Price based on lowest available cruise only fare for double occupancy. Subject to change at any time.
With a name inspired by an early Virgin Atlantic plane, Scarlet Lady is Virgin Voyages' premium take on what a luxury cruise ship means - sailing from the vibrant shores of Miami. Ushering in a new era for sea travel, she's designed with a unique approach to how cruises look and feel.
Cruise ID: 24404
The Vitamin Sea ethos focuses on well-being that delivers rejuvenation and transformation for all sailors. Our entire voyage.
employs elements of both detox and retox, depending on how a sailor might want to curate their time. We embrace self-care while feeding our mischievous curiosities at the same time, recognizing that a complete experience makes room for both.
We've already taken care of taking care of the crew. So, don't worry, the tips are on us.
| Date | Time | Price * | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 October 2024 | 18:00 | €1,640 | Call us to book |
* Price based on lowest available cruise only fare for double occupancy. Subject to change at any time.
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Full stocked, in-room bar. Check. Record player.
ready to spin favorite tunes. Double check. This suite is ideal for those who are serious about living life to the fullest.
With plenty of room to take in the mesmerizing ocean views from any corner, luxury and self-care become serious art forms here. From the hand-woven hammock on the terrace to the outdoor champagne table and indoor Peek-a-Boo shower, this suite is the perfect place for bottle poppin' and voyage rockin'. Sleeps up to two.
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With endless back-of-the-ship, ocean eye candy, there's no such thing as a bad view in this suite. Sailors can kick back here (the highest and biggest terrace of the Sweet Afts) while lounging in the hand-woven hammock chair or relaxing around the Champagne table.
After freshening up and soaking in the sunlight provided by the indoor Peek-a-Boo shower.
the fully stocked, in-room bar and record player are the only things needed to get the party started. Sleeps up to two.
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With endless back-of-the-ship, ocean eye candy, there's no such thing as a bad view in this suite. Sailors can kick back here (the highest and biggest terrace of the Sweet Afts) while lounging in the hand-woven hammock chair or relaxing around the Champagne table.
After freshening up and soaking in the sunlight provided by the indoor Peek-a-Boo shower the fully.
stocked, in-room bar and record player are the only things needed to get the party started. Sleeps up to two.
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With endless back-of-the-ship, ocean eye candy, there's no such thing as a bad view in this suite. Sailors.
can kick back here (the highest and biggest terrace of the Sweet Afts) while lounging in the hand-woven hammock chair or relaxing around the Champagne table.
After freshening up and soaking in the sunlight provided by the indoor Peek-a-Boo shower the fully stocked, in-room bar and record player are the only things needed to get the party started. Sleeps up to two.
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Just picture everything The Sea Terrace has, with more room space and a way bigger bathroom. Our biggest of all cabins actually. Perfect for those who make getting ready.
a serious art.
A sensory and responsive clever cabin, nautically inspired brass and leather finishings, a personal tablet, intuitive mood lighting, music controls, movie streaming, one-touch room service and a supremely comfy European queen, transitional Seabed. Plus the large, perfectly partitioned, upgraded walk-in bathroom has enough space for two. Even the Roomier Rainshower boasts just the right amount of space for some “we” time. Sleeps up to three.
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For Sailors who prefer to be mid ship, this cabin has all the comforts and amenities of The Sea Terrace, but is positioned closer to the action.
Featuring nautically inspired brass and leather finishings, this sensory and responsive clever cabin has it all from the personal.
tablet, intuitive mood lighting, music controls, movie streaming, one-touch room service, European queen, transitional Seabed, handwoven terrace hammock and upgraded bathroom experience with a Roomy Rainshower. Sleeps up to three.
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Mood lighting
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Nightlife type who prefers to catch Z's without the morning sun peeking through the blinds? Then this window-free cabin will be perfect. Add in all the amenities of other cabins, just subtract the pesky glare. Sleeps up to three.
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Views on views minus the messy hair. This cabin has all the amenities of cabin life with a window seat that's the closest Sailors can get to the ocean without getting wet (save that for the pool party). Sleeps up to three.
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Relaxing is truly an art form in this suite. The terrace hammock here is the perfect spot to enjoy a nightcap while watching the moon flirt with the sea.
Once inside, Sailors can lose themselves in the massive European king bed while drifting off to the sounds of the waves (or the vinyl record player).
