8-night Western Mediterranean cruise: Marseille, France to Tenerife on Costa Smeralda
The France, Spain, Morocco, Canary Islands is a 8-night Western Mediterranean cruise aboard Costa Smeralda, operated by Costa Cruises. Departing Marseille, France on November 13, 2027 and arriving in Tenerife on November 21, 2027, the voyage visits 7 ports including Barcelona, Malaga, Tangier, Morocco. Fares start from $901 per person.
Fixed editorial images from the places on this itinerary. They stay stable each time you return to this sailing.
Marseille, France
Marseille is the second largest city in France after Paris. It is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Mediterranean. Cave paintings in the nearby Calanques are estimated to be 30,000 years old, and remains of brick habitations date from 6,000 BCE. The more recent history begins with a Hellenic port in about 600 BCE, some remains of which are on view at the city’s History Museum. It has been one of the world’s major seaports almost from its founding, and served as the main European terminus of the French colonial empire in Africa and the Far East. It is located in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region and is the capital of the Bouches-du-Rhone department. On an island in the expansive bay of Marseille stands the prison of Chateau d’If made famous by the Alexandre Dumas novel “The Count of Monte Cristo.” The Vieux-Port with its atmospheric buildings and wharves is the area where visitors can search for the perfect example of the local specialty bouillabaisse, a rich fish stew containing at least three, and often more varieties of local fishes. Marseille’s newly renovated port at the venerable Joliette Docks is situated very close to the striking Cathédrale de la Major and the fascinating collections at the Museum of African, Oceanic and American Indian Arts.
Barcelona
On the northeast coast of Spain, overlooking the Mediterranean, Barcelona is a vibrant port city, packed with centuries of iconic art and architecture—Gaudí and Picasso both called it home—and lined with sunny white-sand beaches. Explore the Catalan capital's tourist attractions and historic neighborhoods, Modernisme and world-renowned art museums, galleries and local crafts shops—some of which are centuries old and stock traditional Catalan wares. After you see the sights, there are lively tapas bars around every corner where you can stop for a drink, a café amb llet (Catalan for espresso with steamed milk) or a snack, no matter the hour. Green spaces for picnics, long walks and respite from the hustle and bustle are scattered throughout Barcelona's attractions: There's Gaudí's mosaic-decorated park, a neoclassical maze at the Laberint d'Horta, as well as plenty of high places (mountains, monuments and edifices) where sightseeing visitors can take in the view. A short trip from Barcelona by car or train, luxury outlets, cava wineries, a mountaintop abbey and the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean coast await.
Malaga
The elegant central zone of Málaga – a stop-off on your MSC cruise of the Mediterranean – is largely pedestrianized with the focal point, marble-paved Calle Marqués de Larios, lined with fashionable stores, its most elegant thoroughfare.
Plaza de la Constitución, Málaga’s main square, hosts a monumental fountain flanked by slender palms and the terraces of numerous cafés and restaurants. Málaga centre has a number of interesting churches and museums, not to mention the birthplace of Picasso and the Museo Picasso Málaga, housing an important collection of works by Málaga’s most famous son.
Perched on the hill above the town are the formidable citadels of the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, magnificent vestiges of the seven centuries that the Moors held sway here.
Málaga is also renowned for its fish and seafood, which can be sampled at tapas bars and restaurants throughout the city, as well as at the old fishing villages of El Palo and Pedregalejo, now absorbed into the suburbs, where there’s a seafront paseo lined with some of the best marisquerías and chiringuitos (beachside fish restaurants) in the province.
The impressive Alcazaba is the place to make for if you’re joining a shore excursion. Clearly visible from your cruise ship, to the left of its entrance on c/Acazabilla stands the Roman Theatre accidentally discovered in 1951, and – following excavation and restoration – now a venue for various outdoor entertainments.
The citadel, too, is Roman in origin, with blocks and columns of marble interspersed among the Moorish brick of the double- and triple-arched gateways. Above the Alcazaba, and connected to it by a long double wall (the coracha), is the Gibralfaro castle. Like the Alcazaba, it has been wonderfully restored and now houses an interesting museum devoted to its history.
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Costa Smeralda is the ship that is the symbol of beauty, style and Italian hospitality. Its spaces were expertly created drawing inspiration from the squares of our beautiful country.
What’s new on our latest Flagship: The Colosseum, the heart of the Costa Smeralda, spanning three decks at the centre of the ship, dedicated to the finest in entertainment. The Piazza di Spagna: a grand open air staircase overlooking the stern. The "Volare" walkway that reaches the highest point on the ship at 65 metres and Trastevere: a square in the centre of the ship that combines bars, shops and entertainment in one place. Now take a look at the current position of Costa Smeralda.
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