MEDD

This postcard-perfect destination, with its pastel-colored houses encircling the port, may be one of the most photographed in all of Italy. If you can take your eyes off the scenery, there is much to explore in and around Portofino. The 12th-century Church of St. George and the medieval Castello Brown both afford spectacular views of the harbor. A long, scenic hike or a short boat ride takes you to the restored 11th-century abbey in San Fruttuoso. Northwest of Portofino lies Genoa, filled with museums, palaces and the grand Cathedral of San Lorenzo.

Named for its round harbor, Porto Rotondo is a resort town on the Costa Smeralda. While a little quieter than Porto Cervo to the north, the town is no less beautiful and appealing. Some of the most idyllic beaches in this port are obscured by large boulders, so discovering them is an adventure in itself. The unassuming village behind the port has attractive outdoor cafés, restaurants and clubs situated on a pleasant town square. For a taste of rural Sardinia, visit the nearby town of San Pantaleo. Long a haven for artists and writers, it has a bohemian vibe and a gorgeous setting.

The capital of the Balearic Islands, beautiful Palma is famous for La Seu, the massive Cathedral of Santa Maria overlooking the bay. The adjacent Alumdaina Palace has been a royal residence since the 14th century, and the Gothic-style Bellver Castle houses the city's history museum. The Juan March Foundation Museum boasts a permanent collection of 70 works by the most important Spanish vanguard artists of the 20th century.

The Venetians left their mark in Nafplio. Perched on a cliff jutting into the sea, their impregnable fortress is an elegant display of Venetian might. Walk through the Old Town with its handsome neoclassical buildings and balconies dripping with bougainvillea. One of the most beautiful towns in Greece, Nafplio is also one of the most historic; its cultural roots date back to both the Argonautic expedition and the Trojan War. From here you can drive across the Peloponnese where tales from Homer’s Iliad come alive.

Bronze bodies bask in the sun on golden beaches, blue-domed churches dot the island, and picturesque windmills paddle the horizon. This is Mykonos, one of the most charming and fashionable of the Greek isles. Chora, its capital, is a cubist jumble of whitewashed houses and a maze of alleyways built long ago to foil pirates. Get lost in these narrow, twisting lanes filled with exclusive boutiques, art galleries and world-class restaurants.

Perhaps no port of call is better designed to welcome a luxury yacht than Monte Carlo, where some of the most splendid vessels in the world make their home. At this playground for the rich and famous, the only thing more spectacular than the yachts filling the harbor are the luxury cars driving the winding streets that host the annual Grand Prix. Verdant mountains ascend abruptly behind the lavish high-rises lining the bay, and perched on the cliff is the Palace of the Prince, where the Changing of the Guard attracts onlookers each morning at 11:55.

Historic and romantic, the medieval town of Monemvasia is situated on the island nicknamed the “Gibraltar of the East,” an enormous hunk of rock rising from the sea and creating a natural fortress for its inhabitants. Only a single causeway links Monemvasia with the mainland, and visitors must leave cars behind to explore the walled town carved into the cliffside. Ancient stone houses with terracotta rooftops look out over the crystal blue waters and mountains beyond. There are six museums and many churches, including Agia Sophia, among the oldest Byzantine churches in Greece.

Founded in 600 BC, Marseille is the oldest city in France and its third largest metropolitan area. A must-see is the 19th-century basilica, Notre Dame de la Garde, which sits at the highest point in the city. Also worth a visit is the water fountain at Palais Longchamp, built under the reign of Napoleon III. Marseille is considered the birthplace of bouillabaisse, so make time to stop for a bowl of this famous seafood stew in the Old Port.

Tall hotels rise up from the golden beaches in Málaga, the historic enclave on the Costa del Sol. While the Mediterranean bathes its coastline, Málaga's mountains back the city to form a cocoon that ensures mild weather. Málaga is among the world's oldest cities, founded 2,800 years ago and settled by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Visigoths and Christians. Looming over the skyline are the citadels Alcazaba and Castle of Gibralfaro, remnants of Moorish rule. Málaga was revitalized in recent years, now featuring some 30 museums and an edgy urban art community.

The approach to Menorca reveals white houses clinging to rocks with a historic town rising above one of the world's largest natural harbors, used as a port since the 3rd century BC. King Island floats halfway in, featuring ruins of a 6th-century basilica. The streets of Menorca present an interesting blend of ancient treasures, such as the medieval wall of San Roque Arch and the relics in the Museu de Menorca, and more recent gems, including the grand Georgian homes that remain from the British occupation of the island.