Caribe desde Miami

Miami is called the gateway to the Americas, and it’s indeed a very glamourous global city to explore at the start or end of an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise. Home to many cultures, the city of Miami sizzles with flavours from the Americas, beginning with Cuba and the Little Havana neighbourhood – one of the most historically significant places, while Wynwood is famous for its wall art and Puerto Rican history.

Across Biscayne Bay lies the city of Miami Beach, home to the world-famous South Beach. An MSC-arranged guided private tour opens up a world of possibilities for you: enjoy the beach, take in the city’s Art Deco architecture and enjoy a drink on legendary Ocean Drive, where you can people watch, and perhaps spot a celebrity. If time permits, take a stroll on artsy Lincoln Road packed with street side cafes and shops.

Facing the MSC Cruises port in downtown Miami is Bayside Marketplace – a lively commercial centre that is a staging area for boat tours of Miami. Seeing the city from the water, with its impressive skyline and waterfront mansions, is an experience in itself. The downtown area also boasts the dazzling Performing Arts Centre, the Museum of Science, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (known as the PAMM), scenic Bayfront Park and the arena where the 3-time NBA champion Miami Heat basketball team plays.

Miami is renowned for its shopping. Hop on a tour to see the major city sights followed by retail therapy at one of Miami’s largest and newest shopping malls: Dolphin Mall. With more than 240 retail outlets, you’re bound to need a bit of room in your luggage for your purchases. Luckily, there are several luggage stores at the mall to fill that need.
Head west past the city into untamed wilderness on an MSC excursion into the Everglades. At this national park where water is the central feature, unlike any other in North America, nature enthusiasts can hop on an airboat tour through the swampland and waterways to spot alligators and a variety of birds.

San Felipe de Puerto Plata es la capital de la provincia de Puerto Plata, en la costa norte atlántica de la República Dominicana. La ciudad es más conocida por sus playas. El extenso paseo marítimo de Playa Dorada está respaldado por complejos turísticos y un campo de golf de 18 hoyos. El antiguo centro de la ciudad, de la época colonial, está dominado por la Fortaleza Sa Felipe, del siglo XVI, una fortaleza española que ahora alberga objetos históricos y militares.

El puerto de Nassau se encuentra en la parte noreste de la Isla de Nueva Providencia. La isla es plana, cubierta de bosques de pinos, lagos y pantanos. En el norte hay playas maravillosas, puertos turísticos, campos de golf y muchos otros lugares de ocio y tiempo libre. También hay una cadena de montañas, que alcanzan una altura máxima de 41 metros. Nassau es la capital y es un importante centro de las finanzas internacionales y también organiza conferencias a nivel mundial. Apreciado por su puerto protegido, la ciudad hizo historia y la preservó maravillosamente en mansiones Victorianas, catedrales, fortalezas del siglo 18 y Escalera de la Reina, cuyos 66 escalones conducen a una visión que no debe perderse. Nassau es el hogar de curtidos, antiguas fortalezas, elegantes, noble arquitectura y la fina artesanía y productos locales e internacionales, elaborados y finos, hechos a mano como los largos batik a los relojes Rolex. Una gran cantidad de hoteles resort de lujo, casinos, espectáculos de cabaret, y muelles de cruceros hacen de Nassau en un vibrante centro de entretenimiento, así como el comercio.

Miami is called the gateway to the Americas, and it’s indeed a very glamourous global city to explore at the start or end of an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise. Home to many cultures, the city of Miami sizzles with flavours from the Americas, beginning with Cuba and the Little Havana neighbourhood – one of the most historically significant places, while Wynwood is famous for its wall art and Puerto Rican history.

Across Biscayne Bay lies the city of Miami Beach, home to the world-famous South Beach. An MSC-arranged guided private tour opens up a world of possibilities for you: enjoy the beach, take in the city’s Art Deco architecture and enjoy a drink on legendary Ocean Drive, where you can people watch, and perhaps spot a celebrity. If time permits, take a stroll on artsy Lincoln Road packed with street side cafes and shops.

Facing the MSC Cruises port in downtown Miami is Bayside Marketplace – a lively commercial centre that is a staging area for boat tours of Miami. Seeing the city from the water, with its impressive skyline and waterfront mansions, is an experience in itself. The downtown area also boasts the dazzling Performing Arts Centre, the Museum of Science, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (known as the PAMM), scenic Bayfront Park and the arena where the 3-time NBA champion Miami Heat basketball team plays.

Miami is renowned for its shopping. Hop on a tour to see the major city sights followed by retail therapy at one of Miami’s largest and newest shopping malls: Dolphin Mall. With more than 240 retail outlets, you’re bound to need a bit of room in your luggage for your purchases. Luckily, there are several luggage stores at the mall to fill that need.
Head west past the city into untamed wilderness on an MSC excursion into the Everglades. At this national park where water is the central feature, unlike any other in North America, nature enthusiasts can hop on an airboat tour through the swampland and waterways to spot alligators and a variety of birds.

