Greek Islands & Italy From Istanbul With Costa Pacifica 2014

Near Volos you can see some amazing constructions: the Meteora monasteries* were built several centuries ago hundreds of metres high up on huge rock pillars. Visit the nuns and monks in their breathtaking homes, and you will be given some exclusive insights into life behind the monastery walls. Or you can take a hike on Mount Pelion*. If you prefer to travel in comfort, the 100-year old narrow-gauge railway* will take you over viaducts and through the magnificent mountain scenery.

 

Piraeus is the main port of Athens, the biggest in Greece, and one of the most important in the Mediterranean Sea. Piraeus is walking distance from Kastella, a hill strewn with beautiful houses that offers a majestic view of the Saronic Gulf. Other points of interest include an archaeological museum, Mikrolimano, where you can enjoy an ouzo accompanied by seafood mezedes.

 

This is the time to personalize your cruise experience—you can participate in any or all the activities scheduled onboard or do nothing more strenuous than lift an umbrella drink while reading a book poolside.

 

Rome is the capital of the Italian Republic.It is the city with the highest concentration of historical and architectural riches in the world. Its historical centre, outlined by the enclosing Aurelian Walls, layering nearly three thousand years of antiquity, is an invaluable testimony to the European western world’s cultural, artistic and historical legacy and in 1980 it was, together with the Holy See’s property beyond the confines of the Vatican State as well as the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls, were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List .

 

Between the historic centre, rich in art treasures and monumental towers, and the modern soul, grown around the beaches and the marina, discover how many things to see and things to do in Savona await you, even during a few days stay in the heart of the western Italian Riviera.Savona is one of a few Italian cities offering beaches within walking distance from the city centre.

 

This is the time to personalize your cruise experience—you can participate in any or all the activities scheduled onboard or do nothing more strenuous than lift an umbrella drink while reading a book poolside.

 

Katakolon is a small holiday port town in Ilia, in the western part of Greece. Katakolon is known as the ‘gateway to Olympia’ as it lies just East of the ancient city of Olympic, which was the birthplace of the Olympic games.
Katakolon really is a destination for everyone and all passengers will come away with greater understanding of the ancient Hellenic civilisations. Enjoy the best deals on the extraordinary Olympia archaeological museum, which is the most important in Greece. Here you can view exhibits of pottery, bronzes, Roman sculptures, artefacts from the Olympic Games and terracotta sculptures dating from 480 BC.

 

Crete is the largest island in Greece, and the fifth largest one in the Mediterranean Sea. Here, the visitor can admire the remnants of brilliant civilizations, explore glorious beaches, impressive mountainscapes, fertile valleys and steep gorges, and become part of the island’s rich gastronomic culture. Crete is, after all, a small universe teeming with beauties and treasures that you will probably need a lifetime to uncover!

 

This is the time to personalize your cruise experience—you can participate in any or all the activities scheduled onboard or do nothing more strenuous than lift an umbrella drink while reading a book poolside.

 

Istanbul is supremely exotic, warmly welcoming, and quite unique – after all, where else can you tour Europe and Asia on the very same afternoon? Must sees include Haghia Sophia, decorated in 30 million tiny mosaic tiles, the greatest church in Christendom for 1000 years, then a mosque and now a museum; and Topkapi, palace of sultans, complete with harem quarters. And of course shopping in the Grand Bazaar, a medieval version of a mall, for unusual gifts to take home, stopping along the way in a café for a cup of Turkish coffee or mint tea.