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A brightly colored toucan in the forest

Ancient Worlds and Natural Wonders

Peru to Panama - Example 15 Day Cruise aboard Silver Explorer
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Four magnificent destinations are waiting to be uncovered and explored on this 15-day voyage. Aboard the Silver Explorer, venture to Puerto Quepos, ideal for its varied fauna. Visit Manuel Antonio National Park, with its 109 mammal and 184 bird species. Explore Golfo Dulce – Costa Rica’s “sweet gulf”, and Isla Coiba – Panama’s prison-turned-paradise island. Complete your expedition in Panama City – South America’s cultural hub and cosmopolitan capital of cool.
The vast mud city of Chan ChanA monkey clings to the treePanamaSea lion coming in from a swimA brightly colored toucan in the forest
Highlights
  • Witness a traditional performance of Peruvian Paso horses
  • Visit Buenaventura cloud forest with its staggering amount of hummingbirds
  • Enjoy various guided walks, observing Isla de la Plata's diverse wildlife
  • Explore Utria National Park in Colombia and admire the park’s highlights
  • Discover Manuel Antonio National Park - one of the most biodiverse areas
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Embark in Callao, Peru

Embark Silver Explorer and depart on your exciting 15-day expedition — Ancient Worlds and Natural Wonders. This evening, after settling in and participating in a mandatory safety drill, be introduced to important members of the crew and the Expedition Team. Tonight familiarize yourself with your new home away from home, meet some of your fellow travelers, and enjoy the first of many memorable meals in The Restaurant.

Day 2: Isla Guañape, Peru

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Have a leisurely breakfast and attend one of the lectures about Peru