itinerary & excursions

Star Collector: Reefs & Rainforests: The Caribbean, Colombia, Panama & Costa Rica via the Panama Canal

Puerto Caldera to Bridgetown

Sat Mar 8, 2025 - Wed Mar 26, 2025,

18 days

on Wind Star

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OVERVIEW & ITINERARY

ITINERARY AND SHORE EXCURSIONS

The best on land brought to you by the best at sea. Get to the heart of local cultures with Windstar shore excursions. You don't want to just dip a toe in local culture, you want to dive into the deep end, and that's exactly what Windstar shore excursions are designed to do. All of our excursion are created to provide authentic local experience - the kind travelers like you are looking for. And with more than 2,500 excursions to choose from, you can experience your destination in whatever way is most meaningful to you. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, a foodie, a history buff, or someone who loves to get to know the faces behind the many places we travel.

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Date

Port

Arrive

Depart

Watersports
Platform

Shore
Excursions

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Sat Mar 8

Puerto Caldera

Arrive:

Depart:6:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

Located on the Gulf of Nicoya, the small town of Puerto Caldera is one of Costa Rica’s top attractions, perfect for travelers who like more off the beaten path destinations where the native Tico lifestyle can be experienced. It is the gateway to San Jose, Jaco and the big city of Puntarenas, plus Los Suenos and Tortuga Island. Carara National Park is nearby, the rainforest home to crocodiles, over 400 species of birds and is considered the most likely place to see scarlet macaws.

Sun Mar 9

Quepos

Arrive:7:00 AM

Depart:6:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

The former banana-exporting town of Quepos is your basecamp for a day of rainforest adventure. Take a walk along trails that weave up to waterfalls, or ride horseback to a beautiful jungle pool. A float trip through a mangrove swamp populated by monkeys, crocodiles, egrets, and herons is also available. Or you may choose a nature walk through Manuel Antonio National Park, with its lovely beaches, easy trails, and abundant animal life.

Mon Mar 10

Golfo Dulce

Arrive:8:00 AM

Depart:5:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

Picture Jurassic foliage growing down steep hillsides all the way to the waterline, the hoots of monkeys echoing through trees choked by orchids. Golfo Dulce is one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse areas, where both the jungle and the sea brim with life. Explore the canals by kayak in search of javelinas, butterflies, and more bird species than in all of North America. This port is accessed with a wet landing.

Tue Mar 11

Isla Parida

Arrive:8:00 AM

Depart:6:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

Located within a Nature Preserve of 50 islands, and part of Chiriqui Marine National Park lovely Isla Parida boasts magnificent beaches, one of which is over 1,300 feet long. The crystal clear waters stay at 82 degrees year round and are filled with marine life. There are numerous hardwood trees like teak, mahogany, and eucalyptus, and fruit trees like mango, banana and coconut trees. Here you will be treated to Windstar's Signature Beach Party on a secluded beach that faces the Pacific Ocean.

Wed Mar 12

AT SEA

Arrive:

Depart:

Watersports Platform:

Thu Mar 13

Balboa / Fuerte Amador

Arrive:8:00 AM

Depart:5:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

One of the entrances to the Panama Canal on the Pacific side, Balboa/Fuerte Amador was founded in 1519 and is a short distance from Panama City. In 2012 Balboa was ranked #1 in Latin America in the category of world's busiest container ports. Sightseeing highlights include the colonial homes, the Administration Building, the Goethals Memorial, the Prado, and the local handicraft markets of traditional Panamanian crafts.

Fri Mar 14

Panama Canal

Arrive:4:00 AM

Depart:6:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

At nearly 48 miles long, on your transit through the Panama Canal you will enter three sets of locks that raise and lower the vessel 85 feet between the calm Pacific Ocean and the shimmering waters of the Atlantic. Your voyage features a daylight hours transit with numerous observation vantage points for outside viewing and comfortable indoor air-conditioned lounges. Expert onboard commentary enhances your journey as you watch the day to day workings of this bucket list experience.

Sat Mar 15

Colón

Arrive:7:00 AM

Depart:6:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

Explore the inner workings of the Panama Canal, head into the jungle to meet with Embera Indians, or take an aerial tram ride through the rainforest canopy.

Sun Mar 16

AT SEA

Arrive:

Depart:

Watersports Platform:

Mon Mar 17

Cartagena

Arrive:9:00 AM

Depart:6:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

Welcome to the sparkling city of Cartagena, where the gold and jewels of the Spanish Main awaited shipment across the Atlantic. No pirate could resist, nor will you be able to when you visit this historic city. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is surrounded by 400-year-old walls and contains a plethora of churches, fortresses, and restored colonial mansions. Outside the walls are more treasures: Climb the massive Castillo de San Felipe to investigate its maze of hidden tunnels, or shop for the perfect emerald.

Tue Mar 18

Santa Marta

Arrive:11:00 AM

Depart:6:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

Romantic Santa Marta has it all: history (Colombia’s oldest city), natural beauty (from gentle bays and beaches to the highest coastal mountain range in the world), and its very own celebrity. Simon Bolivar (“The Liberator”) is known as the George Washington of South America, and this was his Mount Vernon. Visit his beautiful estate or head to one of the two UNESCO Biosphere Reserves nearby.

Wed Mar 19

AT SEA

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Depart:

Watersports Platform:

Thu Mar 20

Oranjestad

Arrive:10:00 AM

Depart:11:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

Known for having some of the best beaches in the Caribbean, this Dutch port makes it easy to just … take it easy. Walk through town to choose your favorite carved wooden door, or spend the day like the Arubans do playing dominos at a beachside table.

Fri Mar 21

Willemstad

Arrive:9:00 AM

Depart:9:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

Savor the pastel colors of the historic UNESCO site Old Town and the way the elaborate Dutch gables cut baroque curlicues from the sky. It’s the perfect appetizer for a day of watersports or an adventure below ground at the magical Hato Caves—filled with eerie limestone formations and ancient petroglyphs.

Sat Mar 22

AT SEA

Arrive:

Depart:

Watersports Platform:

Sun Mar 23

AT SEA

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Mon Mar 24

St. George's

Arrive:8:00 AM

Depart:10:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

Inhale the intoxicating aroma of the “Isle of Spice” as your eyes feast on what is widely claimed to be the most beautiful city in the Caribbean. Spend the day on 2-mile-long Grand Anse beach, and before you go, a taste of nutmeg ice cream is a must.

Tue Mar 25

Mayreau

Arrive:8:00 AM

Depart:4:00 PM

Watersports Platform:

With fewer than 300 inhabitants and miles of secluded beaches, it's easy to feel as if you're on your own private island. Saline Bay is a delightful anchorage that separates the Caribbean from the Atlantic - and a perfect place to play with some of the toys from the Watersports Platform.

Wed Mar 26

Bridgetown

Arrive:8:00 AM

Depart:

Watersports Platform:

Jolly old England comes to life in the city and its garrison, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Further afield, you’ll find historic sugar plantations and the fairyland magic of Harrison’s Cave.