Cruise passengers never fail to be impressed as they sail into the breathtaking harbour in the European city so pretty the entire place has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site
The world’s most beautiful cruise port has been revealed, and the good news for Brits is that they won’t need to sail too far to enjoy the views.
That’s because they’ll simply need to pick cruises sailing along the Mediterranean with a port of call to Malta, as Valletta Cruise Port has been named the prettiest in the world.
With its eye-catching historic buildings, traditional boats moored in the harbour and sun-soaked weather, it’s not difficult to see why Valletta never fails to be a hit with holidaymakers. In fact, the city is so beautiful the entire place has been given UNESCO World Heritage status.
According to new rankings from cruise specialists at AllClear Travel Insurance, Valletta gives the best first impression from the water as ships arrive. (Meanwhile, eagle-eyed TV fans may recognise it as one of the settings for King’s Landing in Game of Thrones).
To determine which ports were the prettiest, researchers conducted an “eye-tracking study that compared a variety of the world’s most scenic ports and monitored which caught travellers’ eyes the quickest, and for the longest amount of time”.
They explained: “A UNESCO World Heritage Site, our study’s most beautiful cruise port is a masterpiece in harbour aesthetics. Its combination of golden limestone reflecting off the glistening water provides the ultimate, jaw-dropping arrival into this exciting mediterranean city, and with the longest fixation time of any port in the study, Malta certainly earned its place as our number one.”
One top tip from fellow cruise fans? “Walk into the historic town in just 15 minutes and explore St John’s Co-Cathedral with its Baroque artwork, or head to the Upper Barrakka Gardens for panoramic views of the harbour itself.”
The good news is that there are heaps of cruise lines that offer itineraries with ports of call to Malta, including the likes of P&O Cruises, Fred. Olsen, Royal Caribbean, TUI’s Marella Cruises and MSC Cruises.
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It’s not difficult to see why it’s so popular with intrepid explorers too. Highlights for GoT fans include the gates of Mdina and St Dominic’s Convent, both of which served as filming locations in the show, while a boat trip to the nearby islands of Gozo and Comino allows you to take in the views of lagoons with azure waters that look like the stuff of postcards (Gozo’s submerged Azure Window is a must-visit). History buffs won’t be disappointed either courtesy of the numbers of temples and catacombs that can be explored.
It wasn’t just Valletta which impressed in the study. Out of the top 10 spots, the majority of the world’s prettiest ports were in Mediterranean locations, including the likes of Italy and Croatia. You can check out the top 10 list below.
- Valletta Cruise Port, Malta
- Port of Ushuaia, Argentina
- Port of Palermo, Italy
- Stadsgården Cruise Terminal, Sweden
- Nassau Cruise Port, Bahamas
- Aruba Cruise Terminal, Aruba
- Lisbon Cruise Port, Portugal, and Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal, Australia
- Port Sultan Qaboos, Oman, and Ege Port, Turkey
- Port of Gruž, Croatia
- Cape Town Cruise Terminal, South Africa
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