El reggae, el ron, las hermosas playas, la cocina picante y la exuberante y verde campiña han atraído durante mucho tiempo a los visitantes a Jamaica y, en particular, a la ciudad de Falmouth, una de las ciudades georgianas mejor conservadas del Caribe, situada en la costa norte de la isla.

En un crucero de MSC por el Caribe y las Antillas a Falmouth, tendrá la oportunidad de observar cómo los edificios más antiguos del centro de la ciudad -la torre del reloj, el mercado victoriano, el juzgado y la Casa Vermont, todos ellos de finales del siglo XVIII y principios del XIX – contrastan con el puerto de nueva construcción.

Durante la época colonial, Falmouth era un puerto floreciente. Los barcos cargados de azúcar y ron partían hacia Gran Bretaña y regresaban trayendo esclavos de África Hoy en día, Falmouth se ha hecho famosa por las distintas variedades de ron que se producen en las destilerías repartidas por la ciudad.

Para echar un vistazo a la vida en las plantaciones, y de paso probar un poco de ron, únase a una excursión del MSC a la finca Good Hope, con su impresionante Great House y su pueblo colonial. Establecida originalmente a mediados del siglo XVII para servir como plantaciones de azúcar, la finca se extiende por un total de 2.000 acres y alberga varios edificios, la mayoría de los cuales han sido restaurados con cariño para devolverles su antigua gloria.

O combine la naturaleza y la historia en una relajante excursión guiada en balsa de bambú por el río Martha Brae, pasando por grupos de bambúes y helechos susurrantes a lo largo del recorrido de 3 millas. Durante esta excursión del MSC, visitará la Iglesia Anglicana de San Pedro, una de las más antiguas y grandes de Jamaica, antes de llegar al encantador pueblo de Martha Brae. Fue fundado por el propietario de una plantación en 1762, cuando seccionó parte de su finca.

Mas allá de Falmouth, aventúrese en una excursión del MSC a Ocho Ríos y a las cataratas de Dunn’s River, donde le guiarán por las cataratas de 600 pies en una experiencia inolvidable. O bien, suba en una telesilla a 700 pies de la ladera de la montaña a través del dosel de la selva tropical para disfrutar de una estimulante carrera en trineo llena de giros y vueltas por la montaña.

Para los amantes de la equitación, cabalgue a pelo por el mar Caribe en una excursión de MSC que le llevará por la pintoresca costa jamaicana antes de sumergirse en el agua para darse un refrescante baño con su caballo.

Cobbled streets, balconies overflowing with blooming bougainvillea and pastel-coloured buildings lining elegant plazas make Cartagena in Colombia one of the Caribbean’s most photogenic cities, and a memorable stop on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise.

Founded in 1533, this Spanish colonial city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is steeped in history. Its location made it a popular target for plunderers and English pirates, and arguably features the most impressive collection of forts in the Caribbean. Today the city is eager to share its treasures with modern visitors. Magnificent colonial structures such as the 16th-century Santa Catalina Cathedral, with its striking stuccoes and dome tower, and the three-arch clock gate, the Torre del Reloj, are just two of the many landmarks of this enchanting city dotted with many squares and sidewalk cafés.

A wonderful photo stop on our Cartagena City MSC excursion is the San Felipe de Barajas fortress, a marvel of colonial Spanish military engineering. Its construction began in 1536. Slaves la-boured for more than 120 years to erect this fortress – built on high ground with dominating ap-proaches to the city by land and sea to fend off pirates – and its network of tunnels.

On yet another MSC excursion, enrich your palate as you learn about the rich aromas and flavours of Colombian coffee. Introduced by the Jesuits in 1723, coffee quickly became a key crop in Colombia, which is now one of the top producers of Arabica coffee in the world.

Colombia is also the world’s top producer of emeralds. If jewellery and gems fascinate you, learn all about these green precious stones and make your own emerald-studded jewellery in sterling silver during a hands-on MSC excursion that guides you step-by-step.

And you don’t need to go far to explore nature. An MSC excursion takes you by canoe through mangrove tunnels to Ciénaga de la Virgen, where you can witness a diversity of birds from king-fishers and white herons to pelicans and pink-feathered roseate spoonbills.

Panama is synonymous with the Panama Canal. While Panama connects Central America to South America, the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. The channel reduces shipping time and currently connects 160 countries and 1,700 ports around the world. Hailed as an engineering marvel, the artificial waterway with its elaborate lock system is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century.

