Cruise Description

Sail the Greek and Turkish shores during an exceptional journey, an 10-day cruise aboard Le Dumont-d’Urville, during which you will fall under the spell of these island jewels and secular cities, featuring ancient ruins and splendid scenery, which people the Eastern Mediterranean.

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 archaeological site of Ephesus from Kusadasi, discover the monastery of Saint John and the Cave of the Apocalypse where the last book of the New Testament was revealed to John the Apostle,from Patmos, or admire the sumptuous archaeological sites, from the Temples of Zeus, Apollo and Athena to the Terrace of the Lions, from Delos. The diversity of experiences on offer promises you intense and varied moments (to discover the full range of excursions, go to the itinerary tab). 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 the Greek capital Athens, you will sail south to reach the legendary Cyclades archipelago. The authenticity and neoclassical architecture of the island of Syros will surprise you. Then, Delos, a veritable open-air museum, offers a unique testimony of the succession of different civilisations during the Aegean period. Your next stop is Paros, renowned for its sublime white marble, the island offers a real concentration of Greek beauty, between olive groves and ancient monuments.

Further north, you will arrive in Nafplio, the departure point for discovering the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus and the Mycenae archaeological site, both UNESCO World Heritage sites.

You will then sail west for the charming Monemvasia. A romantic haven for the Athenians, this magnificent peninsula conserves treasures of Venetian and Byzantine architecture in the small vaulted streets of its fortified medieval village, which feature thousands of shades of ochre. Then, in the southern Aegean Sea, set off to discover the capital of Crete, Heraklion, built on a hillside overlooking the port and encircled by impressive Venetian walls. Then, the island of 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.

Le Dumont-d’Urville will leave Greece to reach Kusadasi in Turkey. An old fishing village with history going back 5,000 years, not far from the Ephesus site, the town is now one of the country’s most famous seaside resorts. The last stop on your adventure in the Aegean Sea is the mythical island of Rhodes, where you will be captivated by the charm of this medieval city with its gothic architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.