5 nights from Naples (Italy) with MSC Opera

Heraklion

Heraklion is the capital of Cray. It is the largest port and economic center of the island and the third largest city in Greece. This city hosts the archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church and has religious buildings of great interest.

Heraklion is located in the center of the northern coast of the Greek Islands. With more than 100,00 inhabitants, the city is the capital of Crete, a Venetian fortress during the Middle Ages. The ancient city, with its squares and wide cobbled streets, balconies with wonderful view on the sea, mantains numerous fortifications. In particular there are important and magnificent monuments such as the Church of Agia Ekaterini, dated back to 1555, where the Museum of Sacred Art is hosted. The Archaeological Museum, home to ceramic sculptures, jewellery and frescoes on the Minoan culture. The Historical Museum, home to the only exhibited work of the painter Domenico Theotokopoulos (The Greek), and where you can have a view of Mount Sinai. The Cathedral of St Mena, the patron saint of the city, built between 1862 and 1895 is one of the largest buildings in the area.

Heraklion has an important port and a considerable center for the coastal trade of oil, soap, wine and hides. It has ferry boats and ships with regular itineraries to the islands of Santorini, Ios, Paros, Mykonos, Rhodes, Karpathos and Syros. There are also several daily ferry bgoats to Piraeus, south-west of Athens. The Venetian fortress, still in perfect condition, protects the entrance to the port.

The large combination of reality and mythology, tradition and modernity, make Herklion a cosmopolitan center and one of the most important tourist destination in the Mediterranean. Great beaches, lively nightlife, sunny people, excellent cuisine and the strange "interplay" between the old and the new, guarantees to tourists an unforgettable holiday.

Santorini

Bari

Bari is one of the most flourishing cities in southern Italy renowned for its important historic centre, once enterly sorrounded by walls. Some of them are still visible and inside them you can visit churches, several theatres and numerous medieval palaces connected by narrow and picturesque streets. Located between two provinces, Brindisi and Foggia, is the third most populous city for number of inhabitants in southern Italy after Naples and Palermo. The relics of St Nicholas, the city's patron saint, are kept in Bari, making its church an important Orthodox centre.

The conformation of the city resembles that of an eagle, whose head is represented by Bari Vecchia, the oldest part of the city. We suggest to you to visit Bari especially in spring and autumn, when the climate is milder and rainfall is scarce. In Bari there are many monuments to visit to those who decide to embark from its port and perhaps take a tour of the city. Don't miss the Cathedral of San Sabino, palazzo de Gemmis and in the center of the Murat district palazzo Mincuzzi, rich in Art Nouveau decorations.

If your ship allows you a long stopover and you are a nature lover, don't miss the Alta Murgia nature park or the Gargano park about 2 hours away from the city. In Bari, the main city park is the 2 Giugno park, with a rich and cool pine forest where you can relax and perhaps have a snack of the classic zeppole. For lunch, we recommend a dish of the famous Apulian orecchiette, Bari's cuisine is rich in traditional agricultural products such as extra virgin olive oil, wheat and tomatoes. Friselle, panzerotti, taralli and fried polenta are very famous. Also of great importance at the table is fresh fish, from gilthead bream alla San Nicola to meatball casserole.