In the footsteps of Napoleon on the island of Elba

Arriving to Elba on the Windstar Wind Surf

There is a tiny island off the coast of Tuscany where Napoleon Bonaparte was king for less than a year.

This short period of time, however, was more than enough to leave its imprint and more than two centuries later, the name of Elba appears inextricably linked to that of the emperor of the French and there are, indeed, quite a few sites on the island connected to this historical figure.

But you would be wrong to assume that Napoleon is all that the island of Elba has to offer!

In fact, even without the Napoleonic stuff, Elba is an amazing destination on its own right just on account of its natural and historical heritage. We had the chance to visit recently in the month of July (perfect summer weather!) and, while we spent less than 12 hours on it, I can say that it was one of the highlight stops of our Windstar Cruises sailing around the Western Mediterranean.

So, let’s see what awaits the visitor in Portoferraio, the capital of Elba!

By the way, please, note that, while Elba is relatively small, this post covers only a tiny part of it, there are also a couple of other notable settlements, like Porto Azurro, numerous beaches and some mountainous areas (which get to a height of more than 1,000 meters). So, I would not rule out another visit in the future!

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What to do and what to see in Portoferraio, Elba

Our visit started in the port of Portoferraio, where our ship, Windstar Wind Surf, arrived in the early hours of the morning.

If you asked some generative AI to draw some postcard-perfect picture of a picturesque Italian Mediterranean historical port city, it would possibly come up with something similar to Portoferraio!

And the first one to greet us literally off the ship’s gangway was…Napoleon himself! as well as Cosimo de Medici, because, while the Buonaparte gets most of the attention nowadays, the island of Elba is also linked to another of the great names of European history, the Medicis, which controlled the island for some time in the 16th C.

As far as the public space is concerned, though, Napoleon is all over the place, with this effigy and other associated symbology being ubiquitous in Portoferraio.

The cruise dock was just within walking distance of the historical center of Portoferraio, so just a quick and pleasant stroll away from the main sights.

Portoferraio is located at the tip of a rocky cape at one edge of a bay on the central-northern shore of the island. The port and the old town are surrounded by a line of small ridges that give it a semi-circular shape, not unlike some sort of theater auditorium which leans towards the sea.

Adding to the natural defense provided by the hills, on the land side Portoferraio is enclosed by the walls of Forte Falcone, the hilltop fortress that dominates the old town.

 

So, given our limited time onshore, we skipped the shops and cafés around Piazza Cavour, the most commercial area, located right next to the quays, and opted to walk uphill across the old town towards Palazzina dei Mulini, which was Napoleon’s residence during this stay on Elba (he used also another mansion on the mountain side of the island as a summer residence).

This was not just out of interest for Napoleonic history, but also quite practical, since the museum-residence is located on the far side of the old town and the way there offers a chance to walk right through the center of town and also get some nice views from its upper side.

It gets uphill very quickly in Portoferraio. The whole town is built on the slopes of a hill and, as soon as you get a couple of streets off the main commercial street it’s all small narrow streets, sometimes turning literally into stairs due to the steepness.

If you are looking for the “Mediterrannean vibe”, though, you will find plenty here!

So, a few hundred steps later we made it to Napoleon’s palace or, shall we say “villa” or “residence” since its proportions are not out of tune with the place.

To our surprise, though, we found out that it only opens at 2pm!

This proved to be a blessing in disguise, because we, then, decided to explore the nearby beach, called Spiaggia delle Viste (or “Beach of the sights”) and we were not disappointed!

The beach, a little cove with steep cliffs on both sides, is located just underneath Napoleon’s residence and it is accessed through a which you can access through a ramp just meters away from the museum entrance.

The beach was not crowded at all despite its proximity to the urban center, the cliffs and the exuberant vegetation gives it a protected feel. Also, the water was crystalline and a tad warm. Warning: it is a rocky beach, so it is full of pebbles, which I personally like, but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea!

By the way, what is this?! is the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Squadron still keep an eye on the Buonaparte, lest he escapes and wreaks havoc in Europe again?!

