5-Star Italy, Spain and French Riviera

The port of Civitavecchia is one of the largest in Italy. Civitavecchia enjoys a millenary history due to its coves along the coast, which offered a perfect shelter for vessels, making it a natural port long before cruise ships sailed the seas, and in fact the port was known to the Romans as Centumcellae. During your holiday in Civitavecchia you can easily visit its centre on foot. Amongst the most important monuments to visit are the Forte Michelangelo, built by Bramante in the 16th century, the ancient walls of the old port, where there is a fountain in travertine marble by Vanvitelli, and the Rock, an inexpugnable fortress that has been looming over the city and port for over a thousand years.

The Italian Riviera’s fishing village of Portofino has more to offer than the rows of brightly coloured houses that made it famous – this coastal town is also a destination for nature lovers eager to explore. Cruise to Portofino and hike through the Regional Park: Its lushly forested coastal paths look down dramatic cliffsides to the Mediterranean below. Or head to Portofino Marine Reserve, where you can kayak on the crystal-clear waters, taking in views of the quaint village as you paddle by under the weathered cliffs. Then, people-watch in one of Portofino’s quaint piazzas, or head to nearby Cervara Abbey, an ancient monastery turned into a terraced garden.

Palma is a stunner. Rising in honey-coloured stone from the broad waters of the Badia de Palma, this enduring city dates back to the 13th-century Christian reconquest of the island, and to the Moors, Romans and Talayotic people before that. A richly studded diadem of historical sites, Palma also shelters a seemingly endless array of galleries, restaurants, craft studios and bars – it’s without doubt Mallorca’s greatest treasure. Wander in any direction from the awe-inspiring Gothic Catedral at its geographic and historical heart and you’ll find bent medieval streets lined with aristocratic townhouses, looming baroque churches, teeming public squares, vibrant bohemian neighbourhoods and markets overflowing with all the bounty of the island. You could spend weeks in this city alone, and still uncover fresh joys every day.

Following your departure from the Ascent, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight home to Dublin.