Ancient jewels of the Mediterranean

Cruise overview

Starting in Athens, step aboard Le Bougainville for an 9-day cruise between Greece and the majestic Maltese coast.

Throughout your journey, you will benefit from an excursion included per person per port of call, to choose from a selection offered by PONANT. During this cruise, discover the typical villages of Lefkes and Naoussa on the island of Paros; visit the ancient theatre of Taormina; or dive into Sicilian baroque architecture with a visit to the village of Noto from Syracuse. The diversity of experiences on offer promises you intense and varied moments (to discover the full range of excursions, go to the itinerary tab).

Your ship will call at Patmos, known as “the Jerusalem of the Aegean Sea”, reveals itself to offer you a moment suspended between unique landscapes of white-sand beaches and rocky bays.

The birthplace of Artemis and Apollo, Delos is rich in archaeological ruins, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, illustrating its prestigious history. A journey back in time almost 2,000 years, between millennia-old heritage and sumptuous panoramas.

Le Bougainville will then head towards Paros. Nestling in the heart of the Cyclades archipelago, this island reputed for its sublime white marble offers a real concentration of Greek beauty, from whitewashed houses to olive groves to ancient monuments.

This cruise will also enable you to discover Hydra, a small island with yesteryear charm, where all motor traffic is forbidden. You will then sail along the Corinth Canal and will call at Galaxidi.  You will be charmed by this picturesque village where calm and tranquillity reign.

Southern Italy promises suspended moments where the beauty of the shores combines with the beauty of its historical remnants, which remain fascinating. In Puglia, Gallipoli, meaning “beautiful town” in Greek, reveals its Hellenic origins and offers up its singular atmosphere, where life is good.

You will take the sea to discover Taormina, overlooking Etna’s blanket of snow. Its streets will lead you to its famed ancient Greek theatre, where the quality of the acoustics is exceptional. In Syracuse, the Sicilian soul unfolds across the island of Ortygia – the oldest part of the city -, a maze of small streets dotted with churches, palaces, ancient remnants, sheltering a majestic cathedral in its very heart.

Your cruise will come to an end in Valletta, capital of the island of Malta and former stronghold of the Knights of the Order of Malta.