Venice to Athens (Piraeus)

Venice has been known as the "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Luigi Barzini, writing in The New York Times, described it as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". Venice has also been described by the Times Online as being one of Europe's most romantic cities. Founded in the 5th century, the city stretches across 118 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic. In 1987 Venice and its Lagoon was inscribed as a UNESCO Heritage site. SeaDream typically docks at the San Basilio pier after navigating by the famous St. Mark’s Square down the grand canal. With its yacht stature, SeaDream vessels are amongst the very few commercial vessels that can navigate this famous waterway. SeaDream does offer Land Adventures when overnighting. You can also contact our destination specialists should you need a private arrangement, transfer or hotel recommendation.

Piran may be the most beautiful of Slovenia's coastal towns. It is perched on a tiny piece of land jutting into the sea. It has the feeling of being more like an Italian coastal town, without all the tourists. Piran was part of the Venetian empire from the late 13th century to the end of the 18th century and also had some influence from Austria-Hungary Empire.

Mali Losinj, the stunning gem of Losinj Island is not a destination worth missing. Centered at the crest of a picturesque natural harbor and contoured by Mediterranean townhouses, this charming town is worth visiting multiple times. Taking a coastal walk around the town will reveal 19th-century sea-captain homes and a historic quarter that breeds serenity and beauty.

UNESCO awarded Trogir is considered to be one of the oldest and most exciting villages along the Adriatic Coast. This town is located on a small island that lies between the mainland and Ciovo and sports some impressive medieval walls and a collection of Romanesque and Renaissance architecture. Kindly check the Land Adventures tab to see the wonderful options in store for you.

Jutting into the southern Adriatic Sea coast, Dubrovnik—dubbed the “Pearl of the Adriatic”—is perhaps the most picturesque city on the Dalmatian Coast. A key Mediterranean maritime power from the 13th century, Dubrovnik has preserved its storied mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces, and fountains. Its Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site adorned with the ancient city walls and Rector’s Palace. SeaDream anchors off the walled city as a port of call and tenders directly to the town gate.

Jutting into the southern Adriatic Sea coast, Dubrovnik—dubbed the “Pearl of the Adriatic”—is perhaps the most picturesque city on the Dalmatian Coast. A key Mediterranean maritime power from the 13th century, Dubrovnik has preserved its storied mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces, and fountains. Its Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site adorned with the ancient city walls and Rector’s Palace. SeaDream anchors off the walled city as a port of call and tenders directly to the town gate.

Corfu’s rich multicultural heritage, historic monuments, and unsurpassed natural landscape make the island notable as one of the most cosmopolitan of all Mediterranean destinations. Corfu is the second largest Greek island in the Ionian Sea, situated so far north that parts of its coastline lie off the Albanian coast of Sarandë. In Greek, the island is named Kerkyra, Homer’s beautiful and rich land described in The Odyssey and Odysseus’s last stop on his ten-year journey home to Ithaca. With vibrant wildflowers and slender cypress trees rising from olive groves, Corfu is considered by many to be the most beautiful—and greenest—of all the Greek Islands. Unlike the rest of Greece, Corfu never fell under the Ottoman oppression. Due to the successive domination of the Venetians, French, and the British over the centuries the island has become part of the Western rather than the Levantine world. Venetian culture wielded strong influence throughout the island, the town of Corfu reminiscent of Venice and Florence, Italy. In the beautifully preserved Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical influences came to be successfully applied to local artistic traditions. The cobblestone streets and pastel-colored Venetian architecture of the Old Town are a gem for sightseeing, boasting the fifteenth-century Old Fortress of Corfu, constructed on the site of a former Byzantine castle. To the West, the Venetian-constructed New Fortress features a network of underground tunnels and views that overlook the harbor. The Archaeological Museum contains artifacts from the Archaic period, including bronze and marble statues, clay pottery, and parts of ancient temples. Best explored by foot, visitors to Old Town note the charm of Spianada Square and Liston Street, reminiscent of Rue de Rivoli in Paris. Nearby, explore the Achillion Palace, built in 1890 as the summer retreat of Austria’s Empress Elizabeth. Nature lovers will find unmatched scenery at secluded La Grotta Beach, where swimming, snorkeling, and cliff diving opportunities are plentiful, and the Corfu Trail, extending from Asprokavos along the south coast up to Agios Spiridon in the north. This off-the-beaten-path hiking trail passes through rolling olive groves, rugged gorges, traditional Greek villages, and ancient monasteries that line its route.

