9 days - Journey Latin America
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9 days 18:18 26-07-2021
We are the UK’s No.1 specialist in travel to Latin As our name suggests, we are single-minded
America and have been creating award-winning about Latin America. This is what sets us apart
holidays to every corner of the region for over four from other travel companies – and what allows us
decades; we pride ourselves on being the most to offer you not just a holiday but the opportunity to
knowledgeable people there are when it comes to experience something extraordinary on inspiring
travel to Central and South America and journeys throughout Mexico, Central and South
passionate about it too. America.
A passion for the region runs Fully bonded and licensed Our insider knowledge helps
through all we do you go beyond the guidebooks
ATOL-protected
All our Consultants have lived or We hand-pick hotels with
travelled extensively in Latin On your side when it matters character and the most
America rewarding excursions
Book with confidence, knowing
Up-to-the-minute knowledge every penny is secure Let us show you the Latin
underpinned by 40 years' America we know and love
experience
18:18 26-07-2021
18:18 26-07-2021
Panama is a strategically vital country uniting two oceans, but its potential interest to the leisure visitor has
perhaps been underplayed. Most have heard of its history, chequered with the movement of plundered gold,
dodgy dictators, straw hats (these actually come from Ecuador) and, of course, the monumental feat of
engineering which is the Panama Canal.
Fewer are aware of the abundant and diverse wildlife populating unsullied tropical rainforest and the intact, even
flourishing, indigenous cultures which have survived the switchback ride of its history.
Much of the country’s interior is almost impenetrable, which makes an expedition cruise which passes both
through the canal itself and along the little republic’s jungle-stifled shores the best way to discover its hidden
charms. On this holiday, you spend a couple of days discovering the highlights at either end of the canal before
setting sail to traverse it.
(Some departures travel southwards through the Canal from Colon to Panama City. The holiday is effectively
the same as the one here, but in reverse).
This thriving cosmopolitan metropolis sits at the Pacific end
of the Panama Canal.
The city dates back to 1519 when it was a settlement base
for transporting Peruvian gold back to Imperial Spain. Its
subsequent wealth made it a frequent target for pirate raids.
These days, soaring skyscrapers, sparkling banks and
smart modern offices overshadow forts, Spanish convents
and sumptuous French-style mansions, reminders of its
colonial heyday.
Begin with your adventure with a guided exploration of the
UNESCO World heritage Site Casco Viejo. Work on this
neighbourhood started in 1673 following the destruction by
pirates of the original city. You’ll be able to stroll around the
atmospheric former city-centre with its restored colonial
houses, churches and squares embodying the Spanish
colonial architecture of the 17th century. Following a visit to
the Inter-Oceanic Canal Museum you’ll continue to the
Biodiversity Museum where eight galleries tell the story of
human development on the Panamanian isthmus and its
impact on the area’s biodiversity.
In the afternoon, you’ll embark the MV Discovery anchored
at Flamenco Island. Set sail in the tropical waters of the
Pacific Ocean heading towards Contadora in the Pearl
Islands where the ship will spend the first night before
navigating to the Darien jungle. Meet your expedition
leaders, the crew and fellow guests while you savour
regionally-inspired cuisine.
18:18 26-07-2021Now you really head off into the unknown. The shores of
Darien Province are hemmed by a curtain of dark, tangled
rainforest which has kept out explorers and potential
settlers for centuries. Perhaps because of this lack of
human interference, this environment is one of the most
bio-diverse in the world, as well as among the most exotic.
Brightly feathered birds flit through the trees while monkeys
chatter and swing from branch to branch.
Here, you’ll head inland to meet members of a community
of Embera indians. These people, the original inhabitants,
have managed not only to maintain their identity and
traditional crafts – they excel at basket work and wood
carvings – but have also adopted a sustainable economy to
conserve the delicate balance in the forest, with a little help
from low-key tourism. The Embera are proud of their long-
established mythology, and practice natural medicine using
forest products they harvest themselves.
Today, back out along the coast, you can swim and snorkel
in the sparkly aquamarine waters lapping the Pearl Islands.
The 200 island-strong archipelago owes its name to the
abundance of pearl oysters which supported a substantial
fishery in the early 1900s.
