15124, Maroysi, Athens, Greece
Tampa, Cartagena, Colon, Puntarenas, San Juan del Sur, Puerto Quetzal, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Astoria, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Whittier
Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida on Tampa Bay, near the Gulf of Mexico. It is an important tourist destination. Tampa offers a unique variety of museums and zoos, sun and some of the world’s best beaches. The historic, colourful neighborhood of Ybor City (the old Latin Quarter) located just northeast of downtown, has turned into an entertainment district worth visiting.
Founded by the Spanish colonists, on June 1, 1533, in a protected bay in the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena has the most extensive fortifications in South America. A system of zones divides the city into three neighbourhoods: downtown San Pedro, with the cathedral and many Andalusian-style palaces; quiet San Diego, where merchants and the middle class lived; and Gethsemani, the 'popular quarter' with plenty of night clubs. Its fortifications, constructed by the Spanish, are today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town the walls protected is also part of that World Heritage designation. Cruise visitors can walk those deeply textured alleyways today through some of the best-preserved colonial neighborhoods of the Americas. There are nice beaches ready to enjoy, such as the busy Bocagrande, which is close to the city and the quiet Playa Blanca, in the south, across the bay.
Colon is located on the stunning Caribbean coast of Panama, where unparalleled beaches and lush tropical scenery blend harmoniously. Here we will marvel the maginificent Panama Canal. You can visit nearby Portobello, discover the ruins of Spanish forts, watch the colorful yachts sailing in the bay or bargain for treasures in the local markets. Time given, travel to the Gatun Locks for a bird's eye view of the immense ships passing through the Panama Canal.
Our visit to Puntarenas, the capital and largest city in the Province of Puntarenas, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, is a discovery of the richness of the area. If you choose a nature tour, you will see the rainforest from up high during a canopy tour through wispy ferns, winding lianas and delicate orchids. There is also a possibility to taste nature’s bounty at one of the plantations which produce the country’s famously rich coffee. If you prefer to relax, just lay back, surrounded by lush palms and crystal clear waters. You may also choose a trip to Monteverde National Park (80 kms distance), which is considered a major ecotourism destination in Costa Rica, an island which may look small, but it conceals mysterious cloud forests, quiet beaches and extraordinary wildlife, that have granted her the title "The Switzerland of Central America".
San Juan del Sur is a coastal town on the Pacific Ocean, south of Managua, in southwest Nicaragua. The city is popular among surfers and is a vacation spot for locals and foreign tourists. A statue of the Christ of the Mercy sits above town on the northern end of the bay.
Guatemala's largest Pacific Ocean port is also the gateway to some of the most fascinating and beautiful sightseeing in the country. Head north, through plantations where the air is perfumed with sugar cane and coffee, across mountain ridges overlooking beautiful Lake Atitlan, take a rigorous hiking trip on Pacaya Volcano with a countryside drive or a full-day tour from the coast, past volcano-guarded mountains, to the colonial capital of Antigua, where cobblestone streets and period architecture evoke the area's age-old Spanish colonial heritage. The charming town, located 4,500 feet above sea level, is also a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for both its colorful Spanish Mudéjar-influenced Baroque architecture and its many ruins of colonial churches. Naturalists can opt for Los Tarrales and a bird-watching trip to a nature reserve in the cloud forest or Auto Safari Chapin is a scenic drive through an open-air wildlife park. One tour of extreme historical interest is the Copan Route of the Mayas at Copan Archaeological Park.
Acapulco is a privileged tourist destination, with its two magnificent bays: Santa Lucia, known as Bahia de Acapulco (Acapulco Bay) and Puerto Marques, boasting incredible natural beauty and cliffs. The bays are surrounded by golden sandy beaches and exotic tropical vegetation and embraced by the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountain Range to the east. Sports enthusiasts also have plenty to do. Water sports of every variety lure visitors to the seashore, while golfers are beginning to recognize Acapulco as a world class destination. For early risers, there are several new eco-based tours that take in the area’s lagoons, jungles, islands, and estuaries. Time permitting, some visitors venture away from Acapulco to explore the State of Guerrero. One such trip is to Taxco, 272 kilometers north of Acapulco. Known as the “silver city”, this colonial gem is one of the prettiest towns in Mexico.
