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Ports & Places

We couldn’t wait to share Voyages of the Great Explorer 2011/2012 with you. Stay tuned for specific information on Ports and Places, coming soon.

	Bari & Puglia Italy Bari serves as our gateway to the Puglia region, with six major provinces making up the long coastal peninsula from the spur to the heel of Italy’s boot. The agricultural, wine-rich region is known for its Trulli houses built during the last 5,000 years; hundreds of these unusual little square domed-roof stone structures are scattered among orchards and vineyards.
	Brindisi Brindisi is an ancient seaside city in the Apulia region of Italy. Originally an ancient Greek settlement, its Latin name Brundisium comes from the Greek Brentesion, meaning “deer’s head,” which refers to the shape of its natural harbor. The city was dominated at various times in its history by Rome, the Normans, Austria, and the Bourbons. It presently serves as home base of the San Marco Regiment, a naval brigade, so named by its defense of Venice at the start of World War I. Major points of interest here include the Castello Svevo and the Aragonese Castle.
	Halifax, Canada to Palm Beach, USA - 9/17/11 - Quote Request
	Kotor, Montenegro Since its founding in the fifth century BC, the fjord-like secluded harbor and port town of Kotor has survived attacks by Goths, Saracens, Ottoman Turks, Napoleon, and Austro-Hungary’s Navy in WWI. Half of its Venetian-influenced Baroque old town also survived the 1979 earthquake, contributing to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
	Lipari, Aeolian Islands, Italy Located off the coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Lipari is the largest of the Aeolian Islands. The island’s volcanic origins are evidenced by its large deposits of pumice and obsidian. In 1554, the pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa ransacked Lipari and deported the entire population. Charles V then repopulated the island with Spanish subjects and built the massive city walls which are still standing. Today, the town’s population is known to nearly double in summer months, a testament to it’s allure for vacationers.
	Palermo, Italy While evidence of human settlement in the area goes as far back as 8.000 BC, the city of Palermos was founded by the Phoenicians approximately 2,700 years ago. Located on the north coast of Sicily, it is the island’s cultural, economic, and tourist capital. Visitors are drawn here by Palermo one of the warmest climates in the Mediterranean, as well as the city’s art, music, food, architecture. and rich history. Highlights several beautiful churches, including Palermo Cathedral, San Giovanni Dei Lebbrosi, and Chiesa della Martorana.
	Ponziane Islands, Italy Located off the coast of southern Latium, this striking archipelago is made up of six main islands which form the boundary between the Gulf of Gaeta and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Inhabitants live mainly from vine-growing and fishing. But tourism is also on the rise… and for good reason. As a group, the islands feature exceptional bird-watching, an ancient prison, world-class diving venues, and a warm and wonderful climate.
	Porec & Pula, Croatia Southeast of Venice on the Croatian coast of the Istrian peninsula, 2,000-year-old Porec retains its Roman layout. Its most historic landmark, the sixth century Byzantine Euphrasian Basilica is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just 25 miles south on the peninsula is its largest city and administrative center since Roman times, Pula. Built on seven hills, like Rome, its many ancient buildings include the Arena, one of antiquity’s best-preserved amphitheaters, with a subterranean vault containing an enormous antique olive press and hundreds of ceramic amphorae used to store oils and wines.
	Porto Empedocle / Agrigento, Sicily Tiny Porto Empedocle on the southwest coast of Sicily serves as the gateway to the historic town of Agrigento, and its famed Valley of the Temples, one of Sicily’s main attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This monumental collection of ancient Greek temples and old city walls has to be seen to be believed.
	Positano, Italy This picturesque town on the Amalfi coast sits in an enclave in hills that lead down to the shore. Positano flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries and fell on hard times in the 19th century. It was a poor fishing village in the early 1950s when John Steinbeck published an essay about it in Harpers Bazaar magazine. Since then, it has become a popular travel destinations, making tourism its top industry. Positano served as the backdrop for such films as Only You and Under the Tuscan Sun. It’s most popular sight is the church of Santa Maria Assunta, featuring a dome made of majolica tiles as well as a 13th-century black Madonna.
	Siracusa (Syracuse), Sicily Founded by Corinthian colonists as early as 700 BC, this entire southeastern Sicily port is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the nearby Necropolis of Pantalica. Syracuse is mentioned in the writings of Plato and Cicero (“greatest Greek city and most beautiful of all”) and in the Bible. Rebuilt after massive earthquakes in 1542 and 1693, Baroque Syracuse arose around the remaining ancient monuments and archaeological sites. The city’s excellent museum provides and introduction to its history and stunning sites.
	Split & Hvar, Croatia Largest Croatian city on the Adriatic coast, Split was originally a sixth- century-BC Greek colony, but the Roman and Byzantine Empires are responsible for its elegant distinctive ambience. Split’s entire historic center is a UNESCO Site, with its most notable monument being the iconic Diocletian’s Palace. Due south of Split lies the small ancient harbor of Hvar on the wooded island of Hvar. This “Adriatic Madeira” boasts more days of sunshine than anywhere along the Dalmatian coast, helping make it Croatia’s primary wine producer.
	Trapani, Sicily Trapani, on Sicily’s west coast, was founded in the third century BC as the port for nearby Erice (formerly Eryx), perched on the 2,500-foot mountain above it. Trapani’s economy survives on fishing, along with exports of coral, marble, salt and marsala wine. Gondolas rise to Erice, where remains of ancient Phoenician walls and two castles (from the second and tenth centuries) entice visitors.
	Venice, Italy One of the world’s most beautiful and popular cities, the “Queen of the Adriatic” seems to float on 18 major islands, connected by a maze of canals and 400 bridges. Venice was an independent maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance; evidence of its antiquities, art and culture abound in its famed piazzas, palazzos, museums and churches.