Cruise Among the Greek Islands and the Adriatic Sea from Venice
A cruise among the Greek islands is an ideal solution for lovers of islands, the sea, and Mediterranean vacations who seek variety—visiting islands diverse in character, style, and scenery, while preferring a "star trip"—avoiding island-hopping by ferries with all your luggage, and skipping long hours in airports and tiny planes.
Cruising on large ships is the ideal solution: every day you arrive at a different island or a picturesque, fascinating city, tour, relax, swim, and move on to the next magical island, while spending the evenings enjoying shows, clubs, and of course, top-quality meals.
Venice
Venice is renowned for its extraordinary beauty. Before or after the cruise, it is highly recommended to dedicate time to sightseeing in this gorgeous city.
Here are two recommended guided tours from the reliable site Viator:
♦ Guided Walking Tour in Venice Including a Gondola Ride - Venice Walking Tour and Gondola Ride
♦ Guided Tour of the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica - Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace
Includes skip-the-line admission tickets to the Doge's Palace and special access to the basilica terraces.
A cruise departing from the Port of Venice is especially recommended. The ship sails for over an hour alongside this enchanting city. From the deck, you will see the numerous canals, both narrow and wide, St. Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace, the famous bridges, and a myriad of boats and gondolas.
This is the most beautiful and comfortable way to view the city, as seen in the following video:
The View from the Ship Departing Venice:
It is recommended to take advantage of the opportunity and arrive for a trip in Northern Italy several days before the cruise, combining a visit to Lake Garda—packed with amusement parks, attractions, and landscapes—the city of Modena, famous for the nearby Ferrari factory and museum and its authentic premium balsamic vinegar, or the beautiful cities of Verona and, of course, Venice itself.
Recommended Accommodations in Venice:
Pensione Accademia - Villa Maravege - A 3-star standard guest house with 23 rooms set in a 17th-century villa near the Grand Canal, offering a private garden, quiet surroundings, and a central location in Venice near the Accademia water-bus station.
You Can Stay in the Neighboring City of Mestre:
Especially Recommended:
Hotel Villa Costanza - A 3-star hotel located 250 meters from Mestre train station. Housed in a 19th-century building restored using original materials. The hotel features 26 rooms designed for 1-4 guests.
Today, many American and Italian cruise lines offer fantastic Eastern Mediterranean itineraries, including the most beautiful Greek islands, ports in Turkey, as well as Croatia, Slovenia, and Southern Italy.
In this article, I will describe a one-week round-trip cruise from Venice on the Italian line Costa aboard the ship Costa Deliziosa, featuring five port days and one fun day at sea.
♦ Bari
The very next day after the scenic sail away from Venice, the ship arrives in the afternoon at the Port of Bari, located in southeastern Italy, in the "heel" of the boot. The port is situated right next to the Old Town, allowing you to walk directly from it and stroll through the ancient alleys and sights. The city's most famous attraction is the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, built in three architectural styles and considered an important pilgrimage site.
Bicycle Tour
The most pleasant and rewarding way to tour the city, learn about its past and cultural characteristics, and experience what it has to offer tourists is via a bike tour.
The tour we took departed from the port entrance and lasted about two hours. It included cycling through the narrow alleys of the Old Town, viewing the historic castle that has witnessed many upheavals and wars, visiting ancient ruins in the heart of the city, and taking a walking tour down a narrow street famous for its numerous handmade pasta stands. You will see local women preparing typical regional pasta shaped like little ears (orecchiette), and you can even purchase authentic, preservative-free pasta at great prices.
The next stop is at the best gelateria in town, where you receive free tastings of refreshing granita. After continuing a relaxed ride between squares and along the city walls, you will stop for a street performance by a local musician playing and singing upbeat Tarantella tunes. It is hard to believe what sounds and effects he manages to produce from a simple tambourine. Anyone interested can even join in and play along using various quirky instruments.
The tour concluded at the entrance to the port.
♦ Available for you from the excellent Viator site:
Book a Guided Bike Tour Including Local Food Tastings: Bari Street Food Bike Tour
The next three ports are in the Greek Islands:
♦ Corfu Island
The first among them is the island of Corfu, the northernmost in the Ionian island chain, located at the entrance to the Adriatic Sea. Unlike many other Greek islands, Corfu is lush and rich in vegetation. It differs in style and culture (and even in the dialect and accent of the Greek spoken there) from the other islands you will visit later due to strong Italian influence (having been under Italian rule for many years).
