7 nights. Turkey, Greece

Day 1

athens (piraeus), greece

Departure: 23:00

Piraeus is a port city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens urban area, 8 kilometres southwest from its city centre (municipality of Athens), and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf. According to the 2011 census, Piraeus had a population of 163,688 people within its administrative limits, making it the fifth largest municipality in Greece and the second largest within the urban area of the Greek capital, following the municipality of Athens. The municipality of Piraeus and four other suburban municipalities form the regional unit of Piraeus which sometimes called Greater Piraeus area, with a total population of 448,997, and is part οf Athens urban area. Piraeus has a long recorded history, dating to ancient Greece. The city was founded in the early 5th century BC, when this area was selected to become the new port of classical Athens and was built as a prototype harbour, concentrating all the import and transit trade of Athens. During the Golden Age of Athens the Long Walls were constructed to fortify Athens and its port (Piraeus). Consequently, it became the chief harbour of ancient Greece, but declined gradually after the 3rd century B.C., growing once more in the 19th century, after Athens' declaration as the capital of Greece. In the modern era, Piraeus is a large city, bustling with activity and an integral part of Athens, acting as home to the country's biggest harbour and bearing all the characteristics of a huge marine and commercial-industrial center. The port of Piraeus is the chief port in Greece, the largest passenger port in Europe and the second largest in the world, servicing about 20 million passengers annually. With a throughput of 1.4 million TEUs, Piraeus is placed among the top ten ports in container traffic in Europe and the top container port in the Eastern Mediterranean. The municipality hosted events in both the 1896 and 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens. The University of Piraeus is one of the largest Greek universities and has the country's second-oldest business school, as well as the oldest academic department in the area of finance.

Read more

Read less

1

Day 3

istanbul, turkey

Arrival: 07:00 - Departure: 17:30

Istanbul owes its historic importance and its amazing cultural and architectural heritage to its perfect strategic location, straddling the Bosphorus straits which separate Europe and Asia Minor. Through most of its 2,500-year-long history, the city (first known as Byzantium, then as Constantinople and since 1930 as Istanbul) was a cultural melting pot. Today, its population of more than 13 million is almost exclusively Turkish, and many of its people are recent migrants from provincial Turkey, lured by the promise of jobs and careers in this vibrant, fast-growing city. Istanbul is no longer the nation's capital, but is Turkey's economic and cultural powerhouse - a status underlined by its role as a European City of Culture in 2010 and the award of UNESCO World Heritage listing to many of its most important landmarks, which range from stunning Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches and catacombs to the columns of Hellenistic temples and the remains of massive medieval city walls. But there's more to Istanbul than Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. A fast-growing economy contributed to a flourishing arts and music scene, with a plethora of new bars, clubs, private art galleries, restaurants and designer fashion outlets.

Read more

Read less

2

Day 4

izmir - turkey

Arrival: 13:00 - Departure: 19:00

İzmir is a city in the western extremity of Anatolia and the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. İzmir's metropolitan area extends along the outlying waters of the Gulf of İzmir and inland to the north across Gediz River's of delta, to the east along an alluvial plain created by several small streams and to a slightly more rugged terrain in the south. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Beaches. Izmir owns lots of beaches which are not too far from the city center. • Konak Square • Asansör • Beaches. • Alsancak. • Karsiyaka • Kadifekale • Teleferik

Read more

Read less

3

Day 5

volos, greece

Arrival: 09:00 - Departure: 18:00

Volos is the 5th biggest city and 3d largest port in Greece, situated in Thessaly. Its history has left its mark on the entire city in the form of splendid buildings. The present-day city has spread out along the coast, incorporating old resorts, like Agria in the east and Soros in the west. The Achilleio cinema, a place of living culture that has remained open from 1925 to the present day. Volos castle, in the present-day district of Palia, in the west of the city, is also an important tourist attraction in this city.