Cabo San Lucas is the entertainment hub and the end of the road, along the southern tip of Baja California and is rated as one of Mexico's top 5 tourist destinations. San The Old town, San Jose del Cabo, exudes classic Mexico. In between the two cities, the resort-fringed coast is slathered in sunshine. Combine fine shopping, blue surf and big fish at beaches that shine: Lover's Beach, Playa Medano (the most popular, 3,2 kms long), Chileno and Las Playitas, a series of mini-beaches tucked into weathered coves. Land’s End is by far the most impressive attraction Cabo has to offer. Hop on a tourist boat (panga) and head to El Arco (the Arch), a distinctive rock formation at the southern tip of Cabo San Lucas. It is here that the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez.
Los Angeles, California, is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world and the second-largest in the United States. The "City of Angels" is an exciting metropolis, a world-class premium shopping destination and leads the world in the creation of television productions, video games and recorded music. Not to miss, are the Hollywood Entertainment District (the area surrounding the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue) and LA Fashion District, with more than 1.000 fashion-related businesses - the largest concentration in the Western United States. Continue to the "Platinum Triangle", Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Holmby Hills, as all three areas are regarded as the most affluent within Los Angeles, check out downtown LA, with the historic Union Station, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument at Paseo de la Plaza- a collection of historic buildings, artifacts, museums and exhibits (both indoor and outdoor), continue to Old Chinatown Central Plaza, Los Angeles State Historic Park, Little Tokyo District, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). For beach lovers, don't miss Santa Monica, including Third Street Promenade, Venice Beach and the Malibu Coast with more than twenty-four beaches to choose from.
San Francisco is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California and a very popular tourist destination. It is known for its steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of architecture, summer fog, and great ethnic and cultural diversity. The city’s landmarks include the Golden Gate Bridge, the former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, and the Chinatown district.
It is a very picturesque city in Oregon on the southern estuary of the Columbia River, a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. It is characterized by traditional buildings and houses, but also a magnificent landscape of green mountains and valleys. The city offers a spectacular view of the ocean with its endless sandy beaches and crystal blue waters. It has many cafes and traditional shops and restaurants
Ketchikan, the Salmon Capital of the World, clutches the shores of the Tongass Narrows, with many shops and houses, which are built on stilts, right out over the water. The main attractions are Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Native Village. Of the popular activities is the flightseeing trip to Misty Fjords National Monument, home of the indigenous Tlingit Indians and the largest totem collection in the world. In the land of the legends, you can watch totem pole carvers and get an idea of their rich culture.
Juneau is the capital city of Alaska, one of America’s most beautiful capital. There’s also a wealth of cultural attractions, including museums (Juneau-Douglas City Museum), historical sites (the house of Alaska's Pioneer Judge, James Wickersham, built in 1898 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places), art galleries, events, festivals and plenty of local shopping. Visitors can also experience incredible outdoor activities, like
glacier flightseeing, whale watching, fishing and kayaking amidst the stunning Alaskan landscape. Don't miss a photo with Patsy Ann, a Bull Terrier, born i 1929 stone deaf (from birth), but she somehow "heard" the whistles of approaching ships -long before they came into sight- and headed at a fast trot for the wharf, to welcome them. Hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit Juneau from cruise ships are encouraged to "greet her and touch her and in leaving, carry with them the blessings of friendship through their life's journey".
During the gold rush period, in 1898, Skagway was the gate to Klondike and it was known as the harshest city in the world, boasting more than 80 saloons. By the end of the 19th century it had become the largest city in Alaska. Today, the small Gold Rush town of Skagway is the favorite stop on an Alaskan cruise. Ride the antique White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railway, step into the historic Red Onion Saloon (1897) or peruse the restored buildings and wooden boardwalks of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.