolis, the outstanding museums, charming cafés, sidewalk markets and startling views come together in a cultural mosaic for all to enjoy.