Complemented perfectly by brass nautical finishings throughout, there's also a fully stocked, in-room bar, an indoor Peek-a-Boo shower with an iridescent dichroic glass window for a peek into the room and an outdoor Peek-a-View shower facing the sea, near the terrace Champagne table.
and sun lounger. Sleeps up to four.
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Whether a Sailor's rider specifies 1000 candy bars, a rare-aged gin, or 1 penguin (try us), inner rockers will come alive in this suite. With a view of the European king bed from the indoor Peek-a-Boo indoor shower through a dichroic glass window, the only sensual rival is the ocean itself.
Sailors can crank up the tunes from the record player, serve up some drinks from the fully stocked in-room bar, then take the party to the terrace to enjoy more stunning sea views while relaxing.
around the Champagne table. Sleeps up to four.
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1-4
Relaxing is truly an art form in this suite. The terrace hammock here is the perfect spot to enjoy a nightcap while watching the moon flirt with the sea.
Once inside, Sailors can lose themselves in the massive European king bed while drifting off to the sounds of the waves (or the vinyl record player).
Complemented perfectly by brass nautical finishings throughout, there's also a fully stocked, in-room bar, an indoor Peek-a-Boo shower with an iridescent dichroic glass window for a peek into the room and an outdoor Peek-a-View shower facing the sea, near the terrace Champagne table.
and sun lounger. Sleeps up to four.
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Nightlife type who prefers to catch Z's without the morning sun peeking through the blinds? Then this window-free cabin will be perfect. Add in all the amenities of other cabins, just subtract the pesky glare. Sleeps up to three.
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Views on views minus the messy hair. This cabin has all the amenities of cabin life with a window seat that's the closest Sailors can get to the ocean without getting wet (save that for the pool party). Sleeps up to three.
Heroes:
Mood lighting
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Positioned at the front of the ship for unparalleled views, this most tricked out, most extra, unreal three room suite at sea is fit for rock & roll royalty. Complete with a private music room that doubles as a second bedroom, it's all legend-style here, down to the brass and leather nautical.
finishings.
Step outside to find things like sun loungers, a standing hot tub and an open air Peeka-View shower onto the sea. The expansive top to bottom marble clad bathroom features an indoor Peek-a-Boo shower with an iridescent, dichroic glass window onto the European king bed.
Sailors can debate the latest musical hits while sipping some bubbly at the Champagne bucket-style table on the terrace, lounging on the full length hammock, sitting in the conversation pit bar area or stretching out in the suite's private lookout point. Sleeps up to four.
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Unique Call-Outs
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Whether a Sailor prefers sunshine yoga on the terrace, or serving up negronis at the fully stocked, in-room bar, this suite is perfect for those who love to host.
When here alone, they'll be tasked with the age-old problem of relaxing in the fully marbled bathroom with an indoor dichroic glass enclosed Peek-a-Boo shower or rinsing off on the terrace in the suite's outdoor Peeka-View shower under the moonlight.
With brass nautical finishings throughout, Sailors can relax on the European king bed while cranking some tunes on the vinyl record player or head outside to the three-seater lounger then pop some bubbly.
at the Champagne table on the terrace. Sleeps up to four.
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Not to be outdone by the (slightly) larger Massive and Fab suites, our Posh Suites are designed to make Sailors feel like royalty so they can live their most posh and glamorous life here.
Complete with brass nautical finishings throughout, Sailors will enjoy the European king bed, while sipping a cocktail from the fully stocked, in-room bar and listening to tunes from the vinyl record player.
Sailors can relax on the sun lounger next to the Champagne bucket style table overlooking the waves or rinse off with the open-air outdoor, Peek-a-View shower on the terrace. Head inside for the indoor Peek-a-Boo.
shower with an iridescent dichroic glass window, situated in the top to bottom marble encased bathroom. Sleeps up to four.
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Built for groups of Sailors, what happens inside this cabin, stays inside (because it's sans windows). The bunk beds go from sleep.
to sit in no time while the amenities in this sensory and responsive clever cabin match that of all other cabins, except the way bigger TV. Sleeps up to four.
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This cocoon-like cabin is perfect for fans of late nights and sleeping in until after lunch. It's super cozy and ideal for solo travelers.
Standard cabin amenities, check. No window, no problem. Sleeps one.
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Epic ocean views, whether Sailors are inside on the European queen, transitional Seabed or dangling from the sustainable sourced, hand-woven terrace hammock.
