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Days
8
Price from
4385NZD
Map of Cruising Costa Rica & Panama: Costa Rica to Panama including Costa Rica and Panama

Cruise along the Costa Rican coast to Panama.

Discover the Central American neighbours of Costa Rica and Panama on an eight-day Adventure Cruising experience. Central America is a place to fall in love with nature – be it dense, wildlife-filled forests, white beaches with irresistible waters, or vast jungle-ringed lakes – and you’ll get to experience it all on this memorable small-ship cruise. Aboard the M/S Panorama, set sail through the Pacific, passing by the thickets of Manuel Antonio National Park, the secondary forests of Puerto Jimenez, the stunning Coiba Island and Isla Del Rey and onwards to Panama’s capital and its grand Canal. Discover a diverse range of wildlife, meet local indigenous groups at an Embera village, and sit back and relax on the sun deck between swims. This is truly a unique corner of Central America, and how better to explore it than on an idyllic cruising voyage.

Start
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Finish
Panama City, Panama
Destinations
Costa Rica, Panama
Style
Peregrine
Theme
Adventure Cruising
Code
PMSR
Physical rating
Ages
Min 7
Group size
Min 1, Max 50

Why you'll love this trip

  • Drop anchor in smaller port towns like Quepos and Puerto Jimenez away from the larger ships. Because of the size of your adventure cruise, your choices are endless on where to stop.

  • Discover the depths of the Costa Rican jungle in Manuel Antonio National Park, taking a guided walk through the thickets of the fragile rainforest with an expert naturalist.

  • On your cruising days, take regular swim stops off the boat, keep learning with on-board lectures from your naturalist guide, or simply laze on the sundeck with a good book – it’s up to you.

  • Meet with one of the seven indigenous groups of Panama on an excursion to an Embera village, discovering their handicrafts, sharing lunch and enjoying a dance with the locals.

  • Cruise into port at the mighty Panama City, a modern city full of history. As the major trading route connecting the Pacific and Adriatic, the Panama Canal is a marvel to see in action.

Is this trip right for you?

  • This is a small ship Adventure Cruise, which means you’ll be sailing on a motorised yacht with 30–50 other people. The boat is spacious and comfortable, but this cruise focuses more on the destination than on-board activities. Instead of a pool, we have the sea itself. Instead of a casino, we’ve got board games and a good book. There’s also no formal dress code to worry about. Wi-Fi is available for a small charge.

  • Most of our departures run in peak season, when the seas are calmer. The ship will experience some roll and pitch in choppy conditions, however all of our ships come equipped with stabilisers to minimise movement. There will be seasickness tablets on board and your crew will do all they can to minimise any discomfort.

  • Our ship moves under engine power, rather than sailing, so all cabins will experience light engine noise when the ship is moving (and occasionally when we drop anchor). It’s probably worth packing earplugs if you’re a light sleeper.

  • Onshore activities and excursions will involve a bit of walking. You’ll be visiting ancient sites and historical places, and at times you may have to cross cobbled streets and uneven ground, sometimes in hot conditions. If you have any concerns, please speak to your group leader before taking part.

  • For getting to small islets, coves and prime snorkelling spots, it is sometimes necessary to use a Zodiac boat. You will need to be comfortable climbing in and out of one during wet and dry landings.

  • There are no lifts (elevators) on board our ships, so you’ll have to navigate a few steep flights of stairs (fitted with handrails) to access all the decks.

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Boats

Panorama

On this itinerary, you'll be travelling aboard the Panorama.

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Itinerary
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Embark on your journey between 3 and 4 pm. Once all passengers are on board, set sail for Quepos in the mid-afternoon. Tonight, meet with your crew for a welcome briefing and enjoy an introductory meal with your fellow travellers.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Panorama (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Dinner

