Sailing the Ancient Shores of Sicily and Malta

Description

Set sail aboard the majestic four-mastedSea Cloud on a journey into the culture, history, and cuisine of Sicily and Malta. Step into the past among cities and temples left behind by the Romans, Greeks, Carthaginians, and prehistoric peoples—to name just a few. From Taormina to Gozo, wander through charming towns where modern-day life thrives amid glorious vestiges of ancient civilizations, and challenge your conceptions of Italian cuisine as you taste Sicily’s take on pizza, pastries, and wine. We’ll visit no fewer than four UNESCO World Heritage sites: Agrigento, Siracusa, the Aeolian Islands, Malta’s megalithic temples, and we’ll have views of a fifth—Mount Etna. SavorSea Cloud’selegant comfort during afternoons under billowing sails, and enjoy an incomparable Mediterranean adventure that harkens back to the golden age of ship travel.

Trip Name

Sailing the Ancient Shores of Sicily and Malta

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Tall Ship (Sailing) Length: 109 metres Passenger Capacity: 64 Built / refurbished: 1931 / 2011 Sea Cloud is a ship with a soul, imbued by the original owners, Marjorie Merriweather Post and her husband E.F. Hutton in the 1930’s. The ship has played host to royalty, known service in wartime, and sailed the world over. She is a vessel of incomparable grace that harks back to the golden age of ship travel. Once you’ve been on Sea Cloud under full sail, you’ll begin your own love affair. Welcome aboard a legend Sea Cloud accommodates 58 guests in 28 outside cabins including two original owner’s suites that still feature original marble baths and fireplaces. At 360 feet she is an expansive ship with extensive public spaces on the top deck, where we luxuriate in deck chairs and watch the crew of 18 go aloft in the web of riggings to hand-set her 30 sails. Her dining room is hung with marine oil paintings of the period and accommodates all guests at once for a single seating. We’ll gather in the lounge each evening for Recap. Life aboard is a uniquely pleasing mix of elegance and informality—a return to the golden age of sailing in shorts and deck shoes. You’ll find all shipboard services impeccable. Discover the romance of tall ship sailingExperience something many people don’t know exists in the 21st century—the romance of life under square sails. Discover the thrill of standing on deck as Sea Cloud gently glides through the water, her crew aloft in the riggings, running out and reefing sails. Settle in to your favorite areas on the top deck and bask in the incomparable experience of traveling aboard the finest tall ship to ever sail the seas. Lose yourself in an adventure that, in this day and age, is almost unimaginable. Please note deck and suite plans are indicative only and may vary slightly.

Itinerary

Day 1 - DAY 1: Naples, Italy / Embark

Arrive in Naples. Board the legendary SeaCloud and cast off from Naples’ harbor. We’llgather for a welcome cocktail as we pass theisland of Capri’s rugged coast and enter theTyrrhenian Sea. (D)

Day 2 - DAY 2: At Sea

Join the expedition leader for a play-by-playdescription of the crew in the rigging and theaction of the setting of square sails, stay sails, andjibs as Sea Cloud shows her full glory. Bask in thecomfort and intrigue of this legendary and historicsquare-rigger—enjoy delicious meals,complimentary drinks, and talks by the expeditionstaff as we sail south toward Sicily. (B,L,D)

Day 3 - DAY 3: Erice & Marsala / At Sea

After Sea Cloud docks in Trapani this morning, wedepart on an excursion up nearby Mount Erice tothe intriguing medieval town of Erice. Perched 750meters above Sicily’s western coast, thepanoramic views from the walled town arespectacular. Explore Erice with local guides andtake time to wander on your own. Perhaps stop inat the renowned Pasticceria Maria Grammatico, orone of the many other local favorites, before moreexploration in the town of Marsala. Famous for itsfortified wines, this port city also houses anexcellent museum devoted to its Punic(Carthaginian) history, as well as an excavatedPunic warship and a recently opened excavatedRoman merchant vessel. We finish with a visit andtasting at Marsala’s most historic winery, CasaFlorio, before returning to Sea Cloud in Trapani.Sail overnight to Porto Empedocle for Agrigento.(B,L,D)

Day 4 - DAY 4: At Sea / Agrigento

Rise this morning in hopes of steady winds andwatch the crew set sail as you cruise along Sicily’ssouthern shore. Our next call is devoted toAgrigento’s Valley of the Temples, a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site that is a collection of some ofantiquity’s most magnificent Greco-Romantemples. Founded by the Greeks in the 6th centuryB.C., the site served as a prominent city in MagnaGraecia before eventually changing handsbetween the Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines,Arabs, and Normans. Explore the valley’s grandrow of Doric temples devoted to the likes of Zeusand Heracles. We return to Sea Cloud in PortoEmpedocle and cast off for Malta. (B,L,D)

