Mediterranean from Taranto

The port of Valletta is Malta’s heart. It was here that the Knights of the Order left for the Crusades from here and devoted themselves to caring for the wounded.
In the Mediterranean, the port of Valletta has an important history and a strategic location. Its entrance, located between St Fort and the Sant’Angelo and Ricasoli Forts, transports you instantly into chivalrous past of the island. During your stop in Valletta you will be able to walk the streets with the colourful and decorated facades of the houses. Don’t miss a visit to the magnificent Barrakka Gardens from megalithic times, and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Then visit Gozo to admire the scenery of natural sculptures carved by the sea.

Palermo is the capital of the Italian island of Sicily. The 12th-century Palermo Cathedral houses royal tombs, while the huge neoclassical Teatro Massimo is known for opera performances. Also in the center are the Palazzo dei Normanni, a royal palace started in the 9th century, and the Cappella Palatina, with Byzantine mosaics. Busy markets include the central Ballarò street market and the Vucciria, near the port.

From the ancient port of Civitavecchia you will land in the heart of the Roman and Etruscan civilisations; the old town is also a fabulous mediaeval village. Civitavecchia of today is the result of a thousand-year long process of civilisation and urbanisation in the Lazio region. In the area, close to where this city is located (and just 70 km from Rome), there are important historical elements that, over the centuries, have overlapped and accumulated to confirm the presence and evolution of organised social groups as far back as the prehistoric age. In fact, numerous traces of primitive settlements are found along the coast of Civitavecchia. Equally numerous and important are the Etruscan, Roman and mediaeval structures that have made the city an important urban centre and renowned as the Port of Rome since antiquity. During a cruise departing from Civitavecchia, before continuing in the Mediterranean, you can take advantage of this stop to visit Rome, the grandiose capital with its world-famous monuments: the Forums, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Trajan’s Column, the St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia, Piazza di Spagna and many more.

A pleasant thing to do is simply sit down at one of the cafes overlooking the port of Marseilles and, sipping a Pastis, observe the landscape and the people who inhabit it.
Also called the Porpoise City, Marseille is France’s sunniest town, charming with its gullies where you can swim, its history and culture and restaurants with cosmopolitan cuisine. You cannot leave without having first toured on the “Cours Julien”, the street for shopping. The port of Marseille is perhaps a typical tourist destination, but it deserves to be visited for the ferry that leaves from the Town Hall and the old church, which replaced a Templar building.

Above the port of Savona, the Priamar Fortress greets every departure and arrival of the Costa ships sailing in the Mediterranean. Genoa and its aquarium are nearby. The port of Savona, which you can explore during your cruise in Italy, is one of the prettiest of the Italian Riviera. The lovely climate, summers that are never to hot, mild winters and the exceptional beauty of the sea near the town makes Savona an excellent base to set out to explore Liguria. Savona is notable for the Priamar Fortress, which has dominated the town since the 16th century, and also for its historic centre where you can visit Savona Cathedral. A stop in Savona can also be an opportunity to visit the nearby city of Genoa and its narrow, picturesque streets, known as “caruggi”.