Caribbean from Miami

Miami is one of the world’s most popular holiday spots. It has so much to offer; from its countless beach areas, to culture and museums, from spa and shopping days out, to endless cuban restaurants and cafes. Miami is a multicultural city that has something to offer to everyone.

Miami is one of the world’s most popular holiday spots. It has so much to offer; from its countless beach areas, to culture and museums, from spa and shopping days out, to endless cuban restaurants and cafes. Miami is a multicultural city that has something to offer to everyone.

Setting foot on Isla de Roatán, off the coast of Honduras, is like entering an incredible work of art where the mountainous lush green junglescape meets the glorious blue sea, and deep coves hide pirates of the past. Roatán, after all, was at one point home to more than 5,000 pirates. Largely untouched, Roatán is known for its barrier reef, fishing and diving cultures. The island offers easy access to beautiful beaches and its coral reef, a sanctuary for snorkelers and divers exploring the bounty of its marine life. You’ll arrive on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise into Coxen Hole, the capital of the island, aptly named after the pirate who anchored his ship here at the end of the 17th century. Head off the beaten track to explore the picturesque fishing villages of Punta Gorda, with its Garifuna people, descendants of island Caribs and African slaves, and Oak Ridge, a village on stilts only accessible by boat. Here in an exclusive Martha Stewart excursion curated for MSC, you’ll learn about the local fishing culture, taste local delicacies and explore the island’s waterways and mangroves. For something more adventurous, book one of several MSC excursions that will have you darting across suspension bridges, zip lining through jungle canopy and mingling with monkeys, toucans, parrots and many other birds that inhabit the local forests. Seeking more vibes? Head to popular West Bay for excellent cocktails, beautiful beaches, shopping and entertainment that livens the atmosphere in the rhythm of Caribbean music.

Setting foot on Isla de Roatán, off the coast of Honduras, is like entering an incredible work of art where the mountainous lush green junglescape meets the glorious blue sea, and deep coves hide pirates of the past. Roatán, after all, was at one point home to more than 5,000 pirates. Largely untouched, Roatán is known for its barrier reef, fishing and diving cultures. The island offers easy access to beautiful beaches and its coral reef, a sanctuary for snorkelers and divers exploring the bounty of its marine life. You’ll arrive on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise into Coxen Hole, the capital of the island, aptly named after the pirate who anchored his ship here at the end of the 17th century. Head off the beaten track to explore the picturesque fishing villages of Punta Gorda, with its Garifuna people, descendants of island Caribs and African slaves, and Oak Ridge, a village on stilts only accessible by boat. Here in an exclusive Martha Stewart excursion curated for MSC, you’ll learn about the local fishing culture, taste local delicacies and explore the island’s waterways and mangroves. For something more adventurous, book one of several MSC excursions that will have you darting across suspension bridges, zip lining through jungle canopy and mingling with monkeys, toucans, parrots and many other birds that inhabit the local forests. Seeking more vibes? Head to popular West Bay for excellent cocktails, beautiful beaches, shopping and entertainment that livens the atmosphere in the rhythm of Caribbean music.

Laid-back coast with sandy beaches & waterfront eateries, plus diving around offshore coral reefs.

Laid-back coast with sandy beaches & waterfront eateries, plus diving around offshore coral reefs.

