For more than 50 years, the Caronte & Tourist S.p.A. Group has guaranteed territorial continuity between the two shores of the Strait of Messina.
Our story at sea begins on 19th June 1965, with the inaugural voyage of the ship Marina di Scilla, which connected the ports of Messina and Reggio Calabria as an alternative to the State Railways.
Three years later, the Tourist Ferry Boat inaugurated the Messina - Villa San Giovanni route. This new route reduced the travel time on the Strait, with significant benefits for passengers. The great success and exponential increase in the number of people climbing aboard our ships lead us to invest in innovation within the fleet. The new ships are fast, efficient and provide excellent standards of safety. The desire to guarantee faster and safer transport, with less environmental impact pushed us once again towards making courageous choices.
In 2001, to meet the growing demands of our passengers and in accordance with the new regulations that limit the travelling time for articulated lorry drivers, arose the avant-garde project of the Autostrade del Mare (Motorways of the Sea). This stable route connects the port of Messina to that of Salerno and represents a valid and safe alternative to the Salerno - Reggio Calabria motorway.
On 7th October 2001, the first trip of the Autostrade d'Amare with Cartour ships took place on the Cartour Delta e Gamma, designed to provide the ultimate in comfort.
In 2003, we reached another important milestone, with the merger of the two historic shipping companies, the Calabrian Caronte and the Sicilian Tourist Ferry Boat, from which emerged Caronte & Tourist S.p.A.
In recent years, the Group's constant objective has always been to expand and diversify its navigation activities. One example is cabotage on the line Messina - Salerno, operated by the Cartour Company.
Today, we also guarantee connections to the Isole Minori with the NGI, Maddalena Lines and with the shipping sector of Siremar, a historic shipping company recently acquired through the Caronte & Tourist Isole Minori company.
Looking to the future, our focus is on eco-sustainable transport. A will that now finds a synthesis in the realization of "Elio", the first ferry boat to sail in the Mediterranean using the LNG, fuel with a very low environmental impact.
In fact, liquefied natural gas reduces CO2 emissions by 40%, 90% by NOx and by 100% by SMEs and Sox. LNG does not contain sulfur oxides or particulate matter, although it is a hydrocarbon.
An ecological ship, in essence, whose delivery ceremony took place November 17, 2018 and represents an epochal turning point because the use of clean fuel becomes finally a reality in maritime connections.
Over 50 years of history, passion and commitment that have led us to be one of the most efficient fleets in Europe.