Top five ports for archaeology 

Whenever I look at booking a cruise I always look at the destinations first and foremost. Being a history geek, history and culture feature highly on my priorities so here are my top five ports for archaeology

Kusadesi 

A short 40 minute drive from Kusadesi is my favourite archaeological site, Ephesus. Ephesus recently became a world heritage site – about time! and is one of the most complete digs I have ever seen! There are many intact buildings on the site including houses with amazing murals but perhaps the most stunning is the library of Celsus who couldn’t help but be impressed!

St. Paul was also said to deliver sermon at this amazing amphitheatre

Nearby there is also the house of the Virgin Mary – another must see.

After a trip to Ephesus you can indulge in shopping in port or if you have time go to the nearby ladies beach!

Naples 

Perhaps the most obvious choice but there’s a reason. Pompeii is an outstanding site and it’s amazing to see in the flesh. My advice is find a winter cruise and get there early. We had the site pretty much to ourselves when we went in December.

Herculaneum is also near by and offers a similar experience but isn’t as busy.

After a morning of exploring I recommend heading back to Naples for an authentic pizza!

Civitavecchia 

Ok, you’ve got a long coach journey – about an hour – ahead of you but it’s totally worth it! Rome is full of aracheological wonders in the forum.

After a visit to the forum, head to the colesseum. I was surprised by its size, it feels so much bigger in real life!

Athens 

You can’t mention Athens without thinking of the acropolis. Sitting above the city, the acropolis is an archaeologists dream. My personal favourite building was the Parthenon which unfortunately was undergoing renovations while we were there.

I recommend visiting in the morning and heading into town after for a gyro and a look around the acropolis museum.

Messina

A short drive away from Messina is the town of Taormina, a celebrity haven and has in my opinion the amphitheater with the best view on the world.

After a visit to the amphitheater head back into town and try a delicious cannoli- a local delicacy

Top tip – I love archaeology sites but always find you get the most out of them with a guide. I always book a guide to go with us and have always found Viator to have great guides who are often archaeologists who have worked on the site.