Ancient Jewels Of The Mediterranean

In partnership with Connaissance des Arts and with the exceptional presence of Guy Boyer, editorial director of Connaissance des Arts.

New this year: Connaissance des Arts has selected one of its favourite artists: Marine Wallon, painter, will be taking part in a PONANT artist-in-residence project during the cruise and will be sharing her art with you.

In springtime, as the flowers pepper the landscapes with their bright colours and the sun illuminates the decor with its soft light, PONANT invites you on an exquisite interlude in the Mediterranean, between Antalya and Valletta. During a unique 11-day journey, set off aboard L'Austral to discover the riches of the Mediterranean Sea, a link between peoples, a crossroads of civilisations.

From Alanya, you will explore two majestic ancient sites, Perga and Aspendos, before arriving in Kusadasi. The Ephesus archaeological site will tell you the great history of the Mediterranean, through this ancient city, among the oldest in the Magna Graecia of Asia Minor.

In the tranquillity of May, you will discover Greece as you have never seen it. From Volos, in Thessaly, the formation known as the Meteora hosts Eastern Orthodox monasteries that rub shoulders with the sky and are at one with the rock. You will then reach Athens and its famous acropolis, and the remains of the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion, before entering the Corinth Canal. On your route, the port of call in the small port of Itea will let you discover the mythical site of Delphi or even the Hosios Loukas monastery, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites before reaching the mountainous island of Corfu.

Southern Italy promises suspended moments where the beauty of the shores combines with the beauty of its historical remnants, which remain fascinating. In Puglia, Gallipoli, meaning "beautiful town" in Greek, reveals its Hellenic origins and offers up its singular atmosphere, where life is good. In Syracuse, the Sicilian soul unfolds across the island of Ortygia - the oldest part of the city -, a maze of small streets dotted with churches, palaces, ancient remnants, sheltering a majestic cathedral in its very heart.