Bonifacio, Corsica
Bonifacio's almost land-locked harbor is one of the most dramatic totally protected harbors, a bustling port with excellent seafood restaurants, and a modern marina. The ancient citadel town is perched high atop a seemingly impenetrable granite cliff.

Calvi, Corsica
Napoleon once said that he could recognise his native island blindfolded because of the wonderful perfume of the maquis. Approaching by sea, it is the first thing you experience about Corsica. The second is its wild and mountainous landscape. Nearby are secluded beaches and the eerie Grottes des Veaux Marins, offering fantastic diving opportunities.

Cannes, France
Glittering Cannes is the archetypal Mediterranean resort city, discovered by wealthy English nobles who came to the sunny south of France to escape their draughty old castles during the dreary British winters. Cannes' high-flying lifestyle has attracted notables and the notorious ever since. Every year, the stars flock to celebrate the Cannes Film Festival at the colossal Palais des Festivals.

Capri, Italy
Capri, where the Emperor Tiberius held notorious bacchanals at his Imperial villa, has gradually become one of the most popular resorts in southern Italy. Famous for its scenery and climate, Capri is a garden of Eden teeming with vegetation despite the rocky landscape.

Corfu, Greece
The lushest (and some say the loveliest) of all the Greek Islands, Corfu lies just a stone's throw from the Albanian coast. And nowhere is the stunning natural beauty of Corfu more evident than in the small village of Paleocastritsa, where legend says Odysseus was washed ashore to be rescued by Nausicaa. Another sight not to be missed is the Achillion Palace built for the Empress Elizabeth of Austria and later owned by Kaiser Wilhelm I. The British made Corfu a major base during the Napoleonic wars and you can see the lovely 1824 villa, Mon Repos, where Prince Philip was born.

Costa Smeralda/Porto Cervo, Sardinia
Sardinia is a rugged, earth toned land inhabited by an ancient people who have changed little since the Dark Ages. The Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) is a beautiful resort area developed by the Aga Khan, and in direct contrast to the surrounding countryside.

Dubrovnik, Croatia
It was george Bernard Show who said, "Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik", medieval walled city with museums, histories churches, monuments. Crowned by the Minceta Tower, the 10th century city are proud symbol of Dubrovnik's colorful history. This was the seat of the Republic of Ragusa, a powerful Renaissance-era city-state boasting a fleet of 500 ships.

Hvar, Croatia
The heavenly scent of lavender perfumes the air in the fields and valleys around the island of Hvar. Idyllically located just off the Dalmatian coast, the island and the little port named after it have been a favourite getaway ever since the time of the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians and even Austro-Hungarian royalty. See the perfectly preserved Cathedral of St. Stephen, the serene cloistered Franciscan monastery and the Venetian Arsenal, where one of Europe's first public theatres was established in 1612.

Korcula, Croatia
Charming island town whose most famous native son was Marco Polo. The pale wheat colored stone Cathedral of St. Mark houses a treasures trove of Dalmatian and Italian art, including works of Tintoretto and Titian.

Kotor, Montenegro
Set in the spectacular Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, Kotor , southern Europe's longest fjord. The old town of Kotor is one of the best preserved medieval towns in the Mediterranean region and was an important artistic and commercial center in the Middle Ages. The narrow streets and squares, with cultural monuments dating from the Roman, Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance periods contributed to Kotor being placed on UNESCO's, The World Natural and Cultural Inheritance list.

Losinj, Croatia
The warm sands of Cikat Bay are an irresistible magnet for beachgoers. And no wonder, the beach is 30 kilometres long and offers every watersport imaginable. In the fortified town of Veli Losinj, climb the 16th century tower and hear the history of the Uskoks, warrior refugees from the Turkish invasion who fled in 1526 to the coastal islands to start new lives under Hapsburg protection.

Monte Carlo, Monaco
Monaco is the fabled domain of princes and movie stars. The magnificent Palais du Prince and opulent casinos remind you of an elegant, pre-war era. With more wealth concentrated in one small area than almost any place on earth, this tiny principality retains its gilt edged allure.

Palmarola, Italy
A ruggedly beautiful island cradled in the Golfo de Gaeta about half-way between Rome and Naples, Palmarola is the perfect stop for a beach day. The water is remarkably clear, and between the islands of Ponza and Palmarola, archeologists have uncovered a number of wrecks of Roman galleys dating from the Republican Period.

Panarea, Aeolian Islands, Italy
The Aeolean Islands slumber fitfully in the Tyrrhenian Sea above Sicily's northern coast. Actively volcanic, they reassert themselves with intermittent eruptions, like giants awakening from sleep. The smallest, least active and loveliest is little Panarea. The pretty little villages of San Pietro, Drauto and Ditella are now a favorite retreat of wealthy business tycoons from Milan and Rome.

Ponza, Pontine Islands, Italy
The pastel houses of Ponza Town rise in neat terraced rows from the busy harbour where sleekly groomed yachts and ramshackle fishing boats moor side by side. Happily, there are few tourists here, so it's a delight to wander through the unspoiled town. Then find yourself a private bit of beach, there are lots of them, and enjoy the feel of warm sand and cool clear water lapping your toes.

Porquerolles, Hyères Islands, France
Where the rugged hills of the Massif des Maures subside into the sea, the small island of Porquerolles lies basking in the eternally blue Mediterranean. The island's little town was created as a retirement community for Napoleon's troops - making it the world's first "Sun City." Today Porquerolles is a destination for nature lovers, who hike the hills covered in sage, myrtle, and oddly exotic plants to a magnificent white sand beach where a picturesque lighthouse stands guard over the wild shore.

Portoferraio, Elba
From his villa in Portoferraio, Napoleon, the exiled Emperor of France, looked out over the waiting ships in the harbor and dreamed of returning to glory. Enjoy a local vineyard tour, and near Portoferraio, discover the remains of an ancient Etruscan civilisation.

Portofino, Italy
On the hills above, palatial villas in ice-cream colors look down on the tiny harbor and exclusive boutiques and harbor-side cafés. This is Portofino, a name that has come to symbolise the sophisticated, sybaritic lifestyle of the Italian Riviera.

Portovenere, Italy
It was from a grotto in Portovenere that the dare-devil poet, Lord Byron, launched his famous swim across the Gulf of La Spezia to visit his friend and fellow poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, in Lerici. Byron made it, but Shelley purposely sailed out into a storm and lost his life. That's why today the area is known as the Golfo dei Poeti.

Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Perched on the shoulder of Mt. Etna overlooking the green Gulf of Catania, Taormina inspired Goethe to say that "It is the greatest work of art and nature". Shop along the steep, cobblestoned streets of Corso Umberto. Or listen to the ghosts of the ancients in the Greek Theater, where even a whisper can be heard.

Venice, Italy
Venice is the heart and soul of romance. Cast your eye on the rounded domes of San Marco, take a deep breath at the Bridge of Sighs, gaze on the golden lions and the Renaissance glories of the Doge's Palace, listen for the ghosts of Verdi, Puccini and Caruso at La Fenice Opera House, gape at the classic Palladian proportions of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, glide in gondola down the Grand Canal. And know that love is always in the air in Venice.