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01202 767926 San Juan Del Sur Your voyage highlights... Miami, Florida Miami is the busiest cruise port in the world, hosting a myriad of ships year-round from all over the globe. Although it is technically not on the Caribbean Sea, no other American city exudes more of the diverse tropical appeal of the Caribbean. Key West, Florida The renowned natural beauty of the Florida Keys has attracted writers, artists and musicians for generations. Key West, with its carefully preserved “Old Town,” boasts one of the largest numbers of historic structures in any U.S. city. Key West’s “Conch-style” architecture reflects a unique blend of Victorian gingerbread, New England cottage and Bahamian influence. Narrow streets are lined with stately mansions and “shotgun” cottages, each an important part of this historic town at the tip of the Keys. Belize City, Belize As the centre and one-time capital of the country, Belize City boasts an array of historic attractions - St. John’s Cathedral, the Swing Bridge, Government House Museum and the colourful fruit market, all of which can be seen on a city tour. Banana Coast (Trujillo), Honduras This port on Honduras’s Caribbean coast is just beginning to welcome visitors. The friendly people have developed a series of experiences to show off their beautiful town and surroundings and satisfy a variety of interests. The town itself has a Central Plaza fronting the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and a number of buildings from the Spanish and French colonial periods including the Santa Barbara Fortress. The Campo del Mar Nature Park includes a lovely botanic garden and a popular beach. Another popular attraction is the Three Cascades located in the deep forest. Active visitors can explore on ATVs, snorkel on coral reefs, zipline from tree to tree or go horseback riding on the beach. A visit by boat to the nearby village of Santa Fe introduces guests to the local Garifuna culture. Bocas Del Toro, Panama Bocas Town was established on Colon Island in this archipelago by the United Fruit Company in the 1920s as a base for its banana plantations. The picturesque period charm of the town is today exploited by San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua Nestled at the rim of a large crescent bay on Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast, San Juan del Sur was a favoured rest stop for gold prospectors bound for California in the 1850s. The town’s numerous nearby beaches are a magnet for surfers and sun-lovers. On the highest point of the shoreline, the world’s tallest (134m) statue of Christ has looked down in benediction on the bay since 2009. It’s a great place to get perspective. Many visitors opt for an excursion to the colonial city of Granada, whose cathedral dates from 1583, and cobblestone streets are lined with brightly coloured homes and shops and plied by pretty horse-drawn carriages. Isla Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua is comprised of two volcanic peaks and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The whole area is dotted with tall volcanic peaks like nearby Mount Mombacho and pretty crater lakes. Down the coast, at La Flor Nature Reserve, Olive Ridley sea turtles come ashore to nest in season. Quepos, Costa Rica Quepos is known as a gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park. The park’s mangroves, lagoons and beach-lined rainforests shelter howler, white-faced and squirrel monkeys. Nearby sandy stretches include Playa Espadilla and Playa Biesanz. Northwest of town, the Damas Island mangrove estuary is home to wildlife including caimans, snakes and iguanas. Fuerte Amador, Panama At the Pacific terminus of the Panama Canal, Fuerte Amador is a manmade causeway jutting into the sea, constructed with material excavated from the Canal. Originally built as a fortification, today it is a park, the headquarters of the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research, and landing area for ships anchored off the Canal, with shops and restaurants. With views of the skyline of Panama City, it serves as a staging area for excursions to nearby attractions in the city and the surrounding countryside. Panama City is a modern metropolis that has grown up around its Spanish colonial centre, the Casco Viejo. A tour of the historic centre and its impressive Gold Museum is one popular option. Other possibilities are sightseeing tours of the canal locks, the Canal expansion projects, a visit to an authentic Embera indian village, or aerial tours of the forest canopy and wildlife by tram. the locals to attract tourists. All of the islands have lovely beaches, mangrove waterways to explore and even several different indigenous populations who make and sell colourful handicrafts. A plentiful variety of wildlife including many species of birds, animals and sea turtles adds to the area’s appeal. Panama shares the nearby Parque Internacional La Amistad (Friendship), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Costa Rica. Cruising Panama Canal A thrilling day you will never forget. Surrounded by hulls of every sort and purpose from every corner of the globe, your ship is gracefully lifted by inrushing water in huge locks, and then sails through narrow, jungled channels and across a broad, shining lake from one ocean to another. At the other end, the waters again ease your ship downward to rejoin a different sea, and send you on your way with memories to last a lifetime. Golfito, Costa Rica Located in the Golfo Dulce nearly to the southern border with Panama, Golfito is far from the main tourist spots further north and the capital city. But what it does supply is Costa Rican nature at its best. The town is the gateway to the Piedras Blancas National Park, which is one of the three parks that ring the Golfo Dulce. The park is considered one of Costa Rica’s top birding spots, as well as being home to howler and capuchin monkeys and one of the last populations of jaguars in the country. South of Golfito stretch beaches that are world-famous among surfers, Playa Pavones is rumoured to have the longest left-hand break in the world, with waves that supply rides as long as three minutes. Golfito is also famous for its sport-fishing, especially for sailfish. Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera), Costa Rica The principal town of Costa Rica’s Gulf of Nicoya, Puntarenas gives access to several of the nation’s ecological reserves, including the Monteverde Reserve, as well as highlights of the highlands such as the famous woodcarving centre of Sarchi and the distinctive highland town of Grecia with its metal Gothic church. At the nearby Carara National Park, visitors can see the “Pura Vida” waterfall, some 650 feet high and keep an eye out for brilliant Scarlet Macaws.