Panama & Costa Rica Discoveries: San Jose to Panama City - 2024

Today, you’ll board a flight to Panama City, Panama. If you purchased your airfare from Vantage, a representative will meet you at the airport to assist with transfers to your hotel. Check in and relax as you prepare for the adventure that awaits on your small ship expedition cruise. Dinner tonight is on your own.

Panama City is Central America’s most cosmopolitan capital, and you’ll have a full day at leisure to explore it for yourself. Head to Casco Viejo, the historic side of Panama City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and take a step back in time. Bask in sweeping vistas of the city's skyscrapers, explore ancient churches, and savor fresh seafood at El Mercado de Mariscos.

Following breakfast at your hotel, you’ll head to the pier to begin the cruise portion of your journey, with a tour of Panama City along the way.

Upon arrival at the pier, you’ll board your elegant small ship to begin the cruise portion of your journey. There will be time to settle in and perhaps have a drink on deck as you set off on your adventure. Tonight, enjoy a special Welcome Dinner with your fellow travelers.

Included Feature:

• Panama city tour

Located off the southern Pacific coast of Panama, the Gulf of Panama’s numerous islets — with their stretches of coastline dotted with numerous coastal settlements, quaint fishing villages, and picturesque harbors — are a draw for visitors the world over. You’ll enjoy two days in this picturesque region, led by your Expedition Team. Birdwatchers may have opportunities to spot frigate birds, brown pelicans, neo-tropic cormorants, and brown boobies.

Included Feature:

• Two days Gulf of Panama exploration with the Expedition Team

Situated 30 miles off the Pacific Coast of Panama, in the Gulf of Chiriquí, you’ll find UNESCO-listed Coiba Island. Once used as a Panamanian penal colony, today the island serves as a protected marine reserve. Its use as a penal colony meant that access to the island was extremely restricted. As a result, minimal human interaction has allowed the island’s natural resources to thrive. Today, you’ll board a Zodiac craft and head ashore with your Expedition Team for a guided excursion.

Included Feature:

• Coiba Island exploration with the Expedition Team

At over 600-feet-deep at its center, and featuring a lush tropical rainforest and miles of secluded beaches, Golfo Dulce is home to numerous species of marine and wildlife, including humpback whales. There is no other place in Costa Rica with such diverse flora and fauna. Golfo Dulce is easily one of the wettest and most humid sections of the country, with more than 200 inches of rainfall per year, assuring that the surrounding area will be thriving with vegetation and wildlife. You’ll spend two days exploring the mangroves, jungles, and wetlands with your knowledgeable Expedition Team.

Included Feature:

• Two days of Golfo Dulce exploration with the Expedition Team

Join your Expedition Team on an exploration of Corcovado National Park, one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. Located on the Osa Peninsula, its more than 100,000 acres contain shallow lagoons, marshlands, mangrove swamps, rainforest, and almost 30 miles of sandy beach. Within this massive, protected territory you’ll find hundreds of species of trees, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and marine life.

Included Feature:

• Corcovado National Park exploration with the Expedition Team

The cruise portion of your journey comes to an end today in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. You’ll enjoy breakfast on board, then wave goodbye to the Ocean Explorer as you head to your hotel in San Jose. Along the way, you’ll enjoy a highlights tour of Puntarenas and San Jose. Upon arrival at the hotel, you’ll have the afternoon at leisure with dinner on your own tonight.

Included Feature:

• Puntarenas & San Jose highlights tour

The modern, cosmopolitan city of San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and one of its most popular destinations for visitors. You’ll have a day at leisure to explore this lively city at your own pace today. Explore the many museums and cultural spots in the metropolitan area; pop into one of the lively bars for a refreshing cocktail, or tempt your tastebuds at one of the numerous restaurants the city has to offer. The bustling Mercado Central (Central Market), dating back to the late 19th century, is one of the oldest landmarks in Costa Rica and a fascinating place to visit during your time here.

Today, you’ll transfer to the airport for your flight back to the U.S.