In the midst of the 55,000-acre Soberania National Park, the Aerial Tram allows you to discover the secrets of the upper forest canopy deep within nature.  Board your motor coach for the 45-minute ride to the park.  The Tram will take you from the shadowy forest floor through the understory and into the sun-drenched canopy. Take in a birds-eye-view of a thousand hues of green, interspersed with the fluorescent exclamation points of flowering trees. You’ll even be able to see the Panama Canal from the Observation Platform.  Stop at the frog exhibit and proceed to the butterfly & orchid exhibitions to see and hear creatures in a natural setting. 

Please note:   Wear light clothing and comfortable shoes. Bring sunscreen, camera and insect repellent. Maximum weight to participate on this tour is 250 lbs.

Considered the 8th wonder of the world, the Panama Canal consists of a series of locks. The focus of this tour is designed to showcase the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific and to get an up close look at recent expansion. After boarding your motor coach for the 45-minute drive, you’ll make your way to the Miraflores Locks Visitors Center. In here take the opportunity to pause and view the gargantuan ships that make their way through the Panama Canal Museum and visit the terrace that overlooks the Panama Canal and has an exhibition area that constitutes the heart of this center. Next, you will head to the nearby IMAX Theater to enjoy an informational rich canal documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman. A small popcorn is included. After observing this amazing feat, you’ll travel to the New Panama Canal Locks (Agua Clara Visitor Center) where you’ll see the addition of a new traffic lane. This new lane created two new sets of locks, one on the Pacific and one on the Atlantic, which doubles the canal’s capacity and allows longer and wider vessels to transit.  Also included, lunch at a local restaurant, located in Panama City where you can taste the local flavors. At the end of your tour, you’ll return to port.

 

Please note:   Wear light clothing and comfortable shoes. Bring sunscreen, camera and insect repellent. The order of the tour might vary and lunch will either be in the middle of the tour or at the end. 

 

 

 

Your English-speaking guide will pick you up and take you on a tour of Panama City and the Miraflores Locks. You will start the tour with a 30-minute drive to Miraflores to see the huge vessels passing through the Panama Canal. You will be able to see many ships getting lifted or lowered as you enjoy the view from a sheltered terrace and listen to the explanations of your guide. You will also learn about the history of the canal and its significance for Panama and the entire world trade as well as on the current expansion project. You will continue with your guide to the Amador Causeway, a road that connects three Islands in the Pacific Ocean and offers magnificent views of the Canal on one side and of the skyline of Panama City on the other side. The tour will continue to Casco Viejo, Panama City’s colonial quarter. At Casco Viejo you will take a trip back in time as you admire the lovely colonial houses, the narrow roads and the impressive churches. You will get a good idea about Panama’s history by driving or walking through the main attractions of this quarter. 
 
Please note:   Wear comfortable shoes, bring your camera, sunscreen, and water. Vessel transit viewing at Miraflores Locks is likely but not guaranteed as transit times are variable and not made public. The order of sites visited may vary. 

 

 

 

This is a nature adventure of sight and sound, combined with the thrill of speeding through the Panama Canal next to the mighty ships transiting this man-made wonder! You will have a 45-minute drive to the speed boat. After an exhilarating 30-minute ride at high speed right through the heart of the Panama Canal, the boat will slow down and enter the labyrinth of jungle-covered islands of Lake Gatun. In this protected area the wildlife is plentiful, and you are likely to encounter capuchin monkeys, 3-toed sloths, howler monkeys, various kinds of toucans and other bird life as well as caimans, crocodiles, turtles and a wealth of butterflies. This is an exceptional place to experience the sights and sounds of the jungle up close.  The trained naturalist guides will ensure that you have an outstanding nature experience by identifying the wildlife as well as educating you about the area on this exceptional jungle and canal adventure.

Please note:  Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed. This tour is not recommended for those with mobility issues. Wear light clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Bring sunscreen, camera and insect repellent.

Step aboard a time machine and travel back more than 600 years; to a Central America only few have had the privilege of experiencing. This will be a journey into the lives of the Embera Indigenous Tribe, a proud people, who have been able to maintain their traditions and lifestyle as it was before the Spaniards colonized the region. Start out the expedition aboard an air-conditioned vehicle where a knowledgeable guide will give you an overview of Panama on the way to the jungles of the Central Region. Your host will prepare you for the cultural feast you are about to experience by sharing the history and customs of the Emberá People who are the keepers of the Rainforest and Chagres River. When you arrive at the Chagres National Park, you will board dugout canoes that will take you to the Emberá Village. These dugouts are sturdy and worthy craft critical in the conquering of the jungle and in establishing supply lifelines for both the Emberá and Spanish. After motoring up river, you will see the village emerge from the jungle. Keep your eyes open along the way, as the region offers abundant wildlife particularly active along the river’s edge. In the Village, the Chief will welcome you with traditional Emberá hospitality. A series of dances have been arranged to add to this cultural exchange. Feel free to wander the village, ask questions or interact with these quiet people. Please remember that we are guests in their home and a good measure of common sense and sensitivity towards their privacy is appreciated. The Emberá men and woman are spectacular craftsmen who have produced some beautiful items, which will be available for purchase as souvenirs or keepsakes of this unique experience.
 
