Exploring the Mediterranean

Cannes / DPA

Seaside towns often have a long history, starting out as fishing villages and developing into maritime trade centres. Different occupying powers and inhabitants have left their traces and thanks to the towns’ location on the sea and their commercial role they’re usually cosmopolitan and culturally diverse places offering travellers a great mixture of history, night life and beaches.
Here are a few suggestions for those
looking for the best port cities to visit on the Mediterranean.
Starting in the Middle East is the Old City of Acre in northern Israel. The town became a UNESCO world heritage site in 2001. Founded around 3000 BC, it was occupied by the Crusaders for several decades during the mediaeval period. Before then, the town was populated by Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and over the centuries it has been influenced by Christians, Jews, Muslims and followers of the Bahai faith.
Napoleon also laid siege – unsuccessfully – to the city in the 18th century. The remain’s of Acre’s Crusader town have been well preserved beneath the existing fortified Muslim town, which dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The town’s harbour is still in use and
fishermen provide local restaurants with fresh fish every day.
Moving north to Turkey’s Aegean coast and located on the Bordum Peninsula is Bodrum, known as the “St Tropez of Turkey,” “White City,” or “Sailor’s Paradise.”
Above the town’s characteristic white houses towers the 15th century Castle of St Peter, which is now home to a museum of underwater archaeology. In recent years Bodrum’s harbour has begun to attract more and more yachts, bringing a touch of glamour to the town.
For history buffs, there’s also the remains of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Moving west to Crete is the present town of Chania, the second biggest on the Greek island. It was built in the 14th century by the Venetians, though Turks, Arabs and Greeks have also left their architectural marks on it.
A key landmark is the lighthouse, perched
on the end of a pier which protects the harbour. The multitude of cafes, restaurants and taverns offering Cretan specialities, as well as bars
and bakeries make it a heaven for those who
like their food.
Located in Italy’s south-east, on the Adriatic coast, is Trani. The cityscape is defined by the light-coloured houses, many built using a local limestone, while the lively promenade is full of fishermen selling their wares.
The city was a major maritime trading centre in the medieval period. Trani’s cathedral, also built in local limestone and one of the town’s most important buildings, is dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and is a great example of Apulia-Romanesque architecture.
On the other side of the Italian peninsula is Portofino: an Italian gem popular with the jet-set; Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Frank Sinatra famously spent holidays here while actor Rex Harrison built a villa here.
The village’s brightly-coloured houses and the natural harbour are typical of the Ligurian coast. Drinking a coffee on the piazzetta, or central square, you can watch the yachts in the harbour gently rocking with the waves.
The castle, Castello Brown, offers fabulous views over the surrounding area. There are also great walks on the peninsula on which the Portofino is located, with lots of walking trails. Made famous by its international film festival, the French city of Cannes is most well known for La Croisette, the promenade which stretches around 2 kilometres along the coast.
Lots of hotels, casinos and the Palais des Festivals, where the film festival takes place, are located here. “What not many people know is that Cannes was once a village and had a very lovely old town with a Mediterranean character,” says Thomas Schmidt of Atout France, the French tourist board. Beneath Le Suquet, the town’s old quarter with its winding streets, is the old harbour, now filled with sailing boats and yachts. “You can go on a great day trip to Ile Saint-Honorat,” says Schmidt. The monks who live there make their own wine.
Moving westward to Spain is Malaga, which has more to offer than its high-rise hotels. Once significant because of its strategic location on Spain’s Costa del Sol, the city is also known for its historic buildings, beaches and festivals such as Semana Santa in Holy Week.
“The city is a mix of the old and the modern,” says Heidrum Steidle of travel agency Thomas Cook. Sights include Pablo Picasso’s birthplace, Gibralfaro castle and the Alcazaba, a well preserved Moorish fortress palace.
Across the Mediterranean in Morocco is
Tangier, “a melting pot of different cultures,” says Florian Fleischer of Tui Deutschland travel agency. The bustling Moroccan city is the gateway to the Mediterranean, located on the North African coast at the western end of the Strait
of Gibraltar. Popular tourist attractions include the medina, a warren of mediaeval streets, the kasbah, the city’s ancient fortifications, and the Sultan’s palace.
There are also some lovely bathing beaches. The city’s food takes influences from Spain, France and the Middle East. It’s recently undergone a campaign of renovation under King Mohammed VI, and the old harbour is currently being turned into a marina.