This morning take part in an optional excursion to Manuel Antonio – a jewel among Costa Rica's many national parks. Please note that this is a wet landing inside the reserve, and so you’ll use the Zodiacs. The fragile rainforest ecosystem shelters an abundance of wildlife including the easy-to-spot monkeys and a great variety of tropical birds. You are taken to the park entrance for a 1.5-hour guided walk in the dense rainforest. Local guides and a naturalist will lead you through small trails encountering native wildlife and over a thousand different species of flora. The trail is very well maintained and is easy walking with no uphill climbs. The hike ends with a swim at a park's beach before returning to the ship. In the afternoon, perhaps opt for a forest canopy tour, or continue on a cruise to Playa Biesanz. In the evening, enjoy a tropical themed dinner and party on board the ship. Tonight, sail towards Puerto Jimenez.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Panorama (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Quepos - Titi Forest Canopy Tour - EUR80
  • Quepos - Manuel Antonio National Park - EUR60
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Reach Puerto Jimenez in the early morning for an optional Osa Peninsula experience. This is a short and easy walk through a lovely patch of secondary forest where you will have the chance to see four different kinds of monkey and many species of bird, including the scarlet macaw. Return to the ship for a late lunch and after, there will be time for a swim in waters that are home to dolphins, marlins and pilot whales. Fingers crossed. Cruise on to Golfito for midnight immigration and ship clearance procedures and spend the night at sea en route to Coiba Island.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Panorama (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Osa Exploration Walk - EUR57
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Arrive around midday to Granito de Oro for swimming and snorkelling. We have our lunch on deck enjoying the view and the BBQ fare while sailing to Coiba Island. Here, we embark on a walking tour with your on-board naturalist, who will take you to discover the local forest and animal life. Coiba Island is a World Heritage-listed site and the largest island in Central America – perfect for swimming and snorkelling in a pristine environment, and waters are teeming with marine life. Enjoy a barbecue on deck and a swim, before sailing to Playa Muerto overnight.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Panorama (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Coiba Island Walking Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Morning arrival at Iguana Island, a wildlife-rich territory, a bird-watching paradise, and key sanctuary for frigate birds. Snorkel the shallow reefs at the protected Isla Iguana Bay. You have a chance to see lots of colorful tropical fish, Morey Eels, Rays and even turtles swimming in the warm Pacific waters. On land you can spot crabs and iguanas. The island is a snorkeling and diving paradise as it has the biggest area of well-preserved coral reefs in the Gulf of Panama with 17 different coral species, more than 350 tropical fish and over 200 species of invertebrates. Late afternoon sailing to Playa Muerto. Overnight at sea.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Panorama (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

This morning, travel into the wilds of Darien National Park on an optional excursion to an Embera village. Please note that landing at Playa Muerto by tender will be a wet landing. The Embera people are one of the seven indigenous groups of Panama, predominately living in the country’s Darien province. They are well known for their traditional handicrafts and well-preserved traditions. We return to the ship for lunch and sailing overnight to Panama City.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Panorama (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Darien Natoinal Park Embera Indian visit - Free
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Rise early for a morning arrival in Panama City, where there will be some immigration procedures to go through. After the formalities are over, embark on a choice of 2 full-day optional excursions. First to Gatun Lake and the San Lorenzo Spanish fort. Visit the Panama Canal Expansion Observation Centre in Gatun. Alternatively, you could visit the Canal Museum and have time to watch the movement of ships in the locks at Miraflores locks (a device for raising and lowering boats into different stretches of water) and call into Casco Viejo, Panama City's historic, and hippest quarter. Tonight, enjoy a celebratory dinner on board the boat, spending the night at port.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Panorama (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Miraflores locks, Casco Viejo and Panama Canal museum - Free
  • Gatun Lake, Panama Canal Museum & San Lorenzo - Free
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

With no activities planned for today, you will disembark the vessel between 8 and 9 am, after breakfast. The disembarkation will take place at Flamenco Marina in Panama City.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Meals

7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners

Transport

Small Cruise Ship

Accommodation

Small cruise ship (7 nights)

Included Activities

  • Coiba Island Walking Tour

Dates & availability

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Important notes

Your voyage is operated by our partner company, Variety Cruises.
SHORE EXCURSIONS
On this itinerary, shore excursions are optional and are paid on board the ship in Euro’s. The price and a description of these excursions are listed in the day to day itinerary.
2018 departures - Please note that the excursions and excursion prices for 2018 departures are yet to be confirmed and may change.
BOOKING CONDITIONS
Adventure Cruising trips have a deposit of A$600 per person (different amounts apply in other currencies) and the balance is due 90 days before departure.
If a booking is cancelled 90 days or more before departure - the cancellation fee is the full loss of the deposit paid.
If a booking is cancelled between 89 and 31 days before departure - the cancellation fee is 50% of the total booking cost, or the deposit, whichever is greater.
If a booking is cancelled 30 days or less prior to departure - the cancellation fee is 100% of the total price of the voyage.
Other fees may apply for air tickets and other arrangements booked in conjunction with a voyage.
SINGLE TRAVELLERS
It is not possible to share with a stranger on a Variety Cruises voyage and single travellers must pay the Single Occupancy rate.
MINIMUM AGE
Children from the age of 7 can be accommodated on these voyages. Each boat has one cabin category that will accommodate a 3rd person allowing for triple sharing. Any child under the age of 18 must share with an adult.
DISEMBARKATION POINT
Please read the itinerary carefully as certain departure will disembark at an alternative port.

Essential trip information

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