Book tours tailored for cruise passengers from Viator - includes port pickup and drop-off:
♦ Guided Tour Around the Island of Corfu - Leisurely Small-Group Tour of Corfu
Boat ride to the cave available for an additional fee.
♦ Private Tour to Beautiful Beaches in Corfu -
Private Shore Excursion: Corfu Beaches Paleokastritsa and Glyfada
Lasts 4.5 hours, includes port pickup and drop-off.
You can also take a ship-sponsored excursion (usually more expensive), such as the tour named: Corfu Old Town & Paleocastritsa with Boat Trip to Caves, which includes a guided walking tour of Corfu Town's Old Town—the island's capital—a boat trip in Paleokastritsa Bay among small caves with crystal-clear turquoise waters and abundant fish, and swimming at the adjacent beach.
The waters in the bay and at the beach are pristine and clear, but also quite cold.
The Old Town of Corfu is clean and well-maintained, with narrow alleys laid out in a grid pattern and filled with souvenir shops and restaurants. Do not miss a visit (for an additional fee) to the Old Fortress of Corfu, which offers marvelous views of the city, beaches, and port.
This is a diverse and comprehensive tour that allows you to taste the best of Corfu and leave you wanting more.
♦ Mykonos Island
The next day at noon, you arrive in Mykonos, one of the Cyclades Archipelago islands, which once served as a haven for pirates as well as an important military and commercial port. Today, it is a popular tourist destination centered mostly around leisure. The island is rugged and arid, renowned for its wonderful beaches. If your plan is to spend time at a great beach, take a taxi to Paradise Beach.
Book a tour tailored for cruise passengers from Viator - includes port pickup and drop-off:
♦ Half-Day Guided Tour in Mykonos - Half-Day Small-Group Guided Tour of Mykonos
Bike Tour in Mykonos
If you wish to escape the crowds and be more active, a guided bike tour by Yummy Pedals is highly recommended. It departs from an organic farm named Mykonos Vioma Organic Farm, best known for its fine estate-produced wines. The company offers several routes of varying difficulty levels. The energetic guide is sometimes accompanied by her loyal, friendly dog.
The easiest tour, suitable for everyone, is the ride to Fokos Beach. The entire tour lasts about two hours and includes cycling along dirt trails through small villages and local churches, and along the Ano Mera reservoir all the way to a small beach with clear waters, ideal for a pleasant swim.
After swimming, you receive a glass of homemade lemonade and cake, then pedal back to the farm where an authentic Greek dinner awaits, accompanied by tastings of locally produced wines: white wine, red wine, and a dessert wine that I particularly loved.
During the tour and meal, you will learn about the lifestyle on the island and its residents, including various intriguing anecdotes. The meal is accompanied by classical music intended primarily for the plants on the farm. The farm owners believe music helps crops grow, and speakers playing pleasant melodies are positioned across all the fields and vineyards.
Before reboarding the ship, it is lovely to wander for a short while in the bustling port packed with souvenir shops, restaurants, and picturesque churches. The view looking up from the port is impressive, as all the island's buildings are low-rise, painted white, and mostly adorned with blue or green window shutters. The island boasts hundreds of churches of various sizes. Some feature red domes while others have blue domes. As it turns out, the red ones were built by farmers, whereas the blue ones were built by seafarers.
♦ Santorini Island
The final port in Greece is also the most beautiful and impressive of all: the port of Santorini, considered one of the most stunning islands in the world. It is also part of the Cyclades archipelago. The island was formed by a colossal volcanic eruption, which created a massive cliff with a sheer drop to the sea on one side and a gentler slope on the other. The ship drops anchor in the sea between the main island—which you reach via tender boats—and several other small islands that were once other walls of the same volcano. In fact, you anchor right in the center of the ancient volcano caldera, which has filled entirely with water except for a small islet formed at its center.