Day 5 - DAY 5: Valletta, Malta

At sunrise, we enter one of the finest harbors ofthe Mediterranean: Valletta, Malta’s capital city,surrounded by daunting limestone fortificationsthat date back to the 16th century. You’ll want tobe on deck with your camera as we make our finalapproach beneath the city’s bastions, walls, andtowers. Malta’s glorious waterfront settings, itsviews, the historic cities and towns, and amazingbuildings combine to make a visit here a wonderfulexperience. We spend the morning touring the city,a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Drive to theUpper Barracca Gardens, located on the highestpoint of the 16th-century walls that the Knights of Saint John built to protect their city. Take in theremarkable views of the Grand Harbor, FortRicasoli, and the Three Cities—Birgu, Senglea,and Bormla. Continuing through Valletta’s historicstreets you’ll tour St John’s Co-Cathedral,complete with elaborate inlaid marble tombstonesand monumental artwork. Then we visit Malta’s oldcapital, Mdina, a walled medieval city dating fromthe Norman and Baroque periods, that has beeninhabited for thousands of years. Walk through thecity's streets and enjoy the fantastic view from thebastions. Marvel at the impressive MdinaCathedral and then a short drive to the Rotunda ofMosta, the fourth-largest unsupported dome in theworld. During World War II, a bomb pierced thedome and landed, unexploded, in the church.Return to Sea Cloud docked in Valletta where youcan wander on your own after dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 6 - DAY 6: Gozo, Malta / At Sea

This morning we visit Malta’s “second island,”Gozo, with our focus on the ancient megalithictemples of Ġgantija, a UNESCO World HeritageSite. Older than both the Pyramids of Giza andStonehenge, the giant structures of Ġgantija werebuilt by civilizations that thrived here more than5,000 years ago. We’ll also visit the artfullyrestored medieval windmill of Ta Kola—one of themany structures built by the Order of the Knightsof Malta, who ruled the Maltese islands forcenturies—before returning to Sea Cloud and anafternoon cruising back to Sicily, with hopes ofsailing in the afternoon winds. (B,L,D)

Day 7 - DAY 7: Siracusa, Italy

Wake this morning to Siracusa, a city that oncerivaled Athens in cultural and economic wealth.We’ll explore the archaeological park, whichshowcases one of the world’s largest theaters ofantiquity, a 15,000-seat arena hewn from bedrock,which is still in use today. We’ll also visit thenearby limestone quarry, the cave of “Dionysus’Ear,” and the Roman amphitheater beforereturning to Sea Cloud for lunch. This afternoon,venture to the enchanting island town of Ortygia todiscover its numerous little piazzas and twistingalleys. But the main feature is the Duomo, orCathedral, which was built from the ruins of Sicily’sancient Temple of Athena. The history of Sicily canbe told in the walls of this incredible construction.(B,L,D)

Day 8 - DAY 8: Strait of Messina / Taormina

We anchor off the port of Giardini Naxos and driveup to the intoxicatingly beautiful town of Taormina,which spills across the slopes at the foot of MountEtna, dominating to the south. The stunningmedieval town boasts the now-fashionable walkon the pedestrian Corso Umberto, lined withexquisite buildings, and ends at the Greco-RomanTheater. This unforgettable theater was built rightinto the cliffside, overlooking the vast sea below, inthe 3rd century B.C. From Taormina, we continueto the Castello degli Schiavi, a phenomenal 18thcentury privately-owned villa, for a very specialprivate lunch. Meet members of the family that stillowns the villa and explore the extensive buildingsand grounds that served as the setting for manyscenes in The Godfather. We then return to SeaCloud, docked in the port of Messina. Enjoy dinner on deck as our vessel follows the wake ofOdysseus through the narrow Strait of Messina,the bustling waterway that separates Sicily fromthe boot of Italy. It’s the mythical location ofHomer’s monsters Scylla and Charybdis—the rockand the hard place whirlpools through whichOdysseus had to sail. (B,L,D)

Day 9 - DAY 9: Lipari / Stromboli

The Aeolian Islands are not only famous for thewinds of the god Aeolus, but also for some of themost well-known classical volcanoes. We’ll sail inthe morning with the islands of Vulcano andStromboli in view, anchoring for the afternoon atLipari. Here we’ll go ashore for a scenic drivearound the perimeter of the island, with fantasticviews of the other Aeolian volcanoes, beforereturning to the main town. We visit the small butsurprising archaeological museum that has anextensive collection of Neolithic artifacts madefrom the local obsidian, which provided thefoundation of the island’s prosperity during theGreco-Roman era. This evening, we’ll have dinneron deck as Sea Cloud cruises the 25 miles toStromboli—and with a little luck, we’ll see some ofthe pyrotechnics of this active volcano, a perfectway to end such an adventurous voyage. (B,L,D)

Day 10 - DAY 10: At Sea

After such an action-packed voyage, we take a fullday for sailing, reflection, and relaxation. Join ourexpedition staff for talks on the Lido Deck, as thecaptain takes advantage of the prevailing wind foroptimal sailing. Aboard Sea Cloud there will betime to catch up on journals, photo reviews,questions, sample a collection of Sicilian wines,and to simply enjoy the thrill of an extended sail onthis historic square-rigged tall ship. This evening,we’ll celebrate our voyage with the Captain’sfarewell cocktail party and dinner at sunset.(B,L,D)

Day 11 - DAY 11: Naples / Disembark / Home

Disembark after breakfast and transfer to theairport for your flight home. (B)

Day 12 - Please Note:

Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Sail the shimmering waters of the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, and Ionian Seas
Explore enchanting piazzas and winding alleyways of picturesque towns from Lipari to Taormina and Ortigia
Visit an array of UNESCO World Heritage sites, from Greco-Roman ruins in Siracusa and Agrigento to the ancient temples of Ġgantija
Experience Sicily’s unique cuisine at a wine tasting in Marsala, at Erice’s renowned Pasticceria Maria Grammatico, and at a private lunch in a historic castle near Taormina
Savor ample time at sea sailing aboard Sea Cloud, the world’s most beautiful tall ship
Explore Naples & Pompeii on a 3-day pre-voyage extension