Six of the best Eastern Mediterranean ports

SOME Eastern Mediterranean cruises also include ports in Israel and northern Africa, and most will start or finish at classic cruise cities such as Venice, Dubrovnik, Istanbul and Piraeus, the port of Athens.Every season more ports join the itinerary lists, so here are six of the best more unusual cruise destinations.

Zadar: Croatia is proving a treasure house for cruise passengers interested in history and culture.

Like Dubrovnik along the coast, Zadar has white marble traffic-free streets, fortified harbour walls and elegant Venetian architecture.

The picturesque and compact town also has Roman ruins including a forum.

One must-see is the world’s only Musical Sea Organ, which has 35 underwater organ pipes that make music when the sea forces air through them.

You’ll also find colourful fishing boats are moored around the harbour, streets of small shops and several markets.

But if you prefer to go the beach you can catch a bus to Pag Island, about 30 minutes away.

Rapallo: This Italian Riviera port has a pretty harbour and plenty of pastel-painted buildings, shops and cafes in the historic old town.

Probably its most unusual attraction is the tiny castle perched on a small island in the sea nearby.

If you’re keen on walking you can take a funicular up the Montallegro hill and follow signposted trails.

And Rapello is a good place to catch a ferry or scenic boat ride to the Riviera’s famous Cinque Ports towns – picturesque old fishing villages hanging from steep valleys leading down to the sea.

Alternatively, have a swim at one of the small neighbourhood beaches or lidos.

Argostoli: The busy capital on the Greek island of Kefalonia is just a 10-minute walk from the new cruise ship pier.

Pedestrianised streets full of small shops surround the central square, which has several cafes, and there’s a floating fish market where fresh-caught fish are sold from boats.

Kefalonia was the setting for Louis de Bernieres’ novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and you can still get a feel for the Second World War story – although an earthquake in 1953 means many of the buildings are quite modern.

The island’s best beach is Myrtos, just north of the town.