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TUNIS

Tunis feels like a beachside version of Marrakesh, with its Berber and French influences cobbled together with a view of the Mediterranean sea.

The old town medina is a warren of souks but leave the city to visit Carthage, and take an ancient history lesson; both Tunis and Carthage were burnt to the ground only to be built up again by the Roman Empire in their trademark style.

The town of Sidi Bou Said, 20km from Tunis, is mainly white with blue accents that mirror the harbour beyond and makes it look like a Greek island.

Arab and Turkish occupation has left an architectural legacy, while the most recent occupiers, the French, left their mark with street names and an Arabic version of the Champs Elysees.

The exotic capital of Tunisia is a port of call on Portuscale Cruises' 45-day Suez Sojourn from Barcelona to Newcastle.

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GENOA

Genoa may not be as polished as its Italian competition, Rome and Venice, but the city will make you feel like a local. The capital of Italy's Western Riviera, Liguria is a region that is acclaimed for its coloured coastal towns such as Portofino and the Cinque Terre.

Genoa is an ideal base from which to explore these gems. The actual sail to Genoa is one of the highlights, as this coast lured droves of poets, inspiring them with its steep wrinkled coast and stained blue water.

The great romantic poets Byron and Shelley chose to live along this coastline and one peninsula is called poet's gulf in a nod to these famous residents. Genoa is a port of call on MSC's 14-night Grand Mediterranean cruise.

BRINDISI

This is the heel of Italy's boot located on the Adriatic and it is the place to go if you want the best of both worlds, for it is a hybrid of Greece and Italy. A former trading port and naval stronghold, ancient history lives on in the archaeological museum of Brindisi. Furthermore, Roman poets Horace, Cicero and Virgil immortalised this city with their words.

This site also marked the end of the Appian Way, which began in Rome and ended in Brindisi, marked by a column. Brindisi is a day trip on Swan Hellenic's 15-day Adriatic Odyssey cruise.

IZMIR

The birthplace of Homer comes with 28 beaches, in a Turkish harbour city that offers history in spades. The ancient ruins of Ephesus are located here, and it is the most intact ancient city to be found in the Eastern Mediterranean.

It is ancient enough to garner a mention in the Bible's Book of Revelations but existed even before that; historians can date it to 3000 years before Christ.

Ephesus also contains one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, the Temple of Artemis. Despite being the third largest city in Turkey, the confluence of Greek and Roman history survives in Izmir to this day.

MSC Cruises will dock at Izmir on day four of their seven-day Mediterranean cruise aboard MSC Preziosa.

SARANDA

Albania is a country that has flown under the tourist radar for decades and is akin to Croatia twenty years ago. Yet via Saranda's horseshoe bay cruises are allowing guests great access to the coastlines of the country.

For the best view over Saranda, climb toward the 5th century monastery that looks over the high hills that surround the town. On the coast of the Ionian Sea, this will be one of the most authentic ports on a Mediterranean cruise. Visit Castle of Lekures for a stunning panorama over the town as well as the sea.

APT offers this as a port on its 15-day Mediterranean Dreams cruise.

SYRACUSE

The history books come to life in Syracuse, a city described by an ancient scholar as the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all. And yet, like many Mediterranean cities, time has meant changed ownership and it is as Italian as Sicily can be.

If you have one day here, divide it between history and nature. History has been dug up for you at the archeological sites where you'll find a Greek theatre and a Roman amphitheatre. For nature, take another vessel to the island of Ortegia.

Syracuse is the sixth port of call on Voyages of Discovery's 12-day Colours of the Mediterranean cruise.

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