Complete with nautically inspired brass and leather finishings, Sailors will enjoy this sensory and responsive.
clever cabin. Just pick up the personal tablet to adjust the mood lighting, music controls, movie streaming or even one-touch room service.
Sea gaze outside or head in to freshen up under the Roomy Rainshower in the upgraded bathroom experience. Sleeps up to four
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Views on views minus the messy hair. Sailors will enjoy all the amenities of cabin life while watching the waves.
from a personal hideaway. It's the closest Sailors can get to the ocean without getting wet (save that for the pool party). Sleeps one.
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All the comforts and amenities of The Sea Terrace with a slightly limited view because, well, shippy stuff. Otherwise, this sensory and responsive clever cabin has it all from nautically inspired brass.
and leather finishings to the personal tablet, intuitive mood lighting, music controls, movie streaming and one-touch room service.
Sailors will relax on the European queen, transitional Seabed or the sustainably sourced, hand-woven terrace hammock. Not in the outdoor mood? No problem, refresh and relax under the Roomy Rainshower in the upgraded bathroom experience. Sleeps up to four.
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Epic ocean views, whether Sailors are inside on the European queen, transitional Seabed or dangling from the sustainable sourced, hand-woven terrace hammock.
Complete with nautically inspired brass and leather finishings, Sailors will enjoy this sensory and responsive.
clever cabin. Just pick up the personal tablet to adjust the mood lighting, music controls, movie streaming or even one-touch room service.
Sea gaze outside or head in to freshen up under the Roomy Rainshower in the upgraded bathroom experience. Sleeps up to four
Heroes:
Unique Call-Outs:
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With endless back-of-the-ship, ocean eye candy, there's no such thing as a bad view in this suite. Sailors can kick back here (the highest and biggest terrace of the Sweet Afts) while lounging in the hand-woven hammock chair or relaxing around the Champagne table.
After freshening up and soaking in the sunlight provided by the indoor Peek-a-Boo shower the fully.
stocked, in-room bar and record player are the only things needed to get the party started. Sleeps up to two.
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Wrapping panoramic views from the corner of the ship are emphasized by design choices in these suites. Enjoy custom interior carbon fiber chairs on this terrace, meant to maximize sea views - in this case, the wake view. Sailors will gaze at the sea while relaxing near the gorgeous outdoor Champagne table or kicking back in the hand-woven hammock chair.
After they've finished soaking in the views, Sailors can indulge in some classics with their vinyl record player and a personalized, fully stocked, in-room bar. Then they'll freshen up in the expansive top to bottom marble.
bathroom featuring the Roomiest Rainshower. Sleeps up to two.
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Wrapping panoramic views from the corner of the ship are emphasized by design choices in these suites. Enjoy custom interior carbon fiber chairs on this terrace, meant to maximize sea views - in this case, the wake view. Sailors will gaze at the sea while relaxing near the gorgeous outdoor Champagne table or kicking back in the hand-woven hammock chair.
After they've finished soaking in the views, Sailors can indulge in some classics with their vinyl record player and a personalized, fully stocked, in-room bar. Then they'll freshen up in the expansive.
top to bottom marble bathroom featuring the Roomiest Rainshower. Sleeps up to two.
Heroes:
Unique Call-Outs:
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Wrapping panoramic views from the corner of the ship are emphasized by design choices in these suites. Enjoy custom interior carbon fiber chairs on this terrace, meant to maximize sea views - in this case, the wake view. Sailors will gaze at the sea while relaxing near the gorgeous outdoor Champagne table or kicking back in the hand-woven hammock chair.
After they've finished soaking in the views, Sailors can indulge in some classics with their vinyl record player.
and a personalized, fully stocked, in-room bar. Then they'll freshen up in the expansive top to bottom marble bathroom featuring the Roomiest Rainshower. Sleeps up to two.
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Day 1 Barcelona, Spain
The infinite variety of street life, the nooks and crannies of the medieval Barri Gòtic, the ceramic tile and stained glass of Art Nouveau facades, the art and music, the throb of street life, the food (ah, the food!)—one way or another, Barcelona will find a way to get your full attention. The capital of Catalonia is a banquet for the senses, with its beguiling mix of ancient and modern architecture, tempting cafés and markets, and sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches. A stroll along La Rambla and through waterfront Barceloneta, as well as a tour of Gaudí's majestic Sagrada Famíliaand his other unique creations, are part of a visit to Spain's second-largest city. Modern art museums and chic shops call for attention, too. Barcelona's vibe stays lively well into the night, when you can linger over regional wine and cuisine at buzzing tapas bars.
