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Costa Cruises presents another innovation for summer 2023: the “National Geographic Day Tours”. With a new portfolio of tours designed by National Geographic, the Italian cruise line is offering ten new shore excursions on its Mediterranean, Canary Islands and Madeira cruises.
The new excursion offer, available from June 2023, takes guests to some of the most beautiful unexplored destinations in Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, the Canary Islands and Madeira. Through unique experiences, travelers should be able to immerse themselves completely in foreign cultures and get to know the most authentic aspects of the destinations visited.
Guests are accompanied by expert local guides, trained by National Geographic, who will take them along extraordinary routes to places and experiences that deviate from traditional travel itineraries.
One of Costa's western Mediterranean excursions is to Monte Raschio in Rome, where you can hike in a protected beech forest, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, while a local guide explains the work of National Geographic Explorer Alfredo di Filippo on exploration and conservation of this unique place reported.
In Naples, guests will get a glimpse into the life of sea turtles and the work of National Geographic Explorer Sandra Hochscheid, who works to protect the turtles at Turtle Point in Portici, the largest sea turtle research center in the Mediterranean and part of the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station used sea turtles.
In Ibiza, a herbal guide will guide you through the island's authentic landscape, introducing the scents and tastes of wild herbs and what they are used for. Afterwards, guests can learn about beekeeping and the importance of bees to the ecosystem at an organic bee farm, open exclusively to National Geographic travelers.
In the Eastern Mediterranean, Mykonos guests can experience unique moments with a local family, who will exclusively open the doors of their home for them, offering traditional food, music, stories about island life and cultural anecdotes.
In Dubrovnik, guests can explore the many benefits and tastes of oyster farming by sailing in the pristine waters of Mali Ston Bay, a special nature reserve, and visiting a local oyster farm.
A marine biology experience is also offered on Rhodes, where guests will learn about Blutopia, a small family business that strives to keep young researchers on the island and protect the natural marine environment while they explore aquaculture and marine ecotourism.
In the Canary Islands, in Lanzarote, guests can taste a volcanic wine grown by a local winery in La Geria, which is not normally open to the public and is surrounded by a lunar-like landscape. A winemaker and a biologist explain to guests how farmers found a new and unique method of farming after a series of volcanic eruptions that forever changed the look and terrain of the region.
In Gran Canaria, guests can explore the lush forests and rocky cliffs of the island's mountains, set amidst ancient settlements and sacred sites. Accompanied by a National Geographic-trained guide, guests will hike hidden trails and discover scenic viewpoints where they can enjoy local cuisine.
In Tenerife, guests at Teno Alto will find the last stronghold of the local shepherds: a bastion of the island's rural traditions. In this nature reserve, local people strive to preserve the surrounding wilderness and cultural traditions. Guests can mingle with locals, tour a typical dairy farm and have lunch at an authentic restaurant offering 'kilometer zero' produce.
Finally, in Funchal, Madeira, Costa Cruises offers a journey of discovery through sustainable agriculture at Quinta Pedagogica da Camacha, where activities and workshops led by the owner of the farm allow guests to learn about the environmental impact of certain agricultural practices, just before making them homemade Enjoy cake and freshly brewed tea.
