Rome, the Amalfi Coast & Sicily - Southbound

Sicily, the Amalfi Coast & Rome was one of the earliest small ship cruises in our Mediterranean portfolio; updated for today's traveler, you'll explore stories of antiquities steeped in history and mythology, experience a myriad of natural wonders, and spend two nights in Malta and two nights in Rome at premier hotels. They've been conquered in turn by different invaders, with some, like Malta and Sicily, boasting a history of occupation that dates back thousands of years. Once you see the sensational seaside views from the cliff-top, Maltese city of Mdina, walled since medieval times, you'll discover why so many visitors were eager to claim this island gem for their own. Sicily, inhabited since the Ice Age, was a favorite trophy for the Greeks in the 5th and 6th centuries BC, followed in turn by a succession of rulers, including the Romans, the Vandals, the Arabs, the Normans, the Swabians, the House of Aragon and the Bourbons. The landscapes on this large Mediterranean island have proven to be fertile ground for vineyards, citrus groves, almond and cherry trees – and beaches. While its conquerors had their own reasons for turning Sicily into one of their colonies, travelers today revel in the archaeological treasures they left behind. You'll see an ancient Greek theatre and temple in Siracusa, a Roman renovation in Taormina, an open-air Arab casbah in Palermo, and Punic and Norman fortifications in medieval Erice – mingling with magnificent frescoed duomos, grand piazzas, Baroque balconies and terraced towns that speak volumes about Sicilian life, past and present. And spend two nights in the heart of Rome for the ultimate "Roman Holiday"...