Read more

Read less

4

Day 6

santorini, greece

Arrival: 10:00 - Departure: 20:00

Formed by the massive volcanic eruption which gave rise to the Atlantis legend, Santorini is the most striking island in the Aegean. The island is actually the outer rim of a sunken volcano, its entire eastern coast is a succession of small towns perched on high hills. Fira is the island’s dramatically situated capital. Perched on the cliffs, overlooking the sea, the town of Fira shares with the Parthenon the fame of the best known images of Greece. The narrow streets are filled with souvenir shops, lovely boutiques and a lot of jewellery shops. It has two beautiful churches, the Greek Orthodox and the Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist. It also has a small local museum. Nightlife in Fira is also quite lively with good restaurants and bars, plus a few nightclubs. The city is a spectacle in itself, with a climax at sunset. Another great place to enjoy the sunset is the town of Ia, a small village clinging to the rocky point of land at the northern tip of the island, 300m above the sea. The beaches in Santorini are much different than other beaches in Greece due to their special geographical features. Red and black volcanic pebbles lay the shores of Santorini beaches and steep cliffs provide a picturesque ambience. The most famous of Santorini beaches is the Red beach, while particularly popular are Perissa, Kamari and Perivolos. Santorini is a truly wonderful destination. The siting of some of its major towns along the clifftop rim of the caldera is one of the most spectacularly lovely sights in the world. The buildings seem to defy gravity in the way they cling to the cliffs and are stacked one on top of the other like so many sugar cubes. The sandy, multicoloured beaches are simply the icing on the cake.

Read more

Read less

5

Day 7

nauplion, greece

Arrival: 09:00 - Departure: 19:00

Nafplio is a small town in Peloponnese. Many times it is also referenced as Nauplio, Nauplia or Nafplia. A lovely romantic downtown with cozy streets, a great place to stay for radial travelling around Peloponnese. Nafplio was briefly the capital of Greece before the seat of power was eventually shifted to Athens. It is an historical city due to its Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman heritage, as well as its meaning to the Greek Revolution. It has a beautiful centre with small neoclassical historical houses, squares and churches. At a first glance, Nafplio looks like an Italian city because of its architecture and the colourful houses. You can see: Characteristic buildings, Museums, Cultural Centers, The Castles. Enjoy the sea: Very close to the town is the quiet sandy beach, just south of Palamede castle hill. There the locals gather to enjoy swimming in this blue flagged clean beach. Even more south, approachable by local bus or car, there is a series of marvelous beaches, very popular during the summer. Daily Cruises in the Argolic Gulf: If you have time you van try this cruise, giving you the pleasure to enjoy the sea and the seaside attractions of the area, including a bath stop! On the promenade where the boats for Bourtzi depart, usually once a day in summertime.

Read more

Read less

Day 8

athens (piraeus), greece

Arrival: 07:00

Piraeus is a port city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens urban area, 8 kilometres southwest from its city centre (municipality of Athens), and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf. According to the 2011 census, Piraeus had a population of 163,688 people within its administrative limits, making it the fifth largest municipality in Greece and the second largest within the urban area of the Greek capital, following the municipality of Athens. The municipality of Piraeus and four other suburban municipalities form the regional unit of Piraeus which sometimes called Greater Piraeus area, with a total population of 448,997, and is part οf Athens urban area. Piraeus has a long recorded history, dating to ancient Greece. The city was founded in the early 5th century BC, when this area was selected to become the new port of classical Athens and was built as a prototype harbour, concentrating all the import and transit trade of Athens. During the Golden Age of Athens the Long Walls were constructed to fortify Athens and its port (Piraeus). Consequently, it became the chief harbour of ancient Greece, but declined gradually after the 3rd century B.C., growing once more in the 19th century, after Athens' declaration as the capital of Greece. In the modern era, Piraeus is a large city, bustling with activity and an integral part of Athens, acting as home to the country's biggest harbour and bearing all the characteristics of a huge marine and commercial-industrial center. The port of Piraeus is the chief port in Greece, the largest passenger port in Europe and the second largest in the world, servicing about 20 million passengers annually. With a throughput of 1.4 million TEUs, Piraeus is placed among the top ten ports in container traffic in Europe and the top container port in the Eastern Mediterranean. The municipality hosted events in both the 1896 and 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens. The University of Piraeus is one of the largest Greek universities and has the country's second-oldest business school, as well as the oldest academic department in the area of finance.

Read more

Read less

7 nights. Turkey, Greece

What’s included?

What’s NOT included?

Need help?

Balcony

Inside

Outside

Suite

Photo gallery

Other cruises available aboard the Costa Pacifica