Atlantica, Mediterranean Fascination ex Heraklion Return

7 Night Cruise sailing from Heraklion roundtrip aboard Costa Atlantica.

The captivating romance and pleasures of the Costa Atlantica begin as soon as you step aboard. Her twelve passenger decks, each named after movies directed by the famous Italian director, Federico Fellini are decorated with prominently displayed paparazzi photos of movie stars. Carrara marble, Murano-glass accents, in-laid mosaic tile and a Venetian atmosphere are among the many elements that distinguish her. From her awe-inspiring replica of Venice's Caffe Florian to her incredible atrium spanning the entire ship, theCosta Atlantica provides a dramatic and exciting venue for her guests.

Highlights of this cruise:

Heraklion
Located on the border between the Aegean and Libyan Seas, Crete is an outpost dividing Europe from the Asian and African continents. The largest of the Greek islands boasts a healthy climate which is very Mediterranean, cooled by winds that swirl down from its high mountains and warmed by the seas. It has become a popular tourist destination because its weather and climate make tourism possible year round.
Crete is famous for its unique subterranean wealth, boasting more than 3,000 caves, many are still unexplored and offer exceptional varieties of quartz, crystals, stalagmites and stalactites. Its history goes back beyond memory. Apart from its Hellenistic period, Crete boasts episodes that date back over 5,000 years.
It was the cradle of Mediterranean mythological culture, and it still preserves the remains of Venetian, Arabic and Turk invasions as well as the prosperous Minoan civilisations. The island of Minos, the legendary king who built the fortified palace of Knossos, and the Minotaur, the monstrous figure that was half man half bull, appear widely in Greek mythology.
Many of these legends have been confirmed by archaeological discoveries, making Crete one of the most frequented islands by researchers. The remains of the ancient palace of Knossos and the Kingdom of Minos bear witness to the incredible level of culture and art this civilisation achieved.
Crete has become an important cultural centre and is a crossroads for both strategic and defensive reasons. The Venetians renamed it Candia and made it one of their principal strongholds during their domination of the Eastern Mediterranean, holding out against the mighty Turks for more than 400 years. It was here that the Venetians built many palaces and monuments, including the wall and bastions still testifying to the importance of the capital Heraklion.
Today its dry stone wall buildings, small castles perched high in the mountains and isolated churches and monasteries make Crete appear a cross section of a forgotten world. There are many towns that continue to live at the pace of traditional Cretan lifestyle.

Rhodes
Rhodes history is full of legends and myths. It is one of the most important islands in the Mediterranean. According to mythology, the coast is the wedding present left to men by Helios who fell in love with the nymph Rhoda and dedicated the island and its beauty to her.
The Greeks could hardly have provided for a more creative description of the extraordinary natural beauty of the island. It is protected by three mountains which offer a pleasantly ventilated and mild climate to the coast and to the shore. Lush woods and a rich water supply make the island particularly rich and fertile especially in the northern part. Actually, there is a less mythological explanation for the grandeur of the island which in Greek time was as magnificent as Athens for its crucial strategical and commercial position.
The construction of one of the most renowned symbols of Rhodes is attributed to this period, the Colossus, a bronze statue 35-metres high, situated on a 10-metre stone basement at the entrance of the port. At the time, at least 80 thousand people lived there with a flourishing school of arts, rhetoric and philosophy. A terrible earthquake knocked the Colossus down and its remains were abandoned for almost one thousand years, when the Arabs collected, melt and sold them.
This event marked the end of Rhodes grandeur with a dramatic conclusion, due to the frequent invasions by the Turks and Arabs. The Knights of Malta occupied the island in 1300 for two centuries and built several works still evident today. The Turks reigned for a long time until in our contemporary age, the Italians settled there occupying it up to the end of the war renovating and connecting the main cities. Since 1948 Rhodes has belonged to Greece. The city is divided into two separate parts.
The northern part is modern and devoted to new tourist structures, the southern part is clearly medieval. In the medieval city (surrounded by a four-kilometre fenced perimeter) are the Knights Hospital and the Archaeological Museum with many remains of all the historical periods of the island. Not far from the Museum is the Seven Languages Residence and the Great Masters residence, a copy of the Pope's Palace in Avignon which was destroyed by the Turks and reconstructed by the Italians.
Lindos, 50 kilometres from Rhodes, is the most beautiful village in the island, with its narrow alleys and white houses. The majority of these houses preserved the external decorations dating back to the 15th century. The village is dominated by the Acropolis that was built on top of a hill. Here there are the remains of the sanctuary of Athena Linda temple, the remains of Propilei Colonnade and Dionysius temple.