Book Guided Tours on Santorini from Viator:
♦ Guided Tour of Santorini Without Waiting for the Cable Car -
Skip Cable Car! Santorini Shore Excursion with Boat Transfers
Lasts approx. 4.5 hours. No need to take the cable car; from the old port pier where tenders arrive, a boat transfers you directly to the destination where an air-conditioned bus awaits to tour the island.
Santorini Tours Starting at the Top Cable Car Station:
From the Old Port reached by tenders, you can ascend to the main town of Thira (also called Fira) in three ways: the easiest and most scenic is by cable car; alternatively, you can walk up or ride mules along the winding path to the summit.
From the top of the path or the upper cable car station, a wonderful walking path meanders among hotels, restaurants, shops, and numerous churches. The view from the path is breathtaking and magnificent: deep blue sea surrounded by cliffs and islands. From every vantage point and angle, you get a distinct, striking, and magical view. From almost anywhere, you can see the many cruise ships anchored in the caldera and the array of whitewashed buildings with blue doors and windows built along the entire cliff edge.
For hiking enthusiasts, the trail from Fira to Oia is highly recommended. The route follows the cliff edge overlooking the caldera, running from Fira to the island's second major town, Oia, located at its northern tip. The walk takes about 3 hours, but can easily take longer with photo stops and breaks.
Those who prefer less walking can settle for a walk of about half an hour in each direction and finish with a stroll through the alleys of Fira, filled with souvenir and food shops.
You can also sail to Oia by speedboat from the Old Port on a 12-minute ride, or travel there by taxi or bus.
If you are interested in a guided tour, the best option is a jeep safari across the island reaching the highest peak,
a boat trip to the island located at the center of the caldera with a walk along the lava trail, or a trip to one of the beaches on the other side of the island.
The most famous is the Red Beach, located near the village of Perissa,
set beneath a towering red cliff with distinctive reddish sand.
Sea Day - Relaxing on the Costa Ship
After four consecutive port days comes a fun day at sea, ideal for resting, vacationing, and enjoying the ship and its amenities.
Costa Deliziosa features a 4D cinema (for an additional fee), which is essentially a motion simulator offering a multi-sensory movie experience.
In the evening, do not miss the beautiful sunset.
For those who can afford it, staying in one of the ship's lavish suites is highly recommended.
The largest of all are the GS (Grand Suite) category suites, which are two and a half times the size of a standard cabin and feature an expansive luxury bathroom with a whirlpool tub, a large balcony, personal butler service, and a host of pampering perks and privileges.
♦ Dubrovnik
The final port on the last day of the cruise is the port of Dubrovnik, located in southern Dalmatia, Croatia.
Dubrovnik is a walled ancient city designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and dubbed the "Pearl of the Adriatic."
The ship docks at the Port of Dubrovnik located in the modern town, from where you can take a taxi in under ten minutes or walk for about 40 minutes. It is best to begin your visit with a walk atop the Old Town walls. Accessing the walls requires a fee and allows you to circle the entire city, taking in impressive panoramas of the dense red-roofed cityscape and the calm, clear sea surrounding it.
Recommended Tour Bookings from Viator:
It is also worthwhile to visit Fort Lovrijenac and simply wander through the Old Town alleys among charming courtyards, bustling restaurants, stands, and shops.
Another fantastic way to admire beautiful Dubrovnik is to ride the Dubrovnik Cable Car, offering stunning views of the city, bay, and neighboring islands.
You can combine this with a short boat ride to the island of LOKRUM (about ten minutes each way), featuring a botanical garden, a fortress, and a hilltop monastery with fine views of Dubrovnik and its surroundings. More active travelers will enjoy a sea kayaking tour around the city walls and to the nearby island.
♦ Guided Kayak Tour in Dubrovnik from the great Viator site -
Dubrovnik: Sea Kayaking & Snorkeling Tour
A 2-hour tour including snorkeling by the city walls and near the adjacent Lokrum Island.
In the afternoon, the ship departs this lovely city and sails northward along the Dalmatian coast.
Along the journey, the ship occasionally sails past islands of various sizes.
At the farewell dinner, the dining room staff will bid you goodbye with famous Italian songs and dances.
The cruise concludes in the morning at the Port of Venice—a final opportunity to explore the city or rent a car and head out on a road trip through the Italian Lake District.
