Why do we love island holidays? There are many reasons! Here are just a few:
- An island holiday is your own escape from the rest of the world
- You’ll always be near a beach
- Islands tend to have their own unique personality
Some people love island holidays so much that they try to combine five holidays into one – on Mediterranean cruises. These are pretty easy to organise if you go to the right companies. Before you know it you could be exploring the charms of the Mediterranean from the comfort of a luxury ship. Here are five island cruise favorites!
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Sardinia
This large Mediterranean island has thousands of miles of stunning coastline and an awe-inspiring mountainous interior. If you love being by the coast and enjoying the holiday vibes, head for Costa Smeralda where you can relax on the beach, play golf and enjoy some fantastic nightlife. Fascinating bronze age ruins include the Giant’s Grave and Nora. The island is home to the beautiful nature reserve of Cape Carbonara too, where you can go hiking or even try scuba diving.
Elba
The second Italian island on the list, Elba combines laidback Tuscan charm with island chilling. Nature lovers can indulge in a spot of ecotourism at the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a great place to see butterflies. Enjoy the sea breeze, some fresh Italian seafood and a crisp glass of white wine at the Marciana Marina before you leave.
Menorca
And now, a trio of Spanish islands! The first one is the quietest and most peaceful of the three, a place of historic towns, pretty harbors, colorful gardens and traditional music floating through the air. Menorca is famous for long stretches of unspoiled beach, fringed by pine trees in a picturesque pattern. Be sure to visit the capital Mahon and take a look round the 13th century church there.
Mallorca
Menorca’s Balearic sister, Mallorca, has a wild side. The home of infamous nightclub destination Magaluf, it’s a place where many people go to have a good time and not remember anything! But the island has a more grown up side too – the capital Palma is a treasure-trove of historic attractions, traditional culture and cuisine. Overlooking the bay in Palma, travelers will be stunned by a complex of ancient Mallorcan fortresses and an inspiring Gothic cathedral. Relaxing beaches include the stretch of sand at Palma Nova and the resort area of Cala Millor.
Ibiza
From one party island to another, Ibiza is probably the spiritual home of the European nightclub scene. Huge superclubs accommodate thousands of clubbers every night in the summer season, all expecting to have the time of their lives. But don’t worry if this isn’t your scene – Ibiza is home to many little quiet villages, yoga retreats and secluded beaches where you can relax. The village of Sant Miquel de Balansat, for example, is quite remote and has a lovely family atmosphere – take a look!
Arriving on a cruise ship to any of five amazing islands has to be one of the best ways to see them.
Is going on a cruise something that interests you? Please comment below and share your
Photo cache says
Yeah, I am a cruiser. I love cruising and I would love to arrive in these islands on a ship.
Ruth says
Me too! I like the idea of waking up in a different island every day.
Sharon says
Heaven!
Ruth says
Totally! Did you see the color of the water on some of these islands!
Pauliina / PauMau says
We have huge cruise ships sailing across Baltic Sea from Helsinki, Finland to Stockholm, Sweden. It takes about 12 hours and the cruiser is like a small town with night clubs, shops, saunas etc. I think that almost every Finn has been on a cruiser, several of us cruises many times a year. And there is also a little bit smaller cruises between Helsinki and Tallin, Estonia. We’re cruiser nation 🙂
Ruth says
I love that “cruiser nation” description. I would be a dream to visit the Baltics by ship. I have friends who have done the trip and they said it was out of this world.
Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields says
Island communities have their own personality. We love visiting Islands. We don’t go for the beaches or the sights but for the fascination of dipping our toes in island culture.
Ruth says
I can attest to that since I am from an island. The culture and traditions we have cannot be found nowhere else (we share some things with our neighbor islands but things are not definitely the same).
Patricia says
Hi Ruth
My husband has a cousin that lives on the island of Sardenia, so we’d love to visit there one day
Ruth says
That would be awesome!
Fairlie says
There’s something very special about Mediterranean islands! We’ve just had a trip to Italy’s Aeolian islands and they were spectacular. In the past, I’ve been to some of the islands off the coast of Turkey in the Aegean. The interesting thing is how distinctive each island’s culture can be.
Ruth says
How amazing! I just got a magazine with Lipari on the cover. Those islands are magical!
Mary-the boondocks blog says
I’ve never been on a cruise, but I do love the islands and the feeling of being near a beach. You can just jump in the water when you get too hot, and cool off. Best feeling in the world.
Ruth says
I am not an expert cruiser, so, I will be content with taking a ferry between islands.
Khourshem says
I have never been on a cruise and most likely never will go on one. I am not a water lover and with my luck the ship would sink when I was on it. My brother in law and his wife are going on their 5th cruise soon but its just not for me.