Western Mediterranean & the Rivieras
The Western Mediterranean: the back story
The back story
About The Western Mediterranean: the back story
The Western Mediterranean is where most of Europe’s cruise summers begin and end. Barcelona and Civitavecchia are the great home ports; between them run the Riviera harbours of France, Monaco and Liguria, the Bay of Naples and the Balearics.
Two great home ports
Most Western Mediterranean voyages begin in one of two cities. The Port de Barcelona calls itself Europe’s leading cruise port, with 3.9 million cruise passengers a year and room for ten large ships at once; April to November are its busiest months. Civitavecchia, on the coast north-west of Rome, was founded by the emperor Trajan in AD 108 as Rome’s gateway to the sea, and it still is.
The Riviera by sea
Between those two cities lies the most glamorous stretch of coast in Europe. In Monaco, the semi-floating Digue Rainier III, 352 metres long, lets ships of up to 300 metres berth alongside at the foot of the Rock, a few minutes’ walk from Port Hercule. A few miles west, the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer works the other way: ships lie at anchor, and their launches land passengers at the little Port de la Santé, below the citadel. More than 200,000 cruise passengers come ashore there every year, in the words of the Nice Côte d’Azur tourist board.
On this coast, how you come ashore shapes the whole day.
Saint-Tropez has made a virtue of restraint. Its tourist office says the town welcomes upscale cruise calls on ships of limited capacity, to keep the character of the village, and sends an adviser to the quay for every call. It is a port for the smaller luxury and yacht-style ships, and it is all the better for it.
Rome, Naples and the islands
From Civitavecchia, Rome is a long but rewarding day: the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum and the Forum are all within reach, and your line’s excursion desk or the train will get you there. Further south, the Stazione Marittima in Naples stands on the Molo Angioino beside Piazza Municipio, with Pompeii, the National Archaeological Museum and the ferries to Capri all close at hand.
Palma and Barcelona
Palma de Mallorca is a favourite last call before Barcelona, with its Gothic cathedral, La Seu, rising straight from the seafront. And Barcelona rewards a night before or after the voyage: Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter and the long tapas counters of El Born are all a short taxi ride from the Moll Adossat.
When to go
Spring and autumn bring softer light and calmer quays; high summer brings the yachts, the heat and the crowds. Barcelona’s port is at its busiest from April to November, and the Riviera tender ports are always at the mercy of the weather: in a swell, a launch landing can be cancelled on the day.
Our advice: choose your ship by the ports it can reach. A large ship gives you Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Naples and Palma in comfort; a small luxury ship adds Saint-Tropez, Portofino and the quieter Riviera harbours. If you sail from Barcelona or Rome, give yourself at least one night in the city first.
Why it's on our list
- Barcelona: up to ten large cruise ships at once (Port de Barcelona)
- Monaco: ships up to 300 m alongside the Digue Rainier III
- Villefranche: ships at anchor, tenders to the Port de la Santé
- Saint-Tropez: upscale ships of limited capacity
- Civitavecchia: Rome’s port since AD 108
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The Western Mediterranean: the back story before you go.