Day 2 Cannes, France
Cannes is pampered with the luxurious year-round climate that has made it one of the most popular resorts in Europe. Cannes was an important sentinel site for the monks who established themselves on Île St-Honorat in the Middle Ages. Its bay served as nothing more than a fishing port until in 1834 an English aristocrat, Lord Brougham, fell in love with the site during an emergency stopover with a sick daughter. He had a home built here and returned every winter for a sun cure—a ritual quickly picked up by his peers. Between the popularity of Le Train Blue transporting wealthy passengers from Calais, and the introduction in 1936 of France's first paid holidays, Cannes became the destination, a tasteful and expensive breeding ground for the upper-upscale.Cannes has been further glamorized by the ongoing success of its annual film festival, as famous as Hollywood's Academy Awards. About the closest many of us will get to feeling like a film star is a stroll here along La Croisette, the iconic promenade that gracefully curves the wave-washed sand coastline, peppered with chic restaurants and prestigious private beaches. This is precisely the sort of place for which the French invented the verb flâner (to dawdle, saunter): strewn with palm trees and poseurs, its fancy boutiques and status-symbol grand hotels—including the Carlton, the legendary backdrop to Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief —all vying for the custom of the Louis Vuitton set. This legend is, to many, the heart and soul of the Côte d'Azur.
Day 3 Ajaccio, Corsica, France
Considered Corsica's primary commercial and cultural hub, the largest city and regional capital of Ajaccio is situated on the west coast of the island, approximately 644 km (400 miles) southeast of Marseille, France. Founded in 1492, vestiges of ancient Corsica in this ville impériale revolve around the city's most famous son, Napoléon Bonaparte, whose family home—now the national museum Maison Bonaparte—pays tribute to the emperor's historical influence.Remnants from what was originally a 12th-century Genoese colony are still visible around the Old Town near the imposing citadel and watchtower. Perfect for exploring, the luminous seaside city surrounded by snowcapped mountains and pretty beaches offers numerous sites, eateries, side streets, and a popular harbor, where sailboats and fishing vessels moor in the picturesque Tino Rossi port lined with well-established restaurants and cafés serving fresh local fare.
Day 4 Cagliari, Italy
Known in Sardinia as Casteddu, the island's capital has steep streets and impressive Italianate architecture, from modern to medieval. This city of nearly 160,000 people is characterized by a busy commercial center and waterfront with broad avenues and arched arcades, as well as by the typically narrow streets of the old hilltop citadel (called, simply, “Castello”). The Museo Archeologico makes a good starting point to a visit. The imposing Bastione di Saint Remy and Mercato di San Benedetto (one of the best fish markets in Italy) are both musts.
Day 5 Cruising
Day 6 Catania, Italy
Catania is an ancient port city on Sicily's east coast. It sits at the foot of Mt. Etna, an active volcano with trails leading up to the summit. The city's wide central square, Piazza del Duomo, features the whimsical Fontana dell'Elefante statue and richly decorated Catania Cathedral. In the southwest corner of the square, La Pescheria weekday fish market is a rowdy spectacle surrounded by seafood restaurants.
Day 7 Valletta, Malta
Malta's capital, the minicity of Valletta, has ornate palaces and museums protected by massive fortifications of honey-color limestone. Houses along the narrow streets have overhanging wooden balconies for people-watching from indoors. Generations ago they gave housebound women a window on the world of the street. The main entrance to town is through the City Gate (where all bus routes end), which leads onto Triq Repubblika (Republic Street), the spine of the grid-pattern city and the main shopping street. Triq Mercante (Merchant Street) parallels Repubblika to the east and is also good for strolling. From these two streets, cross streets descend toward the water; some are stepped. Valletta's compactness makes it ideal to explore on foot. City Gate and the upper part of Valletta are experiencing vast redevelopment that includes a new Parliament Building and open-air performance venue. The complex, completed mid-2013, has numerous pedestrian detours in place along with building noise and dust. Before setting out along Republic Street, stop at the tourist information office on Merchant Street for maps and brochures.
Day 8 Cruising
Day 9 Santorini, Greece
Undoubtedly the most extraordinary island in the Aegean, crescent-shape Santorini remains a mandatory stop on the Cycladic tourist route—even if it's necessary to enjoy the sensational sunsets from Ia, the fascinating excavations, and the dazzling white towns with a million other travelers. Called Kállisti (the "Loveliest") when first settled, the island has now reverted to its subsequent name of Thira, after the 9th-century-BC Dorian colonizer Thiras. The place is better known, however, these days as Santorini, a name derived from its patroness, St. Irene of Thessaloniki, the Byzantine empress who restored icons to Orthodoxy and died in 802. You can fly conveniently to Santorini, but to enjoy a true Santorini rite of passage, opt instead for the boat trip here, which provides a spectacular introduction. After the boat sails between Sikinos and Ios, your deck-side perch approaches two close islands with a passage between them. The bigger one on the left is Santorini, and the smaller on the right is Thirassia. Passing between them, you see the village of Ia adorning Santorini's northernmost cliff like a white geometric beehive. You are in the caldera (volcanic crater), one of the world's truly breathtaking sights: a demilune of cliffs rising 1,100 feet, with the white clusters of the towns of Fira and Ia perched along the top. The bay, once the high center of the island, is 1,300 feet in some places, so deep that when boats dock in Santorini's shabby little port of Athinios, they do not drop anchor. The encircling cliffs are the ancient rim of a still-active volcano, and you are sailing east across its flooded caldera. On your right are the Burnt isles, the White isle, and other volcanic remnants, all lined up as if some outsize display in a geology museum. Hephaestus's subterranean fires smolder still—the volcano erupted in 198 BC, about 735, and there was an earthquake in 1956. Indeed, Santorini and its four neighboring islets are the fragmentary remains of a larger landmass that exploded about 1600 BC: the volcano's core blew sky high, and the sea rushed into the abyss to create the great bay, which measures 10 km by 7 km (6 mi by 4½ mi) and is 1,292 feet deep. The other pieces of the rim, which broke off in later eruptions, are Thirassia, where a few hundred people live, and deserted little Aspronissi ("White isle"). In the center of the bay, black and uninhabited, two cones, the Burnt Isles of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni, appeared between 1573 and 1925. There has been too much speculation about the identification of Santorini with the mythical Atlantis, mentioned in Egyptian papyri and by Plato (who says it's in the Atlantic), but myths are hard to pin down. This is not true of old arguments about whether tidal waves from Santorini's cataclysmic explosion destroyed Minoan civilization on Crete, 113 km (70 mi) away. The latest carbon-dating evidence, which points to a few years before 1600 BC for the eruption, clearly indicates that the Minoans outlasted the eruption by a couple of hundred years, but most probably in a weakened state. In fact, the island still endures hardships: since antiquity, Santorini has depended on rain collected in cisterns for drinking and irrigating—the well water is often brackish—and the serious shortage is alleviated by the importation of water. However, the volcanic soil also yields riches: small, intense tomatoes with tough skins used for tomato paste (good restaurants here serve them); the famous Santorini fava beans, which have a light, fresh taste; barley; wheat; and white-skin eggplants.
Day 10 Khania, Greece
The second-largest city in Crete and capital of the Homonym Prefecture, Chania is located in Minoan Kidonia at the end of the Homonym Gulf between the Akrotiri and Onicha peninsulas. Chania City is divided into two parts; the Old Town, which is comprised of several connected districts built around the old Venetian Harbour, and New Town, a larger, more modern city whose centre is situated next to, and south of, the Old Town. The Old Town is home to Venetian buildings and Turkish elements that combine to create a unique architectural style, and is considered to be the most beautiful urban district on Crete. It was once surrounded by old Venetian fortifications that separated it from the New Town; however, only the eastern and western parts remain today. Due to its compact size, Skiathos can be easily explored in just a single day.
