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.

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.

Santo Tomás es la más activa de las tres Islas Vírgenes de los Estados Unidos. Con 28 millas cuadradas de exuberantes colinas verdes y playas de arena, Santo Thomas y la cercana Isla de San Juan ven cerca de 1,7 millones de visitantes al año. Es la segunda más grande y más sofisticada de las Islas Vírgenes con una fuerte influencia danesa especialmente evidente en Charlotte Amalie, la ciudad principal y capital. Originalmente llamada Taphaus o Tap House, ahora lleva el nombre de una Reina de Dinamarca. Los lugares de interés histórico de la isla no deben ser ignorados. Su rica historia se remonta al menos varios miles de años. Los primeros indios ya habían desaparecido cuando Dinamarca se instaló en Santo Tomás, pero los Daneses han dejado su huella en muchos sentidos.

An MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise to St. Kitts and Nevis will introduce you to the sister volcanic islands of the Caribbean. These islands have been a premier destination for elite tourists for more than 200 years and served as a haven for European nobility in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Basseterre, founded by the French in 1625, became the capital of St. Kitts in 1727, when the Eng-lish took over the island. It remained under British rule until the islands declared their independence in 1983. Throughout the city’s long history, natural disasters and conflicts have afflicted Basseterre; most buildings date from the latter part of the 1800s. A visit to the city’s two cathedrals, St. George’s Anglican Church and the Catholic Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, will appeal to those with a love of history and architecture. On South Square Street, visit Georgian House, one of the better-preserved examples of local 18th-century architecture.

Leaving Basseterre, take a panoramic drive on an MSC excursion to the southeast peninsula en route for a kayaking adventure. Stop at Timothy Hill to enjoy a 360-degree view and a stunning glimpse of the Atlantic and Caribbean nearly side by side; the two bodies of water, each with a dis-tinct appearance, are separated by a spit of land.

If it is adrenaline that quenches your thirst, go off-road on an excursion into the interior of St. Kitts in a specially modified 4×4 Land Rover to explore the lush rainforest and spot shy, green monkeys and other exotic tropical flora and fauna. At a private mountaintop property, 1,000 feet above sea level, enjoy amazing vistas of the rainforest, the coastline, Basseterre, and the neighbouring island of Nevis. Continue your journey through the mountains to the opposite side of the island to explore quaint villages and experience country life.

Learn about wearable art at Romney Manor, home of the world-famous Caribelle Batik. Visit the demonstration room, where acclaimed artists present the wax and dye process of batik making. The Romney Manor Estate encompasses eight acres of historical ruins and features ancient Carib Indian rock drawings and a beautiful botanical garden.

For an excursion unlike any other, book a land-and-sea tour combining train and catamaran. In the first leg of the trip, take in the scenery of St. Kitts on a narrow-gauge train, followed by a catama-ran cruise. The St. Kitts Scenic Railway has been showing visitors the island since 2003, but be-fore that it had transported sugar cane from the fields to the sugar mill in Basseterre for nearly 100 years. At the end of the train journey, board a catamaran to sail the storied western coast of the is-land and take in its gorgeous views.

Fly through the rainforest 25 stories above the ground as you enjoy a spectacular zipline tour over a network of 5 cable lines at the historic Wingfield Estate. Enjoy fantastic panoramic views of Brimstone Hill National Fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Old Road Village, former sugar estates, the Caribbean Sea and Mount Liamuiga, with its volcano crater ridge marking the highest point in St. Kitts.

Tanto los Franceses y los Holandeses reclamaron la Isla de St. Maarten. En 1648 los poderes firmados en un tratado dividió la isla entre ellos, a pesar de que las dos partes tienen características culturales distintas. Pero en sus diferencias se suma el encanto de este rincón del Caribe y la convierte en una de las cocinas más deliciosa conocida en todo el mundo. Entre Great Bay y el Great Salt Pond esta la capital Holandesa Philipsburg que llena una pequeña extensión de tierra, y las dos carreteras principales Front Street y Back Street cruzan toda la ciudad. Front Street es la calle principal, con una arquitectura tradicional de las Indias Occidentales y libre de impuestos de compras de bienes importados y artesanías nativas.

”Una playa al día”, el lema de Antigua, se refiere a las 365 hermosas playas de la isla, famosas, secretas o incluso enclavadas en cráteres volcánicos. Hay una playa para cada estilo de vida, para lo que son sociales y los que buscan la soledad.

