Ancient civilisations, from Italy to Greece

Cruise overview

As the cradle of ancient Greek, Roman and Phoenician civilisations, a link between peoples and a cultural crossroads, the Mediterranean embodies the fascinating encounter between East and West, where cultures have blended and intermingled for millennia. Le Champlain invites you on a 11-day journey between the Eternal City and the City of the Gods to discover the riches of the Mediterranean, its ancient remains, legendary tales and magnificent coastline, in late autumn, far from the crowds, when the exceptional archaeological sites regain some of their millennial calm.

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, visit the National Museum of Magna Graecia in Reggio Calabria; explore the archaeological site of Delphi from Itea; or discover the ruins of Mycenae and Epidaurus from Nafplio. The diversity of experiences on offer promises you intense and varied moments (to discover the full range of excursions, go to the itinerary tab).

From Civitavecchia, you will head for the Amalfi Coast, the jewel of Southern Italy, where you will visit Salerno, a superb little town renowned for its Duomo.

In the southernmost part of “the Boot”, you sail off the coast of Calabria with a stopover in Reggio Calabria. You can stroll along the lungomare against the imposing backdrop of Mount Etna. In Catania, discover the many baroque monuments that helped the city earn its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In Puglia, Gallipoli, meaning “beautiful town” in Greek, reveals its Hellenic origins and offers up its singular atmosphere, where life is good.

Le Champlain will then cross the Ionian Sea to Parga, its first port of call in Greece. Fall under the spell of this charming fishing port, dominated by a fortress built by the Normans in the 14th century.

You will then sail to the Peloponnese, to discover Katakolon. From the port, you can get to Olympia, a UNESCO World Heritage site whose ruins bear witness to past grandeur.

You arrive in the small port of Itea from where it is possible to visit the mythical site of Delphi or even the Hosios Loukas monastery, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

After your mythical and remarkable crossing of the Corinth Canal, you will arrive in Nafplio. It is an opportunity to discover the mythical sites of Epidaurus and Mycenae, respectively a ancient theatre and a pre-Hellenic city, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Then you stop off at Hydra, a small island of old-worldly charm where motorised traffic is banned.

Athens, the mythical city dominated by the Acropolis and its monuments, which form the most extraordinary architectural and artistic ensemble bequeathed to the world by Ancient Greece, marks the end of this exceptional odyssey.