Originally built by Emperor Trajan who had a villa here, Civitavecchia has flourished as a major port for Rome since the 13th century. Today it is an important ferry terminal and for many travelers the gateway to the Eternal City, Rome. The Renaissance fortifications that surround the harbor area were begun by Bramante and completed by Michelangelo in 1535.

The Amalfi Coast has been called the greatest meeting of land and sea on earth. Situated in the Campania region between Sorrento and Salerno, Amalfi and Positano are the two main towns on the world-famous Amalfi Drive – renowned as the most scenic and romantic road in Italy. The road is carved into the side of rocky cliffs plunging into the sparkling sea. Erosion has sculpted the rocky slopes into gargoyle shapes and hollowed out fairy grottoes where the air is tinted turquoise by the glowing blue water below. During the Middle Ages, Amalfi was an independent maritime state with a population of 50,000. The ship compass was invented here in 1302. Approximately 10 miles away from Amalfi is the village of Ravello. An enchanting village with wonderful views and quiet lanes, Ravello boasts romantic gardens surrounding medieval ruins, affording magnificent views of the entire Bay of Salerno.

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.

A port not often visited by cruise ships, being more accustomed to welcoming fishing boats and private yachts. Malta’s smaller sister-isle has a lot of charm to offer. Villages such as Mgarr all boast tall, elaborately carved churches, the result of a combination of fine-grained, easily carved stone, time, and stonemasons whose skill is matched only by their religious devotion. The city of Victoria was so named to honor the British queen’s Diamond jubilee.

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.

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.

La Goulette, known in Arabic as Halq al-Wadi, is the port of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. The Kasbah fortress was built in 1535 by Charles I of Spain but was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1574

Founded by Greeks in the pre-Christian era, the Catalan town is set on a lovely curve of beaches on Spain’s Costa Brava. It is crowned by the Castell de la Trinitat, which anchored the wall that encircled the entire town in medieval times. It was the site, until 2011, of Ferran Adria’s Michelin three-star restaurant El Bulli, which will reportedly reopen in 2014 as a culinary creativity center. Shop for a souvenir from the back of a street hawker’s donkey, or wander to nearby Figueres or Cadaques to visit one of Salvador Dali’s museums.