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Where to eat in Portoferraio, Elba

Ristorante Le Viste, https://www.ristoranteleviste.com

The only structure on the beach is the restaurant Le Viste, where we had lunch.

While not super cheap, Le Viste turned out to be a great place to have something to eat or to drink while enjoying the pristine waters of the Le Viste beach.

In our case, it was just right to get some shelter from the midday sun after bathing, change clothes and have some light meal and refreshments before heading for the museum in the early afternoon.

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Visiting the Palazzina dei Mulini - Napoleon’s museum and villa on Elba

So, after our second attempt and about half an hour of queueing under the sun (yep, apparently we were not the only Napoleonic-histroy buffs in town that day!), we got into the Palazzina dei Mulini.

The residence itself is not too big (particularly if considering it housed not just the Emperor but part of his family and retinue).

It is a two-floor villa, and has been restored to how it may have looked like during the few months that Bonaparte lived here.

Note the neoclassical, Empire-style furniture throughout (although apparently Napoleon preferred to sleep in his own simple military campaign bed, even when indoors!)

I’d say the best of Palazzina dei Mulini are its gardens, which are quite something, though, pretty pleasant and with great views of the Mediterranean sea.

This place may have felt too small for a man that aspired to rule most of Europe, but in and by itself, Palazzina dei Mulini would make for an awesome summer residence!

The Napoleonic heritage on Elba

It may have been a short lived reign (although Bonaparte, in its usual hyperactive drive, implemented quite sweeping political and economic reforms on the island) but Elbans do certainly remember Napoleon.

It is simply not possible to walk around Portoferraio without stumbling upon references to Napoleon right and left. I have tried to collect here some of them.

There are other sites in Portoferraio that are very closely linked to Napoleon, such as the Theater of the Vigilanti, which is a former church that Bonaparte transformed into a small-scale opera house, or a cultural center (named after a local Napoleonic officer, De Laugier), which hosts exhibits about the Emperor. Since our ship’s departure time was 6pm, we didn’t have that much time left, though.

So, we just skipped those and opted for another walk around the historical center of Portoferraio on our way back to the ship. Here are some of the snaps we took along the way.

So, this short but intense trip to Elba ended where it started, in the docks, that once saw Napoleon and a small number of followers embarking for France and the period that has come to be known as the “100 Days” before he was again beaten at Waterloo…

But this is a story behind the scope of this post, which just aimed to pinpoint and showcase some of the very interesting sights on Elba and the activities you can do there, even in a short time.

I think Elba is a perfect example of underrated destination. While it is not short of historical and natural charms, it rarely gets mentioned among the places that deserve a visit in this part of Italy.

My theory is that the small stretch of water that separates it from the mainland makes it too much of an effort to get to for the many tourists that have, in any case, their hands full with plenty of other interesting places in the Tuscan mainland. Nevertheless, it is a destination that I recommend very much visiting. In this regard, cruises like Windstar’s are a perfect way to get there.

By the way, to see where this amazing Mediterranean journey took us next, check out our comprehensive review of the Windstar Cruises Wind Surf!

Around the Mediterranean in style on Windstar Cruises Wind Surf

Cruise ships come in all shapes and sizes, but only a few of them are able to provide something akin to the super-yacht experience.

We are not just talking about a matter of scale (although this matters quite a lot too!) but of an entire philosophy that permeates every element of the experience. This is in addition to the truly unique wow factor that comes from sailing on one of only a handful of sail-powered cruise ships out there.

This is why, the moment the opportunity came up to sail the Mediterranean onboard Windstar Cruises Wind Surf, we didn’t think it twice!

What follows is our account of an unforgettable journey sailing through the incredibly blue waters of the Western Mediterranean, from Civitavecchia, near Rome, to Palamós, in the heart of the Catalan Costa Brava (you will find the itinerary on Windstar Cruises website as “Yachtman’s Harbors of the Rivieras”.

Keep reading for a detailed review of how the Windstar Cruises experience is like!

The journey was courtesy of Windstar Cruises. Opinions are all our own.