Please note: Boarding and debarking of local canoes requires a minimum of dexterity and flexibility. The landing consists of a rudimentary “put in” that lacks handrails or proper steps. Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothing and insect repellent. You will have an Embera snack at the village.
 
 

 

 

 

This will be an outdoor adventure day of seabirds, history, swimming around starfishes, beautiful beaches with white sand and turquoise water, accompanied by an English-speaking guide. The tour will start with a 40-minute boat ride from the ship to Bird Island, a beautiful island you can observe a variety of seabird species. After meeting some of the seabirds you will continue to Boca Del Drago Beach, located on the other side of the Colón Island. Here enjoy a beautiful white-sand beach, and turquoise waters. Continue on to visit the Starfish Beach, a place to enjoy snorkeling and admire the many starfish in the clear Caribbean waters.  Enjoy a delightful lunch, served directly on the beach, before returning to your ship.

 

Please note:   Wear light clothing and comfortable shoes. Please use reef-safe sunscreen, avoiding ingredients such as Oxybenzone / Octinoxate / Octocrylene. Bring your swimsuit, towel, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, camera and insect repellent. Life jackets, flip flops and snorkel masks will be provided by the tour operator.

 

 

Meet the indigenous Ngabe farmers and learn how cacao is cultivated. The tour will start with a 30-minute boat ride and 10 minutes on the road to access the Oreba Chocolate Farm in Bocas del Toro.  Cacao cultivation and chocolate production are becoming one of Panama’s most coveted exports, and is completely run and managed by the indigenous Ngabe farmers of the community. The local English-speaking tour guides who are cacao farmers in the community will describe and show you the entire process of organic shade-grown cacao, explaining every step of the way including growing, harvesting, fermenting, drying and ultimately roasting and making chocolate. You will take an adventurous hike that weaves in and out of jungle and cacao trees and because the tour takes place within the protected shade grown farms of the locals there are always many animals to see along the way. It is not uncommon to spot poison dart frogs, sloths, and toucans.

 

Please note:   Wear light clothes and hiking shoes. Bring sunglasses, a cap, camera, insect repellent and sunscreen. 

 

 

 

If looking for wildlife in their natural environment is your passion you will find this tour to be an opportunity to find exotic red frogs, bottlenose dolphins and beautiful coral reefs. The tour will start with a 20-minute local boat ride from the ship to Bahia Honda, surrounded by small mangroves that form a kind of raft that is home to several families of bottlenose dolphins.  You will spend some time watching them jump and play around your boat. After seeing the dolphins, you will continue to Coral Cays for the impressive coral formations and its rich marine life, where snorkeling is an option.  Enjoy a delicious local lunch, served at an over-water restaurant.  Then you will head to Red Frog Beach through Bastimentos Island, here you will have the opportunity to walk the trails looking for the red frogs or just relax on the beautiful white-sand beach. Re-board your motor coach for the 20-minute ride to the ship.

 

Please note: Wear light clothing and comfortable shoes.  Please use reef-safe sunscreen, avoiding ingredients such as Oxybenzone / Octinoxate / Octocrylene.Bring your swimsuit, towel, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, camera and insect repellent. Life jackets, flip flops and snorkel masks will be provided by the tour operator.

 

 

 

On an air conditioned bus, during this 40-minute ride to the wonderful island of Baru, the newest tourist development area in Colombia, you may sit back and enjoy the scenery of other areas of Cartagena, take a look to the growing industrial area and finally arrive to the National Aviary, one of the best aviaries in the world given its high number of species. Colombia is the country in the world holding the highest bird diversity, with more than 1,900 species and The National Aviary displays an important sample of this variety.  Once you arrive to the National Aviary, you may initiate your tour and explore the different bird observation stations arranged by habitat and species on your own such as:

• Tropical Forest, where you may find different kinds of Macaws, Harpy Eagles, Tangaras and other varieties of species as well as different kinds of palm trees, waterfalls and the Macaque Monkeys.

• Coastlines and Mangroves, the habitat of different kind of Ducks, Cormorants and Pelicans.

• Coastline, where you will be able to observe different kinds of Herons, Doves, Storks and the migrating Teals.

• Dessert Station an environment where different species such as the Cardinals, Mockingbirds and Partridges live

• Andean Region, in this station you may admire the Owls, Eagles and the famous Andean Condor, king of our mountains.