Day 11 Mykonos, Greece
Although the fishing boats still go out in good weather, Mykonos largely makes its living from tourism these days. The summer crowds have turned one of the poorest islands in Greece into one of the richest. Old Mykonians complain that their young, who have inherited stores where their grandfathers once sold eggs or wine, get so much rent that they have lost ambition, and in summer sit around pool bars at night with their friends, and hang out in Athens in winter when island life is less scintillating. Put firmly on the map by Jackie O in the 1960s, Mykonos town—called Hora by the locals—remains the Saint-Tropez of the Greek islands. The scenery is memorable, with its whitewashed streets, Little Venice, the Kato Myli ridge of windmills, and Kastro, the town's medieval quarter. Its cubical two- or three-story houses and churches, with their red or blue doors and domes and wooden balconies, have been long celebrated as some of the best examples of classic Cycladic architecture. Luckily, the Greek Archaeological Service decided to preserve the town, even when the Mykonians would have preferred to rebuild, and so the Old Town has been impressively preserved. Pink oleander, scarlet hibiscus, and trailing green pepper trees form a contrast amid the dazzling whiteness, whose frequent renewal with whitewash is required by law. Any visitor who has the pleasure of getting lost in its narrow streets (made all the narrower by the many outdoor stone staircases, which maximize housing space in the crowded village) will appreciate how its confusing layout was designed to foil pirates—if it was designed at all. After Mykonos fell under Turkish rule in 1537, the Ottomans allowed the islanders to arm their vessels against pirates, which had a contradictory effect: many of them found that raiding other islands was more profitable than tilling arid land. At the height of Aegean piracy, Mykonos was the principal headquarters of the corsair fleets—the place where pirates met their fellows, found willing women, and filled out their crews. Eventually the illicit activity evolved into a legitimate and thriving trade network. Morning on Mykonos town's main quay is busy with deliveries, visitors for the Delos boats, lazy breakfasters, and street cleaners dealing with the previous night's mess. In late morning the cruise-boat people arrive, and the shops are all open. In early afternoon, shaded outdoor tavernas are full of diners eating salads (Mykonos's produce is mostly imported); music is absent or kept low. In mid- and late afternoon, the town feels sleepy, since so many people are at the beach, on excursions, or sleeping in their air-conditioned rooms; even some tourist shops close for siesta. By sunset, people have come back from the beach, having taken their showers and rested. At night, the atmosphere in Mykonos ramps up. The cruise-boat people are mostly gone, coughing three-wheelers make no deliveries in the narrow streets, and everyone is dressed sexy for summer and starting to shimmy with the scene. Many shops stay open past midnight, the restaurants fill up, and the bars and discos make ice cubes as fast as they can. Ready to dive in? Begin your tour of Mykonos town (Hora) by starting out at its heart: Mando Mavrogenous Square.
Day 12 Piraeus, Greece
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—Athína in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity. Locals depend on humor and flexibility to deal with the chaos; you should do the same. The rewards are immense. Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are close to the modern city center. You can easily walk from the Acropolis to many other key sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. From many quarters of the city you can glimpse "the glory that was Greece" in the form of the Acropolis looming above the horizon, but only by actually climbing that rocky precipice can you feel the impact of the ancient settlement. The Acropolis and Filopappou, two craggy hills sitting side by side; the ancient Agora (marketplace); and Kerameikos, the first cemetery, form the core of ancient and Roman Athens. Along the Unification of Archaeological Sites promenade, you can follow stone-paved, tree-lined walkways from site to site, undisturbed by traffic. Cars have also been banned or reduced in other streets in the historical center. In the National Archaeological Museum, vast numbers of artifacts illustrate the many millennia of Greek civilization; smaller museums such as the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum illuminate the history of particular regions or periods. Athens may seem like one huge city, but it is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. The Eastern influences that prevailed during the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire are still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the foot of the Acropolis. On the northern slope of the Acropolis, stroll through Plaka (if possible by moonlight), an area of tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions, to get the flavor of the 19th-century's gracious lifestyle. The narrow lanes of Anafiotika, a section of Plaka, thread past tiny churches and small, color-washed houses with wooden upper stories, recalling a Cycladic island village. In this maze of winding streets, vestiges of the older city are everywhere: crumbling stairways lined with festive tavernas; dank cellars filled with wine vats; occasionally a court or diminutive garden, enclosed within high walls and filled with magnolia trees and the flaming trumpet-shaped flowers of hibiscus bushes. Formerly run-down old quarters, such as Thission, Gazi and Psirri, popular nightlife areas filled with bars and mezedopoleia (similar to tapas bars), are now in the process of gentrification, although they still retain much of their original charm, as does the colorful produce and meat market on Athinas. The area around Syntagma Square, the tourist hub, and Omonia Square, the commercial heart of the city about 1 km (½ mi) northwest, is distinctly European, having been designed by the court architects of King Otho, a Bavarian, in the 19th century. The chic shops and bistros of ritzy Kolonaki nestle at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus, Athens's highest hill (909 feet). Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: in the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, once a summer resort for aristocratic Athenians, and in the south and southeast lie Glyfada, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, with their sandy beaches, seaside bars, and lively summer nightlife. Just beyond the city's southern fringes is Piraeus, a bustling port city of waterside fish tavernas and Saronic Gulf views.
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