Izmir
Capital of a province, with nearly three million inhabitants, Smirne (Izmir in Turkish) is Turkey's second city, after Istanbul, thanks to its busy port and to the intense industrial activity which, from traditional fields tied to agriculture, has expanded to include shipbuilding, mechanical and chemical plants for oil refinery.
Located within a beautiful bay, surrounded by lovely hills, the town has changed in the course of recent years, into a modern metropolis with an established urbanistic structure and new residencial areas.
Archaeological diggings have indicated that Izmir was probably first inhabited in the third millennium BC. In the 10th century BC farmers from the island of Lesbos took up residence in Izmir. Occupied by the Ioni toward the end of the 9th century BC, Izmir experienced a long spell of economical and cultural development, followed by domination from many local dictators, until conquered by Alessandro Magno (334 BC).
Starting in 27B.C., following Roman rule, Izmir experienced a new period of prosperity, in the course of which was enriched by sumptuous monuments of which, however, few traces remain. Destroyed by a violent earthquake in 178 it was then rebuilt under the command of Marco Aurelio. After becoming an important Bishop Seat during Costantino era, Izmir began a slow decline due to Arabic incursions.
Sieged by the Turks, the town was conquered (1076) and subsequently utilised as base for naval attacks in the Aegean Sea. Later it became a feud of the Knights of Rhodes. It was annexed to the Ottoman Empire by Mohamed 1st Celebi, notwithstanding efforts from part of the Venetian fleet which attempted to reoccupy it on several occasions.
Izmir has preserved its prosperity, mainly thanks to the commercial activity of its port which has been an important stop along the routes between East and West. In the large square, dominated by the modern clock tower in Arabian style, a present for the German Kaiser, William the 2nd, you can see the City Hall, the Konak Camii, little mosque decorated with glazed tiles and surrounded by a large garden and the City Cultural Centre. In the centre of the city, on the west side of the train station (Basmane Gari), you find the large green area of the Kultur Park, with a Luna Park, a Zoo, a small lake and pavilions where, every year, starting from the second half of August to September, the International Izmir Fair takes place, it is perhaps the most important commercial fair in the Mediterranean.
You should visit the Archaeological Museum inaugurated in 1983 containing finds from Ephesus, Belevi, Myrina and Eritre. The old building next to the Archaeological Museum is the Ethnographic Museum displaying interesting art collections and traditional handicrafts: ceramics, copper tools, embroidery, traditional costumes, shawls and decorated fabrics, carpets, arms and armours.
The last stop for the shopping fans is the animated and colourful bazaar with stalls selling every kind of local goods.

Mykonos
The island of Mykonos is one of the most picturesque - and popular - of the Cyclades archipelago, situated between Tinos and Naxos. During the peak season the island's local population of 5,000 inhabitants is swelled by a factor of ten or 15. Many visitors arrive at the island from Piraeus near Athens from where there is a daily ferry service, or by air from the Greek capital city. The picture-postcard main town of Mykonos is a maze of narrow streets lined with pretty white-washed houses and shops. Nearby are several splendid beaches.
The history of civilisation on Mykonos is not well chronicled, although the generally accepted view is that the island was first colonised by the Ionians and later developed by the Athenians. There followed a relatively prosperous period under Ptolemy and again under the Romans. Little knowledge exists of the island's fate during the Byzantine era and the next major landmark appears in 1537 when Mykonos was under Turkish rule.
This heralded a period of great riches and influence for Mykonos, thanks to considerable commercial maritime activities, becoming by the end of the 1700s one of the most powerful islands in the archipelago. The island also became a regular target for pirates, thus Mykonos came under the direct defence of the army, which maintained a presence until independence in 1821.
The architectural highlight of the capital town is Panaghia Paraportiani church, a magnificent combination of Byzantine and western features. The church, with seven chapels around a square, is located in the picturesque hillside Kastro area, originally fortified by the Venetians. Indeed, the area below Kastro is called Venice after the houses seemingly built on the sea. At another square, according to tradition, any woman who drinks from each of three fountains will marry within a year.
Another popular building is the local art museum which includes a collection of furniture, religious icons, sculptures and musical instruments. An archaeological museum has exhibits from the ruins of Renea. Grilled fish is a highly recommended Mykonos speciality.

Santorini
One of the Cyclades islands, Santorini is a spectacular jewel of the Aegean. Born out of a volcanic eruption in approximately 1500BC, which formed the two islands of Aspronissi and Terrasia, Santorini is a magnificent mixture of dramatic cliffside villages, glorious black sand beaches and ancient treasures. Steep cliffs plunging into a crystalline sea distinguish the west coast, while the east coast is gentler, featuring a fertile plain and delicate bays, with the Profitis Ilias mountains in the background.
Archaeological investigations have shown that the 69 kilometres of coastline of Santorini was probably inhabited in prehistoric times, while the first chronicled civilisation to live on the island were the Phoenicians. Through the centuries the island continued to fall under different rulers, including the Spartans, Athenians, Byzantines and Turks. Commencing in 1967, ongoing excavations near the pink sand beach at Akrotiri have revealed the ruins of ancient Thera, the centre of population on the island before it was destroyed by the volcanic eruption.
Among the extensive remains are ceramics, stone and bronze tools, ornaments and small artworks. A series of frescoes suggest a highly-developed community and some researchers believe it is the site of the mythical lost city of Atlantis.
One of the prettiest spots on the island is the village of Oia, a network of narrow marble-paved alleys, lined with yellow and blue domed houses, and extraordinary views out to sea.

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