OREANDA-NEWS. September 25, 2015. Looking for the perfect trip to discover all the secrets of Mediterranean destinations? Whether you’re wild about gourmet wine and food tours or a lover of art, adventure or nature, you won’t be able to resist Costa Cruises special proposals to fully experience the most amazing Mediterranean destinations with everyone’s passions in mind.

In fact, the Italian cruise company proposes a wide selection of shore excursions, no matter what you’re looking for, when the fleet’s ships make calls to Mediterranean destinations. An opportunity for guests to take full advantage of all the special benefits that will make their vacation all the more exclusive: disembarkation priority and privileged entrance to museum and sites; guaranteed quality by qualified operators and multilingual guides; total assistance and safety; guaranteed price and rescheduling of excursions in case of changes to the itinerary.

However, the most important privilege is being able to use the time available as efficiently as possible: the experts at Costa Cruises have come up with shore excursions that will allow guests to discover the most interesting attractions on the itinerary, and not only in the cities where ships make calls, but also in the surrounding areas. A wide variety of unique choices, which only Costa can offer, to fully satisfy all those visiting destinations for the first time as well as guests who have already experienced the vacation spot but want to find out even more.

During Costa cruises gourmets will be able to choose from among various wine and food excursions in each of the Mediterranean destinations, and all with an eye on experiencing the best local dishes and delicacies. For example, guests can spend an afternoon tasting wine and cheese in Minorca, and thrill to the discovery of a real gem: Binifadet, a wine cellar founded in 1979, where they can savour the island’s best wines, cheeses and unique wine marmalade. Instead, to become more familiar with the real tastes of Sicily, there’s nothing better than an exclusive excursion to Palazzo Federico, one of the most beautiful historic residences of the old town of Palermo, where descendents of the old noble family still live today. The hosts will open their doors to guests, helping them to discover the treasures of the palace as they walk through magnificent halls and view splendid works of art, while also tasting specialities of Palermo’s traditional cuisine. Or Costa guests can enjoy a tour of the tapas in Barcelona, the “panisse” in Marseilles, and savour real pizza in Naples or focaccia in Genoa. And another excursion that can’t be missed is the one to the Langhe, from Savona, where Barolo wine and truffles take centre stage.

Instead, all those with a craving for culture will be spoiled by the number of choices, with visits to the most famous museums, palaces and archaeological sites that will be even more enjoyable by skipping long queues. For example, in Florence, which can be visited when ships call on La Spezia, Costa proposes a visit to the Uffizi Galley, which hosts masterpieces by Botticelli, Caravaggio, Raffaello and Leonardo da Vinci, before venturing into the historic centre of the city. Not to mention a tour of Rome, to visit the Vatican Museums, the Imperial Fora and the Sistine Chapel. At Volos, in Greece, guests will enjoy a unique cultural experience, climbing to the top of the Thessaly hills, the site of a complex of 24 monasteries built at the top of sandstone cliffs, called “The Meteora”. Some of the numerous attractions include the archaeological sites of Pompeii, Ercolano, Olympia and Segesta; in Athens, guests can’t miss a visit to the Acropolis, and the temple of Poseidon, just like it’s a must to visit St Mark’s Square in Venice. Other new excursions include the Sassi of Matera, the Gaud? palaces in Barcelona, the Postojna Cave, or Erice, the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Palaces of the Rolli in the historic centre of Genoa and Lucca.

Travellers always looking for adventure won’t be able to resist the most breathtaking excursions. Starting with the one by jeep to the amazing marble quarries of Carrara, on the Apuan Alps, or a catamaran tour on the crystal-clear waters of Majorca or Croatia, off-road adventures in Malta, Santorini, Mykonos and on the Etna volcano, or a horseback riding excursion in the Mijas mountain range, near Malaga.

For nature lovers it’s a good idea to arm themselves with camera and comfortable shoes to immortalize the beautiful panoramas that will unfold before them during all the “green” excursions in the Mediterranean: in Salerno guests can walk for 3 hours along the Path of the Gods, an amazing panoramic trail overlooking the Almafi Coast, which also offers a magnificent view over Conca dei Marini. In Dubrovnik guests can enjoy a kayak adventure in the fascinating Kolorina Bay, getting a close-up view of the island of Lokrum and Betina beach. Other must-do excursions include bicycle tours, the perfect idea for bike enthusiasts and for all those who just want to have fun, with the help of Costa guides: guests will be able to find out all about magnificent cities such as Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Genoa, but also to enjoy incredible panoramas, such as on the eastern Ligurian Riviera along a bike path created on the old coastal railway line running between the villages of Framura, Bonassola and Levanto.

Sport buffs, on the other hand, will be thrilled to visit the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, during the stopover in La Spezia, that also includes an exciting ride on a simulator, or to go to Camp Nou, the stadium of Barcelona.

All the excursions proposed by Costa Crociere can be booked before departure, either from the company website (www.costacruise.com), or during the cruise, and even 24/7 using ships’ onboard interactive totems. Those travellers who can’t make up their mind can also get suggestions from Costa experts about what excursion best matches their needs, passions and desires, to give their vacation that special unique touch.