By
Alex Smith |
Costa Cruises has begun its first season of sailing from the port of Taranto in Italy.
Costa Pacifica arrived in Taranto for the first time on 3 June, carrying over 5,000 guests, followed by a second visit on 10 June. The start of the season was celebrated with the traditional exchanging of plaques, attended by Rinaldo Melucci, mayor of Taranto; Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises; Sergio Prete, president of the Ionian Sea Port System Authority; and Raddaella Del Prete, general manager of Italian cruise ports at Global Ports Holding.
Until 7 October, Costa Pacifica will visit Taranto every Saturday from 8am to 5:30 pm, for a total of 19 calls. Along with Taranto and Catania in Italy, the ship’s week-long itinerary includes visits to Valletta in Malta and to Mykonos and Santorini in Greece.
Guests visiting Taranto onboard Costa Pacifica will be able to join two tours dedicated to the city’s sights. The first includes a visit to MarTa, Taranto’s national archaeological museum, and locations in the old city, while the second will be a walking tour of the old city with a visit to the Arogonese Castle and the cathedral of San Cataldo.
Two boat tours for passengers will also depart from Taranto. One is dedicated to families and will be onboard a boat with a transparent bottom, providing views of the seabed in the Gulf of Taranto. The second will allow guests to meet researchers from the Jonian Dolphin Conservation Association and to discover the life and habitat of dolphins in the gulf. There are also tours dedicated to destinations near Taranto, such as Locorotondo, Alberobello, Matera, Ostuni, Castellana and Polignano, and Manduria.
In 2024, Costa Fascinosa will arrive in Taranto, calling every Sunday from 9 June to 22 September and visiting the same destinations offered by Costa Pacifica in 2023.
"We are pleased to have brought Taranto onto the map of the valuable destinations we offer in Italy and around the world,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises. “The debut, a week ago, was a success. We want to continue working together with local institutions and operators to promote the excellence of the area and offer ever better experiences to our guests, most of whom come from abroad and discover Taranto for the first time.”