Itinerary and Pricing Small-Ship Expedition Cruise
Costa Rica and the Panama Canal

Day 1: San Jose to Puntarenas, Costa Rica

San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, sits in the Central Valley region with the Talamanca Mountains to the south and volcanoes to the north.

Arrive at your leisure today, and complimentary transfer to our all-inclusive hotel on the Pacific Coast near the small town of Puntarenas.

Day 2: Puntarenas to Puerto Caldera Port

Enjoy the day in the sun at our all-inclusive hotel. In the afternoon, we will transfer to the M/S Panorama and set sail south down the coast.

Day 3: Quepos and Manual Antonio Reserve

Manuel Antonio Reserve is a wonderful place to view wildlife, with plentiful white-faced capuchin, howler, and squirrel monkeys. The reserve also features a Forest Canopy Tour for an aerial view.

In the afternoon, those not on the canopy tour will have a chance to explore the quaint town of Quepos.

Day 4: Curu and Tortuga Islands

Start your morning with an optional walking excursion in the Curu Nature Reserve with the local Rangers and our naturalists. Late in the morning we rejoin the M/S Panorama for a short sailing to Tortuga Island. We arrive in Tortuga Island at noon for swimming and snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of this paradise island before joining in for our Beach BBQ.

Day 5: Drake Bay and Corcovado

Corcovado National Park is the largest park in Costa Rica and covers almost a third of the peninsula.National Geographic has called Corcovado “the most biologically intense place on Earth in terms of biodiversity.”

Drake Bay is known to be a common wintering and breeding ground for humpback whales.

Day 6: Puerto Jimenez — Golfo Dulce

Puerto Jimenez is a small town in the southern region of Puntarenas Province. With just over 3,000 inhabitants, this historic gold mining and logging community is one of the largest towns on the Osa Peninsual. The rare scarlet macaw can be found in the surrounding jungle.

Plants at the area’s famed Casa Orquideas (House of Orchids) include orchids, heliconias, bromeliads.

Day 7: Isla Coiba, Panama

The island of Coiba retains 80% of its original forest cover—thanks to the penal colony located there for ninety years, which hosted Panama’s most notorious criminals. Coiba Island Marine Park, considered one of the ten top diving spots in the world, is home to the largest coral reef in the Eastern Pacific.

Day 8: Playa Muerto, Darrien, Panama

On our excursion into Darrien National park, we are welcomed by members of the Embera Indians, one of the seven indigenous groups living in Panama. We’ll appreciate their beautiful handicrafts and well-preserved traditions.

Day 9: Panama City and the Canal

Today we will arrive in the marina at Panama City. Here we’ll enjoy a city tour including the Panama Canal Museum at the Miraflores Locks and historic old town Panama City. In the late afternoon we enter into the locks and into the Panama Canal.

Day 10: Lake Gatun and the Panama Canal

This morning we will visit the Fort San Lorenzo Spanish Historical Forts on the Atlantic side of the Canal. In the early evening we will enter our final lock and make our way to the city of Colon.

Day 11: Colon 2000 Terminal and Panama City

We will arrive at the city of Colon, and board a complimentary shuttle back to Panama City. After free time to explore, we will meet at a local restaurant for our farewell dinner. Overnight in Panama City's Old Town.

Day 12: Panama City

Today you may make your way to the airport for flights home, or choose to extend your stay in Panama.