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The Ship

The ship which took us on this Mediterranean journey, “Wind Surf” is one of only two ships of its kind ever built (the other being “Club Med 2”, which operates for the eponymous French tour-operator).

These two sibling ships happen to be also the two largest active sailing ships in the world (by length) and have quite some story behind…

Both ships were ordered by Windstar Cruises from a French shipyard in the late 1980s, but ownership changes at Windstar at the time put the project at risk. This is when Club Med stepped in. The French company took over the two ships and, upon completion, put them in service with the names “Club Med 1” and “Club Med 2”.

In 1998, Windstar Cruises was finally able to acquire one of the two, “Club Med 1”, and add it to its fleet after giving it its current name: “Wind Surf”.

At 14,700 tons and 617 ft (188m) of length, Wind Surf is small by the standards of a cruise industry that has got used to launching ever larger ships, but this is the whole point.

Wind Surf’s most eye-catching feature, the one that captures the attention (and the imagination!) of people onshore wherever it turns up is, of course, its superstructure, with five 67.5-meter-high masts and the accompanying rigging.

To be clear, Wind Surf is a hybrid, which is is mostly propelled by diesel engines. Wind, however, plays a key role, not just when it comes to helping propel the ship, but also in confering it a rather unique personality.

When making full use of wind power, Wind Surf propulsion is assisted by 7 triangular sails. These are rolled out through a full automated mechanism every day as the ships gets underway.

Wind Surf can carry up to 342 passengers and a crew of around 210. A passenger to crew ratio which gives you an idea of the type of personalized service Windstar Cruises strives to provide.

The ship has a total of six decks. There are 150 staterooms on decks 2 and 3 and 18 ocean view suites on deck 5. Those looking for an even more exclusive experience have a choice of 2 deluxe ocean view bridge suites and…wait for it…an “Officer’s Suite” which is located within the officer's quarters!

Most of the ship’s common areas are on Deck 4.

Here you find the reception, which is on duty 24/7, the excursions counter, a shop, a library, some workspaces, and a large lounge area (where some of the live entertainment and the pre-excursion briefings take place) with its own indoors café, as well as one of the ships’ restaurants, “Amphora” (more on food and drink onboard shortly!)

Before we proceed further, a note here about the elegant but unpretentious, no-nonsense decor style found throughout the ship, which we quite liked. It definitely adds to the authenticity of the overall experience.

The dominant pastel and wood-like tones inside and white-washed outside, both with touches of deep blue, do also a great job in setting the maritime yacht-like atmosphere.

On a schooner-like ship like Wind Surf, a big part of the action happens outside, whether it’s at the poolside terrace and bar, eating outdoors at the Veranda restaurant or simply sunbathing or walking along the decks while contemplating the Mediterranean coastline.

In this regard, one of the ship’s focal points is astern: the poolside area.

Wind Surf has a small pool, which, while not large enough to swim in it, is ideal to relax as you float and let the motion of the ship swing you around. There are two other adjacent warm-water hydro-massage tubs which provide great views of the landscape around.

Sun beds and a bar, which will prepare pretty much whichever cocktail you fancy on the spot, complete this particularly popular section of the ship.

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Those of you that like to enjoy the sea breeze will be happy to know that there are two other partly open decks, 5 & 6, that allow you to walk the whole length of the ship, a full 360 degrees.

Deck 5 is, astern, quite similar in structure to the pool deck and located right above it, but instead of the pools, it has a larger bar with some indoor space that becomes the ship’s focal point late in the evening, when it usually hosts live music shows.

Also on Deck 5, but indoors and amidship, you find the Spa (more of this later) and, closer to the ship’s bow, the bridge. In this regard, We were positively surprised by the friendliness of the captain and crew, who showed us around when we happened to walk by.

By the way, in case you were wondering this is what the bridge of Wind Surf looks like!

Keep going up and you get to Deck 6 (the top one). Here you can get really, really close to the rigging and it is the best spot from where to watch the unfurling of the sails. This takes place every evening to the sound of some really epic music by Greek composer Vangelis.

It is pretty amazing to watch how, thanks to the automated mechanism, it takes only a few minutes for all seven sails to be rolled out.

