We begin this ravishing cruise aboard the elegant, 34-guest Callisto with a look at Sicily, where, Luigi Barzini wrote, “every Italian quality . . . is brightly colored.” First Palermo, then on to Mount Etna and Taormina, “one of the most beautiful spots in the world,” Henry Adams opined. Then we sail to the Italian mainland and the ruins of Sybaris (which gave us the very word sybarite) and the ancient Greek and Roman island city of Otranto. And now across the Adriatic to Dalmatia, Croatia’s fabled coast, coveted by Roman emperors, Venetian doges, and Ottoman caliphs, not to mention beauty seekers from time immemorial.

Our voyage through Dalmatia’s island-dappled, cobalt-blue waters aboard the Callisto, a ship brimming with amenities, is unquestionably the ideal way to explore this region. And our unique itinerary is designed to afford us ample downtime to enjoy swimming— directly from the stern of the ship—before and after in-depth looks at Dalmatia’s dramatic, gorgeous, and history-drenched coastlines and islands.

We’ll wend our way from the celebrated UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dubrovnik to extraordinary places like Diocletian’s Palace in Split; the town of Kotor in Montenegro, accessed through a long, fjordlike waterway; and Hvar, quietly becoming the Mediterranean’s newest Riviera, a wondrous place to stroll through lavender-scented lanes.

Day 1: USA to Palermo, Sicily • Day 2: board Callisto, set sail in evening • Day 3: cruise to Riposto, drive to Taormina • Day 4: cruise to Corigliano Calabro, excursion to Sybaris and Rossano • Day 5: tour Otranto • Day 6: cruise to Kotor, Montenegro • Day 7: to Split, sail to island of Hvar, Croatia • Day 8: Korèula Island and on to island of Mljet • Day 9: sail to Dubrovnik, disembark, overnight in Hotel Villa Argentina • Day 10: return to USA.

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