Wind Spirit, Adriatic Old Towns & Aegean Islands ex Venice to Athens

17 Night Cruise sailing from Venice to Athens onboard Wind Spirit.

Highlights of this cruise:

Venice
The city of Venice sits at the top of the Adriatic Sea in the north east corner of Italy. It is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The city sits on 118 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon – a salt marsh. In the 12th century Venice became a city state and its location at the top of the Adriatic made it a key naval and commercial centre as well as a flourishing art centre.

Modern Venice is stunning and retains the wonderful history of this unique city. It is a city of museums, galleries, piazzas, palaces, churches and more. One visit isn’t enough to see all that Venice has to offer but visitors should try and see the Basilica San Marco and San Marco Square, the Doges Palace and the Gallerie dell'Accademia which houses some of Italy’s finest art treasures.

Corfu
Corfu is the second largest Greek island on the north side of the Ionian Sea, in the entrance of the Adriatic Sea, 6 km’s from the coast of Albania. The principal town of the island is also named Corfu, or Kerkyra in Greek. The island is steeped in history and it is directly connected to the history of Greece starting from Greek mythology.

Corfu is a popular tourist destination, offering something for everyone. It boasts many beachside resorts, leisure and entertainment facilities, unspoiled countryside, secluded coves, traditional villages and scenic mountain walks.

There are two excellent beaches close (about 25 km) to Corfu Town at Benitses Glyfada and Paeleokastritsa.

Patmos
Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost island of the Dodecanese group. The highest point is Profitis Ilias, 269 meters above sea level. Patmos' main communities are Chora (the capital city) and Skala, the only commercial port.

Patmos is a quiet and peaceful island with numerous beaches and coves, including the fine, sandy white beach on the southern end of the Island, Psili Ammos. On the top of the cliff is the beautiful Chora, the capital of the island with white houses and narrow roads overlooking the whole Aegean.

In the summer of 2006, the island's historic centre (Chora) with the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse were declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO.
The enormous Byzantine monastery of St. John Theologos, built in 1088, houses byzantine icons, jewellery and emperor's presents, while in the library there are 3000 books and rare manuscripts. On the route between Skala and Chora is the Cave of the Apocalypse. It's a 17th century monastery which was built around the cave in which St. John wrote the book of Revelations.

Athens
The port of Piraeus is one of the last old-style Mediterranean ports from where you can catch ferries to all of the Greek islands and travel a short distance to Greece's capital city Athens.

In the heart of the city lies the ancient Plaka district, with its honeycomb of streets, little shops - and tavernas that come alive at night. Situated on the north and east slopes of the Acropolis, it is rich with historic sites, such as ancient monuments and churches. Within Athens there are eight large hills, including the Acropolis, and on the outskirts, Mount Parnitha, Mount Pendeli and Mount Hymettos surround the city. A trip to Athens' most famous tourist attraction, the impressive Parthenon built on the Acropolis around 2,500 years ago, will be memorable to say the least.

There are an extraordinary number of historic tourist sights in Athens and many of these are known world-wide. Some of the top Athens attractions include the Agora - a grand, ruined Roman building, Hadrian's Arch - originally the city gate linking the Roman quarters with original town of Athens and the stunning Dionysos Theatre - the world's oldest theatre where many great plays have been performed over the years.