Arriving on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise into Colón, Panama’s gateway city, you’ll encounter the irresistible juxtaposition of the ancient and modern, the artificial and natural, as enormous computerized container ships transiting the canal slice through primeval rainforests teeming with fluorescent frogs and elusive wild cats.
Book an MSC excursion to hop on a ferry that will take you along the length of the Panama Canal, through lakes and locks and past the Centennial and Americas bridges. Finally, you will arrive at Pacific port at the entrance to the Panama Canal, and then enjoy a 90-minute bus ride back to your ship.

Not far from the ceaseless activity on the canal lies untamed nature. Take a guided eco-cruise on Gatún Lake, surrounded by rainforest. Gatún, created in 1913 to fill the fertile valley of the Chagres River, is the world’s largest artificial lake, and an integral part of the dam and canal. Catch glimpses of exotic birds, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, crocodiles and more. Following your lake cruise, go on a rainforest walk and follow the eco-trail that surrounds the lake.
Head off the beaten path on an MSC excursion to explore the world of the Emberá people, located only half an hour by dugout up the Chagres River. Emberá villagers, who live much as they did when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, will welcome you in traditional dress, with dances, music and their artefacts: baskets, jewellery and the cocobolo, a small sculpture made from a special kind of wood.

The Colón cruise also gives you the opportunity to discover bustling Panama City, the country’s capital, with its pleasant blend of modern and colonial architecture. Enjoy a scenic visit to Panama City’s cobblestoned historic centre, Casco Viejo, or the Colonial City, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Founded in 1673, the Casco Viejo, or Casco Antiguo as it is also called, was built following the near-total destruction of the original Panama City two years earlier, when it was attacked by an Englishman, Captain Henry Morgan. The Casco Antiguo brims with historical buildings, including a cathedral and national theatre, a French monument to the 22,000 workers who died building the Panama Canal, and the fabulous Las Bóvedas walkway. The tour also includes a quick visit to Agua Claras Locks (Expansion Centre) to see how the Panama Canal operates.

Una vez fue el principal puerto de la Costa Atlántica, hoy Puerto Limón, a 165 kilometros al este de San José, tiene un aire un tanto descuidado. Ha habido poca actividad en el puerto ya que los grandes barcos bananeros comenzaron la carga en Moín, a 8 km por promontorio hacia Tortuguero. Escasamente poblada, la provincia de Limón barre hacia el sur, en un arco desde Nicaragua hasta Panamá. Rodeada al norte por densas selvas y cursos de agua pantanosas al oeste por la poderosa Cordillera Central y al sur por la circunferencia más amplia de la Cordillera de Talamanca, la Provincia de Limón puede parecer como en un lugar perdido del fin del mundo . Aquí puede ver como las apicables tortugas marinas gigantes ponen sus huevos en las playas marcadas por las olas deTortuguero; bucear en los arrecifes de coral de Cahuita; surf en Puerto Viejo; dejarse llevar por lo largo del canal de la selva de Tortuguero hasta el Barra del Colorado, un importante destino de pesca deportiva, o intentar ver los animales y observar las aves en los numerosos manglares.

Una experiencia maravillosa, admirando a los delfines en su hábitat natural, podrá tocar estas emocionantes criaturas y nadar con ellas en las cristalinas aguas de las playas de las islas.

Miami is called the gateway to the Americas, and it’s indeed a very glamourous global city to explore at the start or end of an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise. Home to many cultures, the city of Miami sizzles with flavours from the Americas, beginning with Cuba and the Little Havana neighbourhood – one of the most historically significant places, while Wynwood is famous for its wall art and Puerto Rican history.

Across Biscayne Bay lies the city of Miami Beach, home to the world-famous South Beach. An MSC-arranged guided private tour opens up a world of possibilities for you: enjoy the beach, take in the city’s Art Deco architecture and enjoy a drink on legendary Ocean Drive, where you can people watch, and perhaps spot a celebrity. If time permits, take a stroll on artsy Lincoln Road packed with street side cafes and shops.

Facing the MSC Cruises port in downtown Miami is Bayside Marketplace – a lively commercial centre that is a staging area for boat tours of Miami. Seeing the city from the water, with its impressive skyline and waterfront mansions, is an experience in itself. The downtown area also boasts the dazzling Performing Arts Centre, the Museum of Science, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (known as the PAMM), scenic Bayfront Park and the arena where the 3-time NBA champion Miami Heat basketball team plays.

Miami is renowned for its shopping. Hop on a tour to see the major city sights followed by retail therapy at one of Miami’s largest and newest shopping malls: Dolphin Mall. With more than 240 retail outlets, you’re bound to need a bit of room in your luggage for your purchases. Luckily, there are several luggage stores at the mall to fill that need.
Head west past the city into untamed wilderness on an MSC excursion into the Everglades. At this national park where water is the central feature, unlike any other in North America, nature enthusiasts can hop on an airboat tour through the swampland and waterways to spot alligators and a variety of birds.