Costa Rica & Panama Canal Discovery

Arrive in Puntarenas, relax, and spend the overnight preparing for your adventure.

*specific hotel and location to be announced

Puntarenas is a place to experience the authentic and diverse culture of Costa Rica, located on a narrow peninsula that stretches into the Pacific Ocean. Puntarenas is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, who come to enjoy its beaches, seafood, and carnival atmosphere. Puntarenas is also a gateway to explore the region's natural wonders, such as the Tortuga, Chira, Coco islands, the Nicoya Peninsula, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest.





 

Curu Wildlife Refuge is a private reserve on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, near Paquera. It is a hidden gem for nature lovers, who can explore its diverse habitats, such as tropical forests, mangroves, grasslands, and beaches. Curu Wildlife Refuge is home to many species of animals, such as monkeys, deer, armadillos, iguanas, and birds.

Isla Tortuga is a tropical island in the Gulf of Nicoya, off the coast of Costa Rica. It is a popular destination for day trips from the mainland, offering stunning scenery, white sand beaches, and clear blue waters.


 

The bustling town of Quepos is a great base for accessing Manual Antonio National Park, one of the most popular parks in Costa Rica. The park has it all really, beautiful mountain vistas, mangrove forests, lagoons, beaches and lush rainforest. With over 350 species of birds and over 100 species of mammal, wildlife enthusiasts will be in heaven. Head along the stunning Perezeso trail to spot scarlet macaws, toucans, hawks, sloths, armadillos and much more. Back in Quepos, take walk through the pretty Marina Pez Vela to see the impressive fishing boats. 

The deep and well sheltered Golfo Dulce, or ‘Sweet Gulf’, borders the Osa Peninsula’s eastern shore. The northeast section of the gulf is part of the 35,000-acre Piedras Blancas National Park, a stunning tract of rainforest that used to be part of Corcovado, and still protects the same amazing biodiversity. As you explore the lush rainforest here, you’ll come face to face with some of the tallest trees in the world, you’ll also come across pretty waterfalls and perhaps also toucans, macaws, anteaters, sloths, howler monkeys and more.

Cebaco Island is a private island in the Gulf of Montijo, off the coast of Panama. It is a hidden gem for nature lovers, who can enjoy its pristine beaches, lush forests, and abundant wildlife. Cebaco Island is ideal for diving, snorkeling, fishing, and hiking, as it has a rich marine life, including fish, rays, and turtles.

Today, visit the authentic Emberá tribe in the Darien Jungle, who rarely receive outside visitors. After a briefing on local customs, you’ll meet the indigenous people, explore their village, and maybe play volleyball with the locals. Learn how the Emberá relies on the jungle, using its plants for food, medicine, and clothing. This unique visit offers an immersive look at an ancient culture still thriving in the Panamanian wilderness.

Located west of Panama City, at the Pacific terminus of the Panama Canal, Fuetre Amador is a manmade causeway, constructed with material excavated from the canal. Before boarding your boutique cruise ship, be sure to stop in at the Miraflores Locks’ visitor’s centre. Here you will learn about the impressive engineering that went into building this legendary waterway. Watch the mighty barges make their way through the canal from the panoramic observation deck. 

Cruising Panama Canal is a bucket-list experience that allows you to witness one of the most astonishing human-made wonders in the world. The Panama Canal is a 48-mile waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, saving ships from sailing around South America. Cruising Panama Canal lets you enjoy the scenery through three sets of locks, an artificial lake, and a narrow mountain cut. A once-in-a-lifetime adventure that you will never forget.

Lemon Cay is one of the 49 inhabited islands of the San Blas Archipelago, a stunning network of cays and islands off the coast of Panama. It is a small and secluded island where you can enjoy the pristine white sand beach, the turquoise water, and the palm trees. Lemon Cay is also home to a community of indigenous people, the Guna, who live in traditional huts and welcome visitors with their hospitality and culture.

Within the walled Old City of Cartagena, a historic coastal city in Colombia, 16th- to 18th-century military architecture, unmatched in the Americas, stands tall. 

Vibrant streets host museums like the Gold Museum, overlooked by the hilltop Castillo San Felipe fortress. Along the picturesque coast, La Boquilla fishing village is known for folkloric drumming and dancing and is the gateway to one of Colombia's largest mangrove forests.