It is also on this deck, on the bow side, that you find Wind Surf’s other restaurants: Veranda/Candles (partly outdoors) and Stella (which is fully indoors).

This deck, particularly the platform right above the ship’s bow, is a great place to enjoy the actual sailing sensation.

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The state rooms

As mentioned earlier, there are different types of cabins, the vast majority of them are state rooms and all of our comments refer to this type of accommodation.

Our state room was on Deck 3, but I think they are all pretty similar regardless of the deck you are in.

You can move up and down the different decks either through the stairs or by using the lift. We used the former option most of the time, since distances within the ship are always short and it can be much faster to just walk than wait for the lift.

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So, without further ado, let’s get into the room to see how they look like…

State rooms are 188 sq ft (17.46 sq m) and are fitted with a queen size bed and an ensuite bathroom.

I was very positively impressed by a number of tiny details in the room.

Let’s start by the Queen Size bed, which, we can attest, is truly comfortable. It’s got good natural light, but also lamps and a couple of reading lights. There’s a flat screen TV with a DVD player as well (tbh, we didn’t use it at all, since we seldom watch TV, but some may find it useful to know that it’s there).

But, do you what’s the one thing that we really, really liked? The two round portholes!

Yes, I am aware that nowadays most cruise ships have balconies, and these are cool, but…portholes? That give you the feeling to be sleeping onboard a real ship! And, you know what? If you like balconies, I’ve got news for you…pretty much the whole three upper-most decks of Wind Surf are, in essence, a large interconnected balcony, with plenty of space to sit down, lay down or sunbathe.

More stuff: there is plenty of space for storage, there’s a whole cupboard and a large amount of drawers and shelves, so we never felt the space was tight.

There is also a desk, which comes in very handy to shift through the trip’s papers and is also stocked with some fresh fruit.

Then some of the usual amenities: a safe, a mini-bar, hair-dryer, etc. There are also robes available.

Another pleasant suprise is that there are also universal electricity plugs (since Windstar Cruises is an American company and most passengers are from the US, I had brought a US-EU adapter, but it turned out not to be necessary!).

The bathroom is about as big as it can be in this kind of setting, but pretty well fitted.

It’s got a spacious sink top. It must have a really efficient air circulation mechanism because things, like wet swimming suits, dry really fast, despite the confined space.

Also, the shower is really nice, powerful! (perfect to rinse the salt out and freshen up after a water sports session at the marina).

There is also a set of L’Occitane toiletries.

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The restaurants

One aspect of the Wind Surf experience we particularly enjoyed was food and drink.

Let’s start by saying that all meals are included in any of the four restaurants onboard, which is great. Also, regardless of each of the restaurants offering a somehow different type of experience (some elements, like the wine list were common to all, though), the food was really great in all of them.

There are four (in fact, three, if you count Veranda and Candles as one) restaurants onboard Wind Surf:

• Veranda, which is on the top deck, partly outdoors, and is the only place open for buffet breakfast and lunch

• Candles, which is, basically, Veranda but turned into an à-la-carte, reservation-required restaurant in the evenings

• Amphora, which is the largest of the ship’s restaurants and located on the main deck

• Stella Bistro, on the top deck indoors, specializes in French cuisine and it is, possibly, the poshest of the lot.

One important thing to bear in mind, though, is that while Veranda and Amphora work on a first-come-first-served basis, Stella Bistro and Candles, require advance reservation and our advice is to book early in the trip because they fill in really fast!

And, btw, Windstar Cruises has a partnership with the James Beard Foundation, a non-profit organization based in the US which aims to elevate the culinary arts. Some of the dishes onboard have the James Beard Foundation stamp.

Shortly below we will proceed to offer a glimpse of each of them.

Next a word about the ships’ bars. There are three of them, two astern, on decks 4 (poolside) and 5, and one indoors at the ship’s Lounge.

It’s important to note that, while all meals and non-alcoholic drinks are included for all passengers, it is not the case for wine and other alcohol drinks (and this includes the meals you have at restaurants).

