12-night Panama and Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast: A Central America Odyssey (Westbound)

The sights of Panama City are many, but much of it can be seen on foot. The Plaza de Francia is dedicated to the 22,000 workers who perished while building the Panama Canal. The ruins of the Church of Santo Domingo features an arch that has stood unsupported for hundreds of years. The golden altar of the Church of San Jose is the only original piece of architecture completely in tact after the Pirate Henry Morgan destroyed the city. There are many museums to explore in Panama City including: the newly restored Museum of Religious Art; the Museum of the History of Panama; the Atnthropology Museum; and the Museum of Natural Science. At Panama Viejo, view all the remains of the city’s original site.

Destination Guide

Some of the most renowned pearls in the world come from the oysters on the seabed around the hundred or so islands which make up the Pearl Island archipelago in the Gulf of Panama. The islands are mostly uninhabited. There are some fishing communities and only two of the islands have tourist development. Contadora began to be developed in the seventies with the construction of a hotel and airstrip. Residential development followed around the superb beaches which surround this and other islands

Destination Guide

With the only white-sand beach on the Azuero Peninsula, Isla Iguana is the peninsula's top natural attraction. The island is covered with coconut palms and other tropical vegetation and has two beaches: immaculate Playa El Cirial, and the tiny Playita del Faro, on the other side of the island. Moreover, the largest coral reef in the Gulf of Panama surrounds Isla Iguana allowing for excellent diving and snorkeling opportunities. Visitors can also hike the length of the island and see many sea birds and huge iguanas after which the island is named.

Isla Coiba is part of a park protecting three kinds of ecosystems: the island, the reef and marine life. This park is a group of islands with Coiba being the largest. This is one of the most extensive marine parks in the world. Coiba itself, is the largest island of the American Pacific and because of its geographical isolation the forest on the island has remained untouched. Activities available on Coiba include fishing, diving, snorkeling, bird watching, and hiking and enjoying beautiful flora and fauna. The beaches have very fine sands and waters are crystal clear. This island is internationally famous because of the big blue and black marlins that have been caught around here. On some of the beaches turtles come to nest between April and September. On the south coast of the island it is possible to see humpback whales migrating. Watch hundreds of dolphins chasing schools of tuna. This is the only place in the world where you can find whole troops of red Guacamayas. These are only some of the attractions for nature lovers besides flora, fauna and bird watching.

Destination Guide

Monkeys, parrots, jaguars, tapirs, and toucans inhabit the primitive rain forest of Costa Rica which lines the Golfo Dulce, or Sweet Gulf. Nature preserves and isolated beaches provide sanctuary for a great diversity of wildlife. The Golfo Dulce is home to the highest concentration of biodiversity in Costa Rica. The tropical haven includes species and habitats such as sea turtles, dolphins, humpback whales, mangrove forests and estuaries.

Monkeys, parrots, jaguars, tapirs, and toucans inhabit the primitive rain forest of Costa Rica which lines the Golfo Dulce, or Sweet Gulf. Nature preserves and isolated beaches provide sanctuary for a great diversity of wildlife. The Golfo Dulce is home to the highest concentration of biodiversity in Costa Rica. The tropical haven includes species and habitats such as sea turtles, dolphins, humpback whales, mangrove forests and estuaries.

The pristine rainforests and the rugged natural beauty of the Osa Peninsula make this region among the most beautiful areas in Costa Rica. Declared ‘one of the most biologically intense places on earth’ by the National Geographic Magazine, the Osa Peninsula along with Drake Bay have today, become the premier eco-tourism destination in the county.

Considered one the most virgin regions of the country, the south Pacific encompasses one of the areas of major biodiversity in Costa Rica, the Corcovado National Park. Nature in its maximum expression… alive, exuberant, greened in every detail of the jungle growth. This, and more, is offered in the region that extends from the Barú River to the Panamanian border, and from the Talamanca mountain range to the Pacific coast.

Destination Guide

The Curu Biological Reserve, on the Peninsula de Nicoya, offers diverse wildlife from white faced monkeys to phantom crabs. Though smaller than Ireland, Costa Rica boasts an amazing biodiversity. With more butterfly species than the whole of Africa, more bird species than Europe, its precious tropical rainforests harbour over half a million plant and aninial species. Small wonder that about a quarter of Costa Rica is protected nature reserve or national Park.

Tortuga, a dream island and a little paradise in the Pacific Ocean, has something for everyone. More than just a beach, white sands and sun, Tortuga also offers luxuriant flora, fauna and adventure. Tortuga Island is a reflection today of more than twenty years of hard work by a Costa Rican family in the field of conservation and sustainable development. Over the last two years the island has seen changes that allow visitors to enjoy its natural beauty to the fullest.

Destination Guide

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park

Destination Guide

The National Park is a lushes forested savannah featuring thousands of species of flora and fauna. Visitors to this beautiful park can expect to see howler and capuchin monkeys swinging from tree canopies, and the musical accompaniment of birds, and insects all around. This park is truly a nature lovers paradise. The camp sites are among the best in the country. Surfers and campers alike will enjoy the beach paradise awaiting them at Santa Rosa.  

Destination Guide

Here you can drive to the very edge of a volcanic crater, hike through the heart of a mountain jungle and explore a cherished rainforest in the same day. The Guanacaste region is a beach lover's paradise with its unforgettable white sand beaches and remarkable salt and pepper shores. Costa Rica has become a mecca for travelers seeking to immerse themselves in the beauty and peacefulness of nature. With more of its land protected in natural parks, biological preserves and wildlife sanctuaries than any other nation on earth, excursions are a must.

Destination Guide

From Costa Rica's central coastal city of Puerto Caldera visitors can explore the mountainous countryside and travel inland to the cosmopolitan capital of San Jose.

Destination Guide

The sophisticated capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, has been endowed with a vibrant street life as well as a refined cultural life. You'll see contemporary structures of glass and steel, as well as colonial, Victorian, and classical architecture, exotic birds, giant butterflies, and picturesque scenery. Costa Rica offers some of the world's most thrilling sights to those who seek a new adventure.

Destination Guide