Where to go by the sea

Porto tumbles in terraces down to the Douro River: azulejo tiles, wine cellars and an iron bridge that looks like the Eiffel Tower.

A medieval town in Europe's southernmost “fjord”, where mountains plunge straight into a turquoise bay.

Southern Italy without the crowds: white clifftop towns, trulli houses and a stunning sea.

Seven hills, yellow trams, fado drifting from open windows and the ocean nearby.

A fortress city with marble streets, encircled by walls above the sea.

A city that lives inside a Roman palace.

An open-air museum of an island with honey-coloured stone, knights' fortresses and a warm sea almost all year round.

The French Riviera at a budget-airline price: the Promenade des Anglais, an old town full of markets and clifftop villages 20–30 minutes away by bus.

Fly into Pisa and an hour later by train you're in five colourful villages perched on cliffs above the sea, linked by hiking trails.

The gateway to the Norwegian fjords: the colourful wooden houses of Bryggen, mountains right in the city and day cruises through the fjords.

The birthplace of pizza, Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompeii — and right next door, the winding roads of the Amalfi Coast with lemon groves above the sea.