BARCELONA TO BRAZIL

Few cities in Europe make a better case for arriving early. Barcelona rewards two days well; the Gothic Quarter’s medieval lanes and the Sagrada Família are within easy walking distance of each other, and the Boqueria market is worth a morning on its own. The city’s beach culture, rooftop bars and restaurant scene give the evenings a life of their own. By the time you board on day three, you’ll already feel like the journey has begun.

Today is a day at leisure in Barcelona

One of the busiest cruise ports in the Mediterranean, the seaside city of Barcelona is known for its iconic architecture, colourful culture, and world-class drinking and dining.

Explore Antoni Gaudí’s surreal Sagrada Família, the famous boulevard of the Ramblas, the medieval Barri Gótic, and the Museu Picasso. But there’s even more to discover in this sprawling Spanish city, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination: from hidden tapas bars and fabulous food markets to Europe’s biggest football stadium.

Malaga is the most underrated city on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. The historic centre is compact and largely pedestrian, anchored by the grand marble boulevard of Calle Marques de Larios and the lively Plaza de la Constitucion. Above the city, the Alcazaba fortress and Gibralfaro castle offer commanding views over the port and out to sea. Malaga is also Picasso’s birthplace – the Museo Picasso houses a serious collection in a beautifully restored 16th-century palace.

Santa Cruz is the cosmopolitan capital of the Canary Islands and your last European port before the Atlantic crossing. The city has genuine character beyond its role as a cruise stopover – the striking wave-form Auditorio de Tenerife is one of Spain’s most photographed buildings, and the Plaza de Espana waterfront is a fine place to watch the city go about its day. Those with energy to spare can head inland to Teide National Park, where Spain’s highest peak rises above a lunar volcanic landscape.

Maceio sits on Brazil’s northeast coast where the Atlantic meets a system of natural coastal lagoons and offshore reefs, creating some of the most beautiful beach conditions in the country. The natural pools at Pajucara – formed by reefs just offshore – are Maceio’s signature experience, reached by traditional wooden jangada boat from the beach. The water here is a particular shade of green that photographs suggest but doesn’t quite capture until you see it in person. A genuinely beautiful port call.

Salvador de Bahia is the cultural soul of Brazil. The Pelourinho – the UNESCO-listed historic centre perched on the bluff above the bay – is a maze of cobbled streets, Baroque churches and colonial facades painted in brilliant colours. This is where Afro-Brazilian culture runs deepest: capoeira, candomble and samba de roda all trace their roots here. The city hums with music in the late afternoon. Allow time to simply walk and listen – Salvador is one of the most alive cities in South America.

Rio is one of those cities that genuinely delivers on its reputation. The approach into Guanabara Bay, with Sugarloaf Mountain on one side and the forested hills rising behind the city on the other, is among the great arrival moments in travel. On land, the choices are almost overwhelming – Copacabana and Ipanema for the legendary beach culture, the cable car to the summit of Sugarloaf, or the cog railway up Corcovado to stand at the feet of Christ the Redeemer. Pick two, do them well, and the city will stay with you.

Ilhabela – literally “beautiful island” – sits off the Sao Paulo coast and lives up to its name. The island is 83 percent protected national parkland, with dense Atlantic rainforest covering mountains that rise sharply from the sea. Dozens of waterfalls thread down through the forest to beaches that are largely inaccessible by road, which keeps them exactly as they should be. The small colonial village of Vila Ilhabela on the sheltered western shore is a gentle, unhurried place to spend a few hours. A fitting penultimate port.

Santos is Latin America’s largest port and the gateway to Sao Paulo, one of the world’s great cities. The historic waterfront along Rua do Comercio retains fragments of its 19th-century grandeur – elaborate tiled facades and wrought-iron balconies of former merchant houses, gradually being restored. Football history lives here too: Santos FC’s Vila Belmiro stadium is where Pele played for most of his career and the club museum is worth a visit for any sports fan. Sao Paulo is an hour away for those who want to finish the voyage with one of the world’s great urban experiences.