Cuando llegue a un crucero de MSC por el Caribe y las Antillas al puerto de St. John’s, la capital y centro comercial de Antigua y Barbuda, disfrute de las coloridas casas vi-brantes de la ciudad que datan de su período colonial británico, junto con las evocadoras torres blancas barrocas de la Catedral de St. John’s y las fortalezas de Fort James y Barrington. Esta ciudad cosmopolita y relajada, con un toque claramente británico, es famosa pro sus compras en boutiques de lujo y centros comerciales de alta gama.

Más allá de la ciudad, reserve una excursión del MSC al histórico Nelson’s Dockyard en English Harbour, dedicado al almirante Horatio Nelson, que estuvo destinado en las Indias Occidentales entre 1784 y 1787. El astillero, declarado Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO, es el mayor de los parques nacionales de Antigua y sigue siendo un astillero en funcionamiento para numerosos yates y barcos. Hermosamente restaurados, sus edificios georgianos de madera y piedra datan de finales del siglo XVII y principios del XIX. Entre abril y principios de mayo, el astillero es la sede de algunas de las regatas de vela más importantes del mundo, como la Antigua Sailing Week. La excursión continúa para visitar las emblemáticas ruinas de Shirley Heights, que ofrecen unas vistas impresionantes de English Harbour.

Si le atrae una excursión por la naturaleza, diríjase a Stingray City para nadar con las simpáticas rayas del sur en aguas cristalinas. O descubra la exuberante selva tropical de Antigua a vista de pájaro mientras navega por las copas de los árboles en una excursión guiada por las copas de los árboles que le hará caminar por un puente colgante y atravesar tirolinas sobre un espectacular desfiladero.

Blessed with some of the oldest buildings in the Western Hemisphere, San Juan, Puerto Rico’s cap-ital, is romantically charming with its bright pastel Spanish colonial facades, wrought-iron balconies abloom with flowers, narrow cobblestone streets and beloved park squares. Once you arrive on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise at the port, explore Old San Juan (Viejo San Juan), a UNESCO World Heritage district, widely renowned for the fortresses of Castillo San Felipe del Morro and the Castillo San Cristóbal.

The old town occupies the headland of a 2.5-mile-long island (connected by bridge to the mainland) that shelters San Juan Bay, for centuries a key port in the New World. It was originally known as Puerto Rico, or “rich port,” because its location made it the perfect stop for shipping.

Several MSC excursions offer walking tours that let you soak up amazing views of San Juan, while making cultural discoveries of a lifetime. Wander through the old town along the Paseo de la Princesa, San Juan’s oldest tree-lined avenue; head up its southern city wall, La Muralla, which until the late 19th century encircled all of Old San Juan with sandstone; and tour the 16th-century fortress of El Morro, with its six different lines of defence.

Take a coffee-tasting walking tour to explore Puerto Rico’s rich coffee culture, and learn how the island’s rich volcanic soil and climate have contributed to the rise of coffee as one of its main crops. Taste a delicious cup of freshly brewed Puerto Rican café con leche, learn about the island’s historical ties with the caffeine-rich beverage, and explore how coffee and the church are connected on this MSC excursion through the streets of Old San Juan.

Or savour San Juan’s culinary delights, in a Martha Stewart excursion curated exclusively for MSC that will have you tasting local cuisine and drinks at five destinations along the route through the fortified colonial city. From Puerto Rican fritters at historic El Convento Hotel, to chocolate tasting at a fourth-generation chocolatier, you won’t want to miss this tour, which ends at La Casita de Rones for a rum lesson and a piña colada, the national drink of Puerto Rico.

With more than 80% of the world’s rum coming from Puerto Rico, delve deeper into the spirit on an MSC excursion to Casa Bacardí in the town of Cataño. Discover the story behind Bacardí’s legendary cocktails, sniff the products on display and learn about the rum-making process including wood barrelling, ageing and finishing. For the grand finale, enjoy a fascinating mixology show.

Nature lovers will not want to miss a visit to El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. territory and one of Puerto Rico’s finest spots of natural beauty. Marvel at its small horsetail waterfalls, giant ferns and tropical hardwoods.

For an enchanting experience, kayak into the enchanting bioluminescent bay at Laguna Grande of Fajardo on another MSC excursion. Under the blanket of the night sky and the lighthouse of Fajardo, paddle through the water and watch it glow with the bioluminescence of millions and millions of tiny organisms.

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.

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.