Marco Island hotel offers Fertile Turtle package

FLORIDA

Not inconceivable

There’s nothing more romantic than watching sea turtles hatch, right? The Marco Island Marriott’s Fertile Turtle package aims to encourage conception while on vacation. The package includes a room with a Gulf of Mexico view and a king-size bed, a private balcony, a couples massage and red clover and raspberry tea (billed as having pregnancy-enhancing qualities). From May through early August, female loggerhead sea turtles land on the local beach to nest, according to information from the city of Marco Island. The babies emerge from early July through the end of October. A spokeswoman says the Marriott darkens the beach area during turtle season to promote nesting and to help hatchlings make it to the ocean. (Artificial lights can confuse the new turtles.) Part of the proceeds from the hotel package go to the Sea Turtle Monitoring & Protection Project of the Conservancy for Southwest Florida.

Info: Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, (800) 438-4373, www.marcoislandmarriott.com.

Date: Now through Oct. 31.

Price: From $419 per couple, per night.

GREECE

Strike a travel pose

Perfect your half-moon pose in the sunny Santorini village of Oia with a view of the Mediterranean. The yoga retreat, led by longtime yogis Caitlin Matteson and Carlos da Silva, will include daily yoga classes, a naturopathic consultation (a type of alternative medicine that emphasizes preventive measures), a one- hour massage, a healthful- cooking workshop and an island yacht excursion.

Info: Renew Your Spirit Retreats; (206) 265-0690, www.renewyourspiritretreats.com

Date: Sept. 22 to 28.

Price: $1,950 per person, double occupancy, includes hotel stay, classes, massage, cooking workshops, yacht trip. Does not include round-trip airfare.

OREGON

Sweet side of Portland

Stroll through Portland’s Pearl District on a gastronomic walking tour that focuses on the sweeter side of city fare. The tour includes “stops to eat, drink and also to experience the awesome art and architecture,” says spokeswoman Erica Erland. Food often includes hand-crafted chocolates, gourmet cupcakes, hot chocolate and locally roasted coffee. “Get to see what a real cacao bean tastes like before getting into four other chocolates and understanding how to pair them with wines,” said tour leader David Schargel.

Info: Portland Walking Tours; (503) 774-4522, www.portlandwalkingtours.com.

Date: 2 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays.

Price: $59 per person.

RUSSIA

Old sights, new looks

See some of Russia’s most admired sights and, perhaps, compare them with memories of how things used to be. A tour that includes Moscow and St. Petersburg is popular among over-50 travelers and sometimes draws those “who’ve been many years ago and return to observe the differences,” says Rachel Bristlin, of Grand European Tours. In Moscow, visitors will tread on Red Square and view St. Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Tomb and the Kremlin Wall. In St. Petersburg, the tour includes the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Hermitage Museum.

Info: Grand European Tours, Lake Oswego, Ore.; (800) 552-5545, www.getours.com/trips/rbs.html.

Dates: Aug. 16 and 31; Sept. 13, 20 and 28; Oct. 5.

Itinerary: Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; Riga, Latvia; Vilnius, Lithuania; Minsk, Belarus; Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Price: From $4,729 (depending on departure date) per person, double occupancy (single supplement from $1,075), includes round-trip airfare from L.A., accommodations, 23 meals, transfers, tour guides.

-- Amy Hubbard