Page 52 - SLO Visitors Guide Fall 2025

52 FALL 2025 slovisitorsguide.com
Morro Bay
(805) 900-6000
1170 Front St., Morro Bay Book Now! Book Now!
Venetian romance in Morro Bay—
no passport required
You don’t have to be in Venice
to experience a spectacu-
lar cruise in a gondola. Stefano
Anastasia grew up on the Central
Coast of California, and when
he attended college in Southern
California, he worked rowing for
gondola service companies.
He told the owner of Gianna, a
wedding gondola, that he planned
Family and
pet-friendly
sunsets, food,
and messages in
bottles
to one day purchase the boat and
launch his own company. Sixteen
years later, in 2023, Stefano did
just that. The Gianna is one of
only five authentic Venetian
wedding gondolas in the United
States, and guests can now enjoy
cruises all year round in Morro
Bay. The company recently
celebrated its second anniversary
and offers several different cruises
with its small fleet of gondolas.
Stefano has over 23 years of
experience rowing gondolas, and
he was delighted to bring his pas-
sion for Italian culture, Venetian
boats, and romance to the Central
Coast. A former champion of the
US Gondola Nationals, he is an
expert gondolier and is happy
to share stories and history with
guests. He dresses in a traditional
striped shirt and maneuvers the
gondola around the bay using a
single oar while standing.
Enjoy a three-course meal
or bring a picnic
Central Coast Gondola Ser-
vice offers 60–90-minute cruises
for up to six people in addition
to a two-hour Elegant Dinner
Take a romantic gondola ride in Morro Bay.