Mediterranean cruise ports

Corsica's capital curves around a wide bay backed by mountains, and is the town where Napoleon was born. The cruise quay is right on the edge of the old town, so the market, the cathedral and the Bonaparte family home are all a short stroll away.

Alicante is a sunny, easy-going city with a palm-lined seafront, a town beach and a hilltop castle looking down over the port. The old quarter, the castle lift and the main museums are all within walking distance of the cruise terminal.

Almost every cruise ship in Barcelona now berths on the long Adossat quay, a short shuttle ride from the Columbus monument at the bottom of La Rambla. From there the Gothic Quarter, the markets and the waterfront are on foot, and Gaudí's buildings are a quick taxi or metro ride away.

Sardinia's capital climbs from an arcaded waterfront to a walled hilltop quarter, Castello, with sweeping views over the gulf. The long city beach of Poetto and the flamingo lagoons are a short ride away.

Cannes is a tender port: ships anchor in the bay and small boats bring you into the Old Port, right in the middle of town. From the quay you can walk to the Croisette, the film festival steps and the old hilltop quarter of Le Suquet, or take a short ferry to the Lérins Islands.

Founded by Carthage more than 2,200 years ago, Cartagena is a naval city where you step off the ship straight onto the harbour promenade. A Roman theatre, a hilltop castle and a run of grand early 20th-century buildings are all within a short walk.

Catania is a baroque city built from dark volcanic stone, with Mount Etna rising behind it. The cathedral square and fish market are a short walk from the port, and Etna or Taormina make a full-day trip.

Civitavecchia is Rome's cruise port, but Rome itself is about 80 km away. On a short day, stay local with the harbour fort, the market and the Etruscan tombs up the coast; on a long day, the train gets you to St Peter's or the Colosseum.

Genoa's cruise piers sit right on the edge of the old city, so you can walk off the ship to grand palaces, one of Europe's largest medieval centres and the aquarium. Trains along the coast also make Portofino and the Riviera villages possible on a longer day.

Gibraltar packs a lot into a small space: a British high street, centuries of fortifications, and the Rock itself with its caves, tunnels and famous Barbary macaques. The cruise terminal is about 1 km from town, so you can walk straight in and spend the day on foot and by shuttle.

Ibiza Town is far more than nightlife: its walled hilltop old town, Dalt Vila, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with views over the whole harbour. Big ships berth on the Botafoc breakwater across the bay, so a short transfer is part of the day, and then the old town and the waterfront are all on foot.

La Spezia is a working naval and commercial port at the head of the Gulf of Poets, and the gateway to the Cinque Terre. A port shuttle brings you to the cruise terminal by the town gardens, and from the main station the coastal trains reach the five villages in minutes.

Livorno is a working Tuscan port town with canals, two Medici forts and a lively covered food market. Most passengers head inland by train to Pisa or Florence, but the town itself makes an easy, relaxed day.

Ships sail several kilometres up one of the longest natural harbours in the Mediterranean to reach Mahón, Menorca's calm, elegant capital, which sits on a low cliff above the quays. The old town, its market cloister and museum are a short climb from the waterfront, and the harbour itself is part of the sightseeing.

France's oldest city is a busy, sunlit port with a golden basilica on the hill and the Vieux-Port at its heart. Most big ships berth well north of the centre, so build the trip into town into your plans.

Messina sits on the Sicilian side of the narrow strait facing Calabria, and cruise ships tie up right on its doorstep. The compact centre around the cathedral is a few minutes' walk away, and Taormina is the classic longer day out.

Monaco only welcomes smaller luxury and premium ships, and most of them tie up at a floating breakwater at the mouth of Port Hercule, within walking distance of everything. The old town on the Rock, the harbour and Monte-Carlo's casino are all close, and ships often stay into the evening.

Málaga packs a Moorish fortress, a Renaissance cathedral and Picasso's birthplace into a compact, walkable old town right behind the port. It is also the usual gateway for a long day trip to the Alhambra in Granada.

In Naples you step off the ship almost straight into the city, beside a medieval castle and a short walk from palaces, pizza and the old town. Pompeii, Herculaneum and Capri are all within easy reach for a longer day.

Most ships anchor in the deep bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer and bring passengers ashore by tender, a few steps from the old village and the railway station. Small ships berth alongside in the port of Nice instead, and from either landing Nice, Èze and Monaco are a short train or bus ride away.

Olbia is the gateway to north-east Sardinia: a small, easy-going town with a pedestrian main street, a Romanesque granite basilica and beaches close by. Further out are the Costa Smeralda resorts and the island of Tavolara, rising sheer out of the sea.

Sicily's capital packs Norman palaces, gold-mosaic chapels, baroque squares and busy street markets into an old centre about 20 minutes' walk from the ship. Monreale's cathedral in the hills above is the best-known short trip.

Palma's cruise berths are on the western side of the bay, a few kilometres round the waterfront from the great Gothic cathedral and the old town behind it. A shuttle, city bus or taxi gets you to the seafront in about 15 minutes, and from there almost everything worth seeing is on foot.

Salerno is a walkable seaside city with a long palm-lined promenade, a medieval old town and a fine cathedral. It is also the handiest port for the Amalfi Coast: ferries run from the city to Amalfi and Positano, and Paestum's Greek temples are a short train ride south.