A forty-kilometre-long island directly off the coast from Playa del Carmen, Isla Cozumel is a renowned cruise-ship call: nearly every day, up to ten cruise ships dock at one of the island’s three dedicated piers, all just south of the only town, San Miguel. A holiday to Mexico with MSC Cruises will present you with restaurants, souvenir shops and jewellery stores, all along the malecón(Av Rafael Melgar) in downtown San Miguel. If you fancy a museum, the attractive Museo de la Isla de Cozumel has small displays of the flora, fauna and marine life of the island, as well as a good collection of Maya artefacts and old photos. If you’re not a diver, there’s a certain appeal in wandering the relaxed inland blocks of San Miguel, away from the piers, spotting Maya ruins and birds (the Maya called the island cuzamil – “land of the swallows”) in the dense forests and being the only person on the windswept eastern beaches. Midway across the island, San Gervasio is the only excavated Maya site on Cozumel. With several small temples connected by sacbeob, or long white roads, it was one of the many independent city-states that survived the fall of Chichén Itzá, flourishing between 1200 AD and 1650 AD. As part of a larger nature reserve the site is worth a visit for the numerous birds and butterflies you can spot early in the morning or late in the day. Another place to visit is Xcaret, a surprisingly pleasant theme park: it offers all the Yucatán’s attractions in one handy place, with a museum, a tropical aquarium, a “Maya village”, a beach, some small authentic ruins, pools and more than a kilometre of subterranean rivers down which you can swim, snorkel or float. On the other hand, neighbouring Xplor is dedicated to ziplines and other outdoor adventure.

A forty-kilometre-long island directly off the coast from Playa del Carmen, Isla Cozumel is a renowned cruise-ship call: nearly every day, up to ten cruise ships dock at one of the island’s three dedicated piers, all just south of the only town, San Miguel. A holiday to Mexico with MSC Cruises will present you with restaurants, souvenir shops and jewellery stores, all along the malecón(Av Rafael Melgar) in downtown San Miguel. If you fancy a museum, the attractive Museo de la Isla de Cozumel has small displays of the flora, fauna and marine life of the island, as well as a good collection of Maya artefacts and old photos. If you’re not a diver, there’s a certain appeal in wandering the relaxed inland blocks of San Miguel, away from the piers, spotting Maya ruins and birds (the Maya called the island cuzamil – “land of the swallows”) in the dense forests and being the only person on the windswept eastern beaches. Midway across the island, San Gervasio is the only excavated Maya site on Cozumel. With several small temples connected by sacbeob, or long white roads, it was one of the many independent city-states that survived the fall of Chichén Itzá, flourishing between 1200 AD and 1650 AD. As part of a larger nature reserve the site is worth a visit for the numerous birds and butterflies you can spot early in the morning or late in the day. Another place to visit is Xcaret, a surprisingly pleasant theme park: it offers all the Yucatán’s attractions in one handy place, with a museum, a tropical aquarium, a “Maya village”, a beach, some small authentic ruins, pools and more than a kilometre of subterranean rivers down which you can swim, snorkel or float. On the other hand, neighbouring Xplor is dedicated to ziplines and other outdoor adventure.

Miami is one of the world’s most popular holiday spots. It has so much to offer; from its countless beach areas, to culture and museums, from spa and shopping days out, to endless cuban restaurants and cafes. Miami is a multicultural city that has something to offer to everyone.

Miami is one of the world’s most popular holiday spots. It has so much to offer; from its countless beach areas, to culture and museums, from spa and shopping days out, to endless cuban restaurants and cafes. Miami is a multicultural city that has something to offer to everyone.

Christopher Columbus dubbed the peak overlooking the town Monte de Plata due to the silvery hue of its cloud cover, but the region is actually best known for its abundant amber deposits. View ancient fossils and insects encased for millions of years in this translucent, hardened sap at the Amber Museum, stroll among vividly painted Victorian mansions and then take a cable car to the 2,600-foot summit of Pico Isabel de Torres for glorious views of the entire Amber Coast. At the superbly preserved 16th-century Fortaleza San Felipe, look out to sea and imagine an onslaught of pirates eager to plunder the town’s treasures. Fortunately, today you need not cannonade Puerto Plata from a frigate to access its myriad attractions.

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.

Miami is one of the world’s most popular holiday spots. It has so much to offer; from its countless beach areas, to culture and museums, from spa and shopping days out, to endless cuban restaurants and cafes. Miami is a multicultural city that has something to offer to everyone.