The word Mediterranean means “the middle of the world”, because, to the ancient peoples who lived around its rim, the Med was the centre of the world they knew, with Europe to the north, Asia to the east, and Africa to the south. No surprises then that the ports of the Mediterranean are some of the most historic, fascinating and diverse.
Starting from the dramatic Strait of Gibraltar, travelling east takes us along the Costa del Sol, and further north we have the trendy port of Barcelona, which is famous for its variety of nightlife. Further east takes us to the French Riviera, with the famous Cannes, known for its film festival, and Nice, with its charming Old Town.
Further along the coast is the principality of Monaco, and the fabulous port of Monte Carlo, with its winding streets, upmarket casinos, and shops selling the latest top designer gear.
Beyond Monaco lies Italy with the spectacular cities of Genoa, Rome and Naples. On the other side of the Italian peninsula is the Adriatic Sea, and the unique city of Venice with its canals and bridges. Further down you will find pretty Croatian ports such as Porec, and the famous white-walled city of Dubrovnik. Further south still we come to Greece, and the historic city of Athens, where you can stroll around the Parthenon and other ancient historic ruins.
Moving eastwards we come to Turkey with Istanbul, the crossroads of Europe with Asia. Stop at a Turkish port and you will most likely have the chance to visit the ancient city of Ephesus which goes right back to biblical times. Next comes the historic Holy Land with is ports of Ashdod and Haifa. Moving west again we now find ourselves on the African coast, with the exciting port of Alexandria. The north Africa coastline also has the Libyan port of Tripoli, then Tunisia’s ports of Port Al Kantaoui and Tunis. Moving on to Morocco, there is then the bustling port of Tangier, which brings us back to the Strait of Gibraltar.
As well as all the impressive ports around its periphery, the Med also has some beautiful islands to visit, such as Ibiza, Majorca, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Crete and Cyprus.
The Mediterranean with its gorgeous blue waters and perpetual sunshine, is a holiday paradise, and taking a cruise there offers even more in terms of places to visit.
Some of the cruise lines covering the Mediterranean include Thomson, Carnival, Island Cruises, and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.
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