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Historic Mediterranean highlights on our summer 2028 cruises

Looking for a historic getaway that includes sunshine and sea breezes? Choose a P&O Cruises Mediterranean fly-cruise in 2028, and let the world’s ancient wonders come to you.

6 min 21 Apr 2026

Editorial Team

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The Mediterranean has a way of making history feel alive. Here, civilisations didn’t just leave their mark; they built entire neighbourhoods you can still walk around today.

Think of places like Rome (tours from Civitavecchia), a city so old it’s been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Or Athens (tours from Piraeus), where ancient temples tower over modern skyscrapers.


The Med is a living storybook, and with our new summer 2028 holidays, you can step straight into its pages – no time travel needed. 

Valletta, Malta – a city built by knights

Valletta is so historic, it’s practically a living museum. Founded in the 1500s, this golden‑stone capital is packed with Baroque architecture, grand fortifications and sweeping harbour views.

With selected fly-cruise holidays offering overnight stays, you’ll have time to wander the city’s narrow streets, explore St John’s Co‑Cathedral and admire the Grand Harbour from the Upper Barrakka Gardens.

Valletta, Malta
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Livorno, Italy – gateway to Renaissance greatness

With its 16th-century canals and ramparts, Livorno has a lot of history to love, but it’s also your launchpad to two of Italy’s most iconic cities: Florence and Pisa.

Home of Michelangelo’s David, Florence is Italy’s birthplace of the Renaissance, and it’s hard to stroll the Ponte Vecchio without picturing the artists who once walked here.


In Pisa, the Leaning Tower is just the tip of the historic iceberg. The city’s cathedral and baptistery are just as impressive, standing proudly on Piazza dei Miracoli, where they’ve been posing for photos for centuries.


Because there’s so much to take in, selected 2028 sailings stop overnight in Livorno, turning your time here into one big history lesson, minus the homework, of course.

Athens, Greece – cradle of western civilisation

If your ship calls in Piraeus, you can join a shore experience and head straight for Athens.

Here, history goes way beyond anything you learned at school. Seeing the Parthenon in real life is a true pinch‑me moment, and wandering the Ancient Agora makes it easy to imagine toga‑clad philosophers putting the world to rights.


Piraeus has its own holiday moments too. Grab a table in Zea Marina and watch the fishing boats bob about or soak up Kastella’s colourful hillside with something cold in hand. It’s ancient wonders one minute, laid‑back living the next – all just a short stroll from your P&O Cruises ship.

The Acropolis of Athens, Greece
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Dubrovnik, Croatia – pearl of the Adriatic

With its soaring walls and sun‑drenched squares, Dubrovnik feels like stepping into a fairytale. A maze of marble streets and baroque palaces, it’s a place where something unexpected catches your eye around every corner.

Walk along the city’s famous walls, pop into the 14th‑century Franciscan Monastery or wander the Stradun, Dubrovnik’s shiny main street, polished smooth by centuries of footsteps.

With so much history packed into such a small space, it’s no surprise Dubrovnik has earned its spot as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Image of Dubrovnik in Croatia

Kotor, Montenegro – a Medieval maze wrapped in mountains

Sailing into Kotor is a treat. The bay – often mistaken for a fjord – is so pretty, it almost doesn’t feel real.

At its heart is a walled Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that feels straight out of a fantasy novel. Step through its stone gates and you’ll find a tangle of narrow lanes, little squares and centuries-old churches, all watched over by a mighty fortress.


Climb the city walls for views that get better with every step or stay at street level and let the Old Town’s charm work its magic. Either way, Kotor is the kind of place that’s a joy to explore. 

Corfu, Greece – an old town with Venetian flair

Corfu’s Old Town is a sunny mix of Venetian, French and British influences, all wrapped up in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture pastel‑coloured mansions, laundry fluttering between balconies and cobbled lanes that seem to twist just for the fun of it.

Take a wander around the Old Fortress or stroll the Liston arcade – a Paris-inspired walkway where cafés spill into little alleyways scented with freshly baked bougatsa (a sweet Greek pastry that’s far too easy to fall in love with).


Outside of town, you’ll find lush hillsides and sparkling bays that make the perfect backdrop to all that history. Don’t be surprised if you feel yourself slowing down to take it all in. 

A view of Porto Timoni beach, Corfu, Greece.
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Ajaccio, Corsica – Napoleon’s birthplace 

With sunshine, easy‑going charm and a dash of history sprinkled in for good measure, Ajaccio is a great destination to explore on a Mediterranean fly-cruise holiday.

Napoleon grew up here, and his family home, Maison Bonaparte, is a fun way to dip into the island’s past. Of course, you could just as easily spend your time wandering colourful streets, exploring the old citadel or sampling cheeses and honey at the local markets. Does that sound as good to you as it does to us?


When you’re ready to slow things down, Ajaccio’s seafront promenade is the perfect place to do it. It’s a simple stroll – one that (in our experience) is best paired with an ice cream – but it invites you to soak up views of Ajaccio that have barely changed in centuries.

Corse du Sud

And that’s just the beginning…

The Mediterranean is full of places where history leaps off the page. Depending on where your cruise calls, you could find yourself exploring:

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Mediterranean history made easy

Discovering the Mediterranean's history on a fly-cruise couldn’t be easier. Your flights, dining and so much more are included, and we’ll whisk you from one incredible destination to the next while you soak up the sunshine on deck.
It’s a brilliant way to tick off several of the Med’s historic sites in just one holiday, without the bother of having to unpack your bags more than once. 

Ready to step back in time?

The Mediterranean has welcomed history-loving travellers for thousands of years, and now it’s your turn. Whether you’re dreaming of ancient temples, storybook castles or sun‑soaked squares, our summer 2028 collection brings the best of the Mediterranean straight to you.

Explore our summer 2028 Mediterranean fly-cruises today and start counting down to an escape you’ll never forget.