Savona's cruise terminal stands on the old harbour, a few minutes' walk from the medieval tower, the cathedral and the big Priamar fortress. It is a relaxed small city, with seaside villages along the coast and Genoa or Portofino reachable by train on a longer day.

Sorrento sits on top of sheer cliffs above the Bay of Naples, with lemon groves, a compact old town and views across to Vesuvius. Ships anchor offshore and tender passengers into the little harbour, and from here Capri, Pompeii and Positano are all within reach.

Toulon is France's main naval base, set in a deep, sheltered bay below Mont Faron. Its pedestrian old town and Provençal market are a short walk from the city-centre berths, while bigger ships use La Seyne-sur-Mer across the bay, linked to Toulon by shuttle boat.

Valencia mixes a compact Gothic old town, one of Spain's great food markets and the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, all linked by a long riverbed park. The cruise terminal is at the city end of the port but still about 6 km from the old centre, so start with a shuttle, taxi or tram.

Malta's small walled capital sits high above the Grand Harbour, so ships arrive right beneath its bastions. The Barrakka Lift carries you from the quay up to the gardens at the top, and from there most of the city's sights are within a 15-minute walk.

The capital of Puglia, a busy port city whose walled old town, Bari Vecchia, sits right beside the harbour. Pilgrims come for the relics of St Nicholas, and visitors for the lanes where women still make pasta by hand outside their doors.

Dubrovnik's walled old town of pale stone streets, churches and sea-facing ramparts is one of the great sights of the Adriatic. Cruise ships use the port at Gruž, about 3 km from the old town, so plan a short bus or taxi ride each way.

Slovenia's main port, with a compact Venetian-era old town on what was once an island. Ships tie up a couple of minutes' walk from the centre, which makes Koper an easy base for Piran, the Karst caves or Ljubljana.

Kotor is a compact walled town tucked into the far corner of a fjord-like bay, with steep mountains rising straight behind it. The sail in is a highlight in itself, and the old town sits right by the cruise quay.

A compact, flat city famous for its glittering early Christian and Byzantine mosaics, eight of its monuments listed by UNESCO, and for Dante's tomb. Ships berth at Porto Corsini on the coast, about half an hour from the centre.

Split grew up inside a Roman emperor's retirement palace, and people still live, shop and eat among its walls today. Ships berth in the city harbour, so the old town is a short, flat walk from the gangway.

A grand Habsburg-era port city where Italian, Slovene and Central European influences meet, built around a huge square that opens straight onto the sea. Ships berth a few minutes' walk from the centre, so it is an easy port to explore on foot.

A city of canals, bridges and lagoon islands, with St Mark's Square and the Grand Canal at its heart. Most cruise ships now berth on the mainland side of the lagoon, so getting into the old city takes longer than it used to.

Bodrum is a whitewashed harbour town on the Aegean, built around a crusader castle on the site of ancient Halicarnassus. The cruise pier is on the edge of town, so the castle, bazaar and waterfront are all an easy walk.

Cruise ships for Chania berth at Souda, a deep natural harbour about 7 km east of the town. Chania itself has one of the prettiest old harbours in Greece, ringed by Venetian buildings, with a tangle of lanes, mosques and churches behind it.

Corfu Town mixes Venetian lanes, French-style arcades and British-era buildings between two big fortresses, all on a UNESCO-listed old town. Ships berth at the New Port on the west side of town, about 2 km from the old centre.

Heraklion is Crete's capital, a lively working city behind Venetian walls with a harbour fortress and one of the great museums of the ancient world. Most visitors pair the Minoan palace at Knossos, just south of the city, with the archaeological museum that holds its treasures.

Ships berth at Galataport in Karaköy, right on the Bosphorus, with the terminal tucked underground and the old city a short tram ride away. In one day you can see the great mosques and palaces of Sultanahmet, or stay close to the ship for art, views and baklava.

Katakolo is a small fishing village of waterfront tavernas whose real draw lies inland: Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games. Ships berth right in the village, and a train runs from beside the port to Olympia.

Kuşadası is a busy Aegean resort town and the gateway to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved Roman cities anywhere. The ship docks right in town, so you can walk to the bazaar and Pigeon Island or take the 20-minute drive to the ruins.

Limassol is Cyprus's lively second city, with a long seafront promenade, a compact old town around its medieval castle and a smart new marina. Ships berth at the modern terminal west of the centre, and the clifftop ruins of Kourion are within easy reach.

Mykonos Town (Chora) is a maze of whitewashed lanes, small churches and waterfront bars, with its row of windmills above the sea. Most ships berth at the New Port at Tourlos, a short boat ride north of town, and the island of Delos is a classic half-day trip.

Piraeus is the port for Athens, about 12 km from the centre, so the Acropolis and the old city are a metro or taxi ride away rather than a walk. Plan around the travel time and the Acropolis queues, and keep Piraeus's own harbours in mind for a short day.

Ships berth right beside the walled medieval Old Town of Rhodes, so you can be inside the walls within minutes of stepping ashore. The Old Town, the Palace of the Grand Master and the harbour fill a day easily, and Lindos with its clifftop acropolis is the classic trip further afield.

Santorini is a tender port: ships anchor in the flooded volcanic caldera and small boats bring you to the old port below Fira, 220 metres under the clifftop town. Getting up and down the cliff is the part to plan for, so build in time for queues.