If you are on an all-inclusive package, you get all drinks, no matter which one, by-the-glass. Otherwise you need to purchase your drinks individually or buy one of the day packages.

Whether you drink or not, is your decision, now, if you do, it may be a good idea to make sure your package includes drinks, since Wind Surf is stocked with a good wine cellar (at this point, special mention gotes to head sommelier Eleonora, which provided great recommendations throughout the trip!) and their staff can really prepare nice cocktails!

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So, as promised, let’s go have a look at each of the restaurants. During our trip we had a chance to try all of them at least once and here is a summary of our experience.

Please note that the menu may vary with time and route!

Veranda

This is the most casual of the lot. As the name implies, it is located (partly) outdoors, on the top deck, although it does have space indoors too.

This is the only place to have breakfast and lunch, mostly from a buffet with both cold and warm dishes, although you can order some things à-la-carte too.

The buffet offers pretty much the same basic choices daily, although with some variations. The à-la-carte offering varies a bit every day, particularly when it comes to items such as fish.

Some of the food is prepared outside, where there is an open grill.

We would say the main thing with Veranda is choosing the right table for the time of the day in order not to get too much direct sun, since not all tables have cover. If in the Mediterranean in the middle of the summer it can get really hot already quite early in the morning!

Below are some snapshots of our meals at Veranda, to give you an idea.

Candles

Location-wise, Candles is the same as Veranda, but in the evening it becomes an à-la-carte restaurant and advance reservation is required.

We particularly enjoyed the fish dishes here!

Amphora

This is the everyday restaurant for dinner when onboard. You don’t need an advance reservation, you just show up and wait to be seated (which, at least in our case, was always immediately, since the place is rather big!), which makes it often the “default” option for dinner.

However, don’t let this casual approach mislead you, Amphora is a proper sit-down restaurant offering a pretty good quality experience, both in terms of food, service and atmosphere.

If anything, it gets, perhaps, a bit less of natural light than the other venues, mostly due to the fact that is located one deck down.

We had dinner a few times at Amphora, so here is a collection of images of what we had.

Amphora Meal 1:

Tomato Tart

Seared U10 Scallops

Vitello Tonato

Pan-roasted sea bream

Amphora Meal 2:

Slow-braised octopus

Spanakopita

Duck leg confit

We particularly liked this Californian Cabernet Sauvignon (thanks for the recommendation to sommelier Eleonora!)

Amphora Meal 3:

Stella

This is possibly the most “upmarket” of all of Wind Surf’s restaurants.

French Parisian Bistro

It requires reservation and we advise it you do it early in the trip. We left it for our second day and it was actually quite hard to find a spot, although staff made a good effort to finally accommodate us!

It is located on the top deck, right next to Veranda/Candles, but inside and closer to the ship’s bow.

Really nice layout and a bit more airy and with more natural light than Amphora.

The food was also excellent. Which one we like the most? It’s hard to say and I’d say it comes down to the specific dishes. The wine list was the same for both restaurants and here I must add a special mention to the Wind Surf’s sommelier in chief, Eleonora, which was a nice and very insightful guide in our choice of wines throughout the whole week (she shuttles between the different restaurants).

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Amenities

So what else can you expect onboard a Windstar cruise. In this section we have tried to summarize several other aspects of the experience.

The fact is that, even on such a relatively small ship, there is so much to do that ultimately you have to be selective. What we describe here is what we did and it is just a cross-section of what is available.

Onboard Wifi

Wind Surf is equipped with SpaceX Starlink satellite connectivity, which provides fast and reliable internet everywhere, also when on the high seas.

Take into account, though, that, just as with the drinks allowance, access to Starlink depends on the package you are on. In any case, it can be purchased separately.

The onboard Starlink pass gives access to one device at a time, although it can be switched between devices depending on what you need the connectivity for.

Bear in mind that, if you have an EU mobile phone with a data plan, you may get internet access while on port and close to shore (thanks to the EU’s roaming directive), but as soon as the ship sets sail, you will need to log into the ship’s satellite network to get reliable connectivity.

