Bar Harbor cruise
An Enchanting Village Kissed by Mother Nature
Exploring the state of Maine means experiencing a superlative experience in a place scattered with rocky coasts, scenic harbors, natural views and pretty towns with buildings influenced by European styles. One of these is Bar Harbor, a stop not to be missed on your MSC cruise.
Founded in 1763 and then rebuilt in 1947 following a major fire that destroyed most of the city, Bar Harbor is hospitable and full of qualities to be discovered while enjoying beautiful views, outdoor activities, enjoying the local cuisine or strolling along the streets of the village.
Nestled on Mount Desert Island, an American East Coast island that boasts an authentic fjord, the village is delightful and filled with mainly wooden, brightly colored buildings. There are numerous amusing signs hanging on the walls, some of which remind us that this is the home of the lobster and it should definitely be tried out.
The real pearl of this location though is Acadia National Park. The park offers visitors natural landscapes with unmistakable traces of the Ice Age where millions of years of weathering have indelibly carved out the landscape and created a combination of rare beauty filled with valleys, elongated lakes, rocks and mountain ridges.
In the park, you can explore steep, rocky coasts, forests filled with colored leaves, granite mountains, as well as fjords and bays. Although it is one of the nation's smallest national parks, the things to do and see in Acadia National Park are numerous and you can take part in exciting excursions on your MSC cruise. The park is home to a long path with trails leading off of it that allow you to reach every corner of the area.
You can walk along the cliffs to the south-east and up into the hills to enjoy breathtaking views. Do not miss the Somes Sound fjord, a narrow channel that almost divides the island in two; charming Cadillac Mountain offering magnificent views whose summit can be reached either on foot or by car; and Sand Beach, the only real beach on the island enclosed between two promontories that will leave you amazed.
