S04E02 - Civitavecchia, Italy: A Rainy Gateway to Rome

In this episode of the TSJ CruisePod, we continue the Mediterranean Tour with our first port call: Civitavecchia, Italy.

Although Civitavecchia is best known as the cruise gateway to Rome, this stop took a different direction. After the originally planned excursion to Tarquinia and Tuscania was cancelled, the day became a more relaxed exploration of Civitavecchia itself.

We took the free port shuttle into town and joined a small open blue sightseeing bus, passing places such as Piazza Calamatta, the Cathedral of St Francis of Assisi, the National Archaeological Museum, the marina, and the Pirgo waterfront area.

It was a day of coastal views, local atmosphere, changing weather, and mixed impressions – from pleasant city scenes and historic landmarks to heavy rain and an unexpectedly expensive ice cream stop.

A quieter, more spontaneous port day – and a reminder that even gateway ports can tell their own story.