Whether you have Starlink access or not, all passengers have access to a number of websites (these includes the Windstar Cruises as well as many major airlines and other travel-related resources. It also gives access to a digital media kiosk which gives access to several major media outlets.

Spa & Fitness

Wind Surf has also its own onboard spa, which offers a broad selection of treatment. These must be booked in advance and are paid separately.

In my case, I opted to undergo a postural and walking assessment, conducted by one of the onboard spa specialists. This included a postural evaluation, an analysis of the feet position when walking and a 40-minute session to practice some exercises for postural health.

While technically booked at the spa, this was done at the onboard gym.

This gym is relatively small (the right size for the ship, since it was never crowded), but well equipped with fitness machines, weights and other equipment. It also has lots of natural light, since it is located on the top deck.

Shows, music and entertainment

Shows and other social functions take place pretty much daily during the trip, usually in the evenings.

Dont’t expect, however, the sort of large theater-like spectacles you find on large cruise ships. On Windstar everything is much more intimate.

This is the case of the live music performance that takes place every night at the Deck 4 bar, for example.

We also enjoyed a Pub Quiz evening, brilliantly conducted by PJ, a South African crew member that acts as the ship’s master of ceremonies.

Other occasions that provided an opportunity to meet personally the crew and other fellow passengers were an evening drink with the captain, a thematic evening dedicated to learning about Polynesia (a part of the world where Windstar Cruises has quite a lot of activity) and a star-gazing meeting at the bridge at night, with the guidance of Wind Surf’s captain and other officers.

There was also a show evening at the Lounge in which several members of the crew performed several dances from their countries of origin as well as some humoristic sketches, everything conducted again by the very talented PJ!

This account wouldn’t be complete without a mention to two other special, and rather tasty!, treats that we got to enjoy in the perfect weather of the Cote d’Azur:

One was the ice-cream evening by the pool - no further ado needed.

The second, and on a much, much larger scale, was the outdoor dinner-barbequeue that all passengers were invited to join while the ship was anchored of Cannes.

Massive amounts of super-fresh food was cooked and served on deck in a casual, festive atmosphere. The evening was also amenized by live music. Below is a collection of pictures from that evening to give you an idea of the scale of it all.

And if we are talking about the “soft” aspects of the experience, we would also like to highlight the level of attention and service from the ship’s crew, particularly from the crew member assigned to take care of our state room (thanks Raysid!), which kept leaving small nice details for us to find when coming back from shore! Here’s a small sample :)

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Excursions

An integral part of every cruise experience are, of course, the shore excursions and Windstar is no exception!

In this regard, the relatively small size of Wind Surf becomes a big plus, because it allows it to call at the smaller ports no other cruises are able to enter or, simply, dock offshore and offer a combination of excursions and water sports (both are feasible if you time your shore visits well!).

At every stop, usually 4-5 shore excursions are offered, with different intensity and duration (from 2 to 8 hours). Unless you are on an all-inclusive package excursions are contracted separately, with prices ranging from some $60 for things like a walking tour of Cannes to something like $250-300 for longer outings, which in some cases included wine tastings and other activities.

It is recommended to book in advance because spots are limited and the most popular excursions fill up fast. Assembly is usually at around 8-8.30am.

Those going on shore excursions have access to quite a lot of prep info, starting with a briefing the day before at the ship’s lounge, which provides not just practical tips, but also some cultural and historical context about each destination. You also get a one pager delivered to your room (these resources can also be accessed digitally on the ship’s portal)

When Wind Surf anchors off-shore, such as at Portofino, Montecarlo, Cannes and Sanary-sur-Mer, the ship’s auxiliary launches are used to shuttle passengers to and from shore (there is always a small Windstar branded tent onshore by the embarkation/disembarkation point).

This, in my opinion, gives to this type of smaller cruises and extra allure!

We went to shore at all the ports or towns that Wind Surf stoped at, although we only took one organized excursion, during our Cannes stop to the nearby town of Antibes.

A group of some 20-30 of us left Cannes in a bus together with a local guide, who showed us around the old town of Antibes (which has Ancient Greek origins and is one of the oldest cities in Southern France).