After this marvelous trip surrounded by birds, beautiful landscapes, palm trees and waterfalls you will have time for enjoying some beverages or drinking some delicious Colombian Coffee to later on get on your bus back to Cartagena and be ready to enjoy a wonderful short photo stop at the San Felipe Fort then a sightseeing of The Old City of Cartagena before returning to the ship.

Please note:  This tour is not wheelchair accessible.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes, light clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and bring your camera.

With this excursion you will fill your cup with the bold history of Cartagena and the rich goodness of pure Colombian Coffee. Your adventure will begin with a 15-minute motor coach ride to San Felipe Fortress, built in the 17th century. You will make a photo stop there before continuing on for a sightseeing tour of the Old City. You will visit a beautifully restored colonial house where you will get a good idea about colonial architecture and restoration. Then on to an experience to awaken the senses, touch, sight, taste, and smell and discover the amazing flavors of excellent Colombian Coffee.  You will have a introduction to Colombian Coffee, an overview of the coffee process, raw materials, quality assessments, smelling and tasting exercises, finishing with tasting 3 different coffees through alternative coffee rituals.  You will then have the opportunity for a walking tour along the narrow streets and squares of the walled city, followed by a panoramic sightseeing  tour of modern Cartagena and its bay.

Please note:  This tour is not wheelchair accessible.Please wear comfortable walking shoes.

The magnificent city of Cartagena, once a preferred target for pirates and the treasure chest of the Spanish Main, is yours to explore as you embark an air-conditioned bus or mini-bus today. On tour, you will be accompanied by an English-speaking guide as you travel past marvelous Republican architecture. You will see the Manga residential area, where some of the aging mansions have been restored to their original splendor. Stop for a half hour to explore the Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, a 17th century construction acknowledged to be the most important work of Spanish Military engineering in Latin America. At Las Bovedas (the Dungeons), about 20 minutes is allowed for handicraft shopping and for rubbing elbows with the local artisans who proudly display their works for you. Pass through Simón Bolívar Square and the Inquisition Palace before continuing on to the Cathedral, also called The Minor Basilica, it was the first church built in the city in 1537. Next stop is the Church of San Pedro Claver—the patron saint of slaves. You will find Colombia’s famous native gem—the emerald—along with handicrafts and leather goods shops. You will have approximately 40 minutes to shop before returning to the ship.

 

Please note: Guests who remain in town for shopping will have to return to the ship on their own. 

 

 

 

Depart from the port of Cartagena for the short drive to the famous Getsemaní district. This neighborhood represents a different side a Cartagena.  You will have time to explore this area which embodies the greatest cultural heritage of the city. From the colonial architecture and history, to the brightness of its streets and the colorful personality of its people, this populous sector of the city is a magical place that every visitor will appreciate. After your guided walk through the narrow streets of Getsemaní, you will arrive at a point to observe the Convent La Popa located at the highest point of Cartagena, San Felipe Fort, and San Sebastian del Pastelillo Port, where the tour guide will give all the historical information on these three highly relevant city monuments. Your tour will bring you to the barracks of Bóvedas, former jail cells now converted to colorful handicraft stores and galleries.  This construction consists of 47 arches and 23 vaults, considered the last work of the period of the Colony. You will have time to browse and shop. Your tour will continue as you follow the wall and make a walk through the main streets and squares of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. After your free time for shopping or wondering around Cartagena's Open Air Museum, enjoy a panoramic tour before returning to the ship.

 

Please note:  This tour is not wheelchair accessible.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes, light clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and bring your camera.

 

 

 

You will board your motor coach for the 15-minute drive to San Felipe Fortress, the largest Spanish fort built in the 17th century.  You will have time to take photos before taking a sightseeing drive through the Old City, admiring the marvelous Republican architecture of the houses in the Manga residential area. You will be taken to the Emerald Museum – Bocagrande to learn about emeralds.You will go into an actual size replica of a mine tunnel and experience what mining is like as you watch the emerald-bearing veins. Then you will be taken to a special room for a lecture and a video on emeralds. You will learn how emeralds are extracted from the mines and brought to the different cutting and polishing centers. You will see the cutting and polishing machines and be shown step by step how each stone is cut and polished and you will have the opportunity to practice cutting a stone if you wish. Visit the jewelry making workshop and watch the process of fabricating sterling silver or 18k gold emerald jewelry before you visit the spacious and comfortable showroom. Then, enjoy a cocktail and have the opportunity to shop with an extra discount for you, before returning to the ship. On your way back to the ship you will have a sightseeing tour of modern Cartagena - Bocagrande, Laguito, Castillo Grande and the bay.

Please note:  This tour is not wheelchair accessible.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes.