Mysterious Venetian-style gondolas will roam the Coronado Cays

EXPERIENCING A GONDOLA RIDE... along the centuries-old and beautifully bridged canals of Venice? It's a dream for many travelers when they visit Italy, including those who've seen the fantastical movies that suggest a gondola trip is something rather bewitching, even magical. Of course, anybody who has been in one of the storied vessels can confirm this, but books and screenplays often go further by setting gondola trips in the whimsical world of the supernatural, a realm where vampires, ghosts, and other immortal beings are spied down Venetian alleyways. If you're seeking a Carnival-esque vibe this Halloween season but you can't book an Adriatic adventure ASAP, make your way to Coronado where The Gondola Company is offering an outing with ethereal overtones: The Haunting in Venice Cruises.

OCT. 27-31... are the 2024 dates, and prices start at $99. Your gondolier will be masked, oh yes, and rocking a cape, and melodies of a somewhat macabre nature may waft through the gondola as you roam the Coronado Cays. The seasonal rides have proven to be popular, so it isn't a surprise that The Gondola Company is bringing them back for a limited-time engagement. A not-so-frightful 50 minutes will pass before you're back on terra firma, holding onto the diaphanous and daydream-like memories of spending time in a gondola just before or on Halloween. Dressing in costume? That is allowed, if you'd like to fully embrace to eerie spirit of the season.