Our program was roughly as follows:

8.15am Assembly and transfer by launch to the port of Cannes

9am Bus to Antibes (which is some 15 miles distant)

9.30 to 12.30 Guided tour of Old Antibes, a relatively small but charming little seaside town, complete with a castle and a lively fresh food market. The tour included also an a taste of absinthe at a local historical bar.

13.00 Back onboard

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Our Itinerary: Civitavecchia (Rome) to Palamós

While the purpose of this post is to describe the experience onboard Wind Surf, the itinerary and choice of ports is, of course, is also an essential element of the journey.

Sailing in the Mediterranean is synonymous with landscape and history overload, so we provide here just an outline of each, and have decided to describe each of them in a series of separate posts.

• Portoferraio, Elba

  A beautiful little island, the largest of the Tuscan archipelago, and renowned for being the first place of exile of Napoleon Bonaparte. While it is certainly a must for Napoleonic-era buffs, there is a lot more than Bonaparte on Elba, including a picturesque steep old town and some amazing beaches.

  You can read our story about Elba here.

• Portofino (and Cinque Terre)

  A postcard-perfect colourful seaside hamlet which encapsulates the essence of the “poshest” Italian Riviera. It is also a stepping stone to explore other beautiful spots along the Ligurian coast, even the somehow distant, but still pretty accessible by public transport, Cinque Terre.

• Montecarlo

  A European classic, the world’s second smallest country and a billionaire’s lair. Getting into Montecarlo from the sea is quite the experience!

• Cannes (Antibes)

  Cannes is famous because of its connection to the world of cinema and, while we gave the modern city a pass, it is also a hub to explore other locations along the Côte d’Azur (as we did visiting nearby Antibes).

• Sanary-sur-Mer

  This was quite a discovery! I must confess I hadn’t heard of this small, colourful seaside town before, but it fit the program perfectly. Just the right size for a mid-morning visit, stroll along the pleasant quais, climb the town’s old tower and do some shopping around.

• Palamós

  The largest port in the Catalan Costa Brava. While the town of Palamós is nothing to write home about (it was aesthetically destroyed by 1970s architecture). It is a hub to visit some beautiful spots in the area, such as the medieval villages of Pals and Peratallada or some of the nearby coves and beaches. We actually ended our cruise here, since we had planned to stay a few more days in the Costa Brava area and it made more sense logistically to skip the last night of the cruise.

• Barcelona

  Not much to add here! One of Europe’s great cities and one we are not neutral about, since we call it home!

Each of these places has a charm of its own, but we would say that what remains constant is the awe that the presence of Wind Surf generated among those watching it from afar!

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Water sports at the Wind Surf marina

We have left for the last what is, in our opinion, one of the highlights of a Mediterranean cruise on Wind Surf: the marina.

When the ship is at anchor, weather permitting, the area astern of deck 2 becomes a water sports platform from 10am to 12pm and from 1pm to around 4-5pm.

Forget about material things. This is what true luxury is about!

Whether you are into active water sports, such as kayaking or paddle surf, or you just wish to chill out on an inflatable platform within sight of iconic landmarks like the Montecarlo skyline, the Wind Surf marina has you sorted! Just show up an enjoy. Towels and equipment are provided.

There are, of course, some limitations, such as, not venturing further than some 100m from the ship, but overall, it is pure bliss!

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So, in summary, what’s our overall impression of Windstar’s Wind Surf cruise?

We’ve got some experience with cruises, including some high end ones on relatively small ships, and Windstar’s is certainly unlike any other cruise we’ve been on.

It is not about the, let’s say, “classic”, more material, idea of luxury, although on this account Windstar also scores high (particularly on the culinary front!), but about being able to do things that are accessible if on a small ship: water sports at some of the most exclusive spots on the Cote d’Azur, accessing small ports, star-gazing in the company of an experienced sea captain and so on…

Also, the uniqueness of Wind Surf. Granted, sails only provide part of the propulsion, but, still, it is nice to sail on such a majestic ship. There is something special about watching the coast fade in the distance from the wooden deck as the sail unfurl: the feeling of connection to the sea and to thousands of years of maritime history.