Nowadays the sun-baked archipelago is famed for its
squeaky-clean soft-sand beaches and gently waving palm
trees. Just a few of the islands are inhabited, and many
are tiny. Survival shows have been filmed here, adding a
colourful contemporary page to the story of pirate refuge;
and you have a shipwrecked submarine to explore.
18:18 26-07-2021The excitement mounts as you finally enter the Panama
Canal. In the 1880s the construction of a waterway to link
the Pacific to the Atlantic oceans began, and the ambitious
project was completed in 1914. Fortunately, since the
Canal was handed back to Panama in 1999 the twisted
jungle along its banks has been protected and developed
for eco-tourism. Wake up at the Pacific entrance and join
the morning’s ship convoy for the northbound canal
passage traversing Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks. The
Discovery will be raised 26m above sea level to Lake
Gatún, where the ship will spend the night, before she is
taken down again. This is no easy task: a skilled pilot is
required on board to guide the vessel through the massive
sets of locks. A staggering 52 million gallons of fresh water
is used in each transit. It is not surprising that the biggest
ships have to pay a fee of over one million dollars for each
crossing.
Before the Panama Canal, the vast jungle area that is now
Lake Gatún was teeming with a huge abundance of wildlife.
As the region was flooded to create the lake, many
creatures took refuge in the mountain peaks which now
constitute the many islands which rise above the surface of
the lake. Explore Gatún lake and kayak in Panama Canal
waters. Your expedition leader will take you on board small
crafts past lush rainforest to secluded areas of the lake to
witness first-hand the splendor and excitement of the
jungle.
Exotic birds, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and crocodiles are
just a few of the animals that you may see in their natural
surroundings. The sights, sounds and scents which
compose this tropical jungle will engulf you. Cameras
should be at hand as this is considered one of the the
world’s premier locations for viewing monkeys and other
animals in the wild.
You’ll be driven into Soberania national Park along a gravel
road built by the US military during World War 2 when they
constructed the oil pipeline to alleviate traffic jams of ships
travelling through the canal during the conflict. This was
renamed the pipeline road and is now celebrated and one of
the most interesting eco-trails in the country, especially
recognised for its prolific wildlife. Arrive at the Panama
Rainforest Discovery Centre, run by a not-for-profit
conservation organisation. Climb a 32m observation tower
for panoramic views over the jungle, and walk one or both
of the two forest trails (1,2km), where you have the
opportunity to look out for toucans and hummingbirds,
monkeys, crocodiles, coatis, butterflies and sloths.
The Discovery will exit the Panama Canal in the afternoon
on its way to the mouth of the Chagres river.
18:18 26-07-2021The Chagres river was used by the Spanish conquistadors
to move their gold across the Isthmus of Panama en route
from Peru to Spain, then by the gold prospectors who
attempted a ‘short cut’ from the east coast of the USA to the
gold fields of California. These colourful characters are long
gone but the river is now the lifeline of the Panama Canal,
still heaving with wildlife and fringed by tropical jungle.
Explore Fort San Lorenzo, on a cliff at the mouth of the
river on the Atlantic side. The fort here was built by the
Spaniards in the 16th century to defend the gold trail.
In the afternoon, walk along the Pavon Trail to a lookout
tower on a cliff overlooking the river, where you will be met
by member of the crew for a Sunset Wine and Cheese
picnic.
Explore the Chagres river in a small boat, The river was
used by the Spanish conquistadores to transport gold
across the isthmus of Panama en route between Peru and
Spain and also by gold prospectors who attempted a short
cut to the US east coast from the gold fields of California.
Now it is a tranquil haven for tropical wildlife. Later in the
afternoon, board the train which runs along the Panama
Canal Railway back to Panama City, a journey of just one
hour. The line flanks the Panama Canal passing through
the rainforest, cruising alongside the Canal’s locks, through
the Gaillard Cut and gliding over slender causeways in
Lake Gatún. Arrive in Panama City in the early evening
and settle in to your hotel.
(Note that the itinerary is subject to variation according to
weather and other local conditions. The cruise can be
taken in the opposite direction - please enquire).
18:18 26-07-202118:18 26-07-2021
9 days
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