Corfu’s rich multicultural heritage, historic monuments, and unsurpassed natural landscape make the island notable as one of the most cosmopolitan of all Mediterranean destinations. Corfu is the second largest Greek island in the Ionian Sea, situated so far north that parts of its coastline lie off the Albanian coast of Sarandë. In Greek, the island is named Kerkyra, Homer’s beautiful and rich land described in The Odyssey and Odysseus’s last stop on his ten-year journey home to Ithaca. With vibrant wildflowers and slender cypress trees rising from olive groves, Corfu is considered by many to be the most beautiful—and greenest—of all the Greek Islands. Unlike the rest of Greece, Corfu never fell under the Ottoman oppression. Due to the successive domination of the Venetians, French, and the British over the centuries the island has become part of the Western rather than the Levantine world. Venetian culture wielded strong influence throughout the island, the town of Corfu reminiscent of Venice and Florence, Italy. In the beautifully preserved Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical influences came to be successfully applied to local artistic traditions. The cobblestone streets and pastel-colored Venetian architecture of the Old Town are a gem for sightseeing, boasting the fifteenth-century Old Fortress of Corfu, constructed on the site of a former Byzantine castle. To the West, the Venetian-constructed New Fortress features a network of underground tunnels and views that overlook the harbor. The Archaeological Museum contains artifacts from the Archaic period, including bronze and marble statues, clay pottery, and parts of ancient temples. Best explored by foot, visitors to Old Town note the charm of Spianada Square and Liston Street, reminiscent of Rue de Rivoli in Paris. Nearby, explore the Achillion Palace, built in 1890 as the summer retreat of Austria’s Empress Elizabeth. Nature lovers will find unmatched scenery at secluded La Grotta Beach, where swimming, snorkeling, and cliff diving opportunities are plentiful, and the Corfu Trail, extending from Asprokavos along the south coast up to Agios Spiridon in the north. This off-the-beaten-path hiking trail passes through rolling olive groves, rugged gorges, traditional Greek villages, and ancient monasteries that line its route.

Nestled in the Ionian Sea, the island of Zakynthos is named after the son of a legendary Arcadian chief and a son of Zeus, Dardanus. The Venetians nicknamed the island “the Flower of the East,” as it boasts many beautiful beaches and rich vegetation with agricultural products such as citrus fruit, olive oil, grapes, and currants. As with other Greek islands, the culture and history of Zakynthos is extensive, dating to the Old Stone Age. Oldest mentions of the island date to the Mycenaean period, and ancient Greek poet Homer included Zakynthos in his famous works, The Odyssey and The Iliad. The island is well known as an iconic diving spot and for Navagio Beach, whose name comes from a famous shipwreck in 1980. Enjoy Porto Limnionas Beach, Blue Caves, Keri Caves, Turtle Island, Banana Beach, and the endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle habitat in the Zakynthos Marine Park of Laganas Bay. A rich culinary tradition and wine culture can be found on the island: thicker sauces accompany dishes that incorporate more poultry and meat than other Greek cuisine. Comoutos Winery is one of the oldest running wineries, established in 1638, and the island’s most famous wine, Verdea, is one of the only two wines in Greece under the PGI Category. Guests are welcome to explore the Venetian castle on Bochali Hill, providing a panoramic view of Zakynthos Town; the Church of St. Nicholas, and St. Dionysios Cathedral.

The port of Gythio in the southern Peloponessos has lots of good fish restaurants, some great ouzeries and is within easy driving distance of the Mani, Mystras, and much of the south-eastern coast of the Peloponessos. It was here that the powerful city-state of Sparta had its port and it is speculated that the Trojan ships were anchored here when Prince Paris spirited the beautiful Helen away to Troy. The town has some very pleasant old buildings built in the last two centuries. It is a pleasure to wander through with the neo-classical houses, shops and spectacular old apartment buildings, hugging the side of Mount Koumaros all the way down to the sea. It makes you feel like you are in the type of Greek port that disappeared with the introduction of mass tourism into the country.

Piraeus, roughly translating to “the place over the passage”, is an important Greek port located within the Athens agglomeration, in the Attica Basin. It is 12 kilometers from the municipality of Athens, considered the fourth largest and is the third most populous amongst all the municipalities of Greece. Now a peninsula, Piraeus, originally a rocky island, was developed in early 5th Century B.C. when it was initially designated as Athens’ import and transit trade port. It is the largest marine-based shipping center of Greece, one of the largest ports in Europe, and considered the second largest passenger port in the world. Inhabited since the 26th Century, it wasn’t until the 6th Century B.C. that Piraeus began catching attention. The land of Piraeus was essentially impassable, flooded by the sea most of the year until centuries passed and the flooding ceased. By the 5th Century B.C. it became a navy base for the Athenian fleet for the natural harbors and the strategic potential they carried. Athenian general and politician Themistocles fortified Piraeus’ three harbors Kantharos, Zea and Munichia, created ship houses and completed his walls in 471 B.C., which led to the port becoming a great military and commercial harbor. There are many archaeological sites, points of interest and entertainment available in Piraeus. Most famous for its tavernas and cuisine, several popular events take place in Piraeus, such as the Ecocinema International Film Festival, the Maritime Festival, the Piraeus Rock Wave Festival and the Three Kings’ Way Festival. There are also many theaters, including the Municipal Theater, the open air Veakeio Theater, and the Menandreio Theater. Museums in Piraeus include the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, the Merchant Shipping History Institute Exhibition, the Panos Aravantinos Decor Museum, the Georgios Averof Museum Ship and the Museum of Electric Railways. Be sure to catch the panoramic views available from the hill of Kastella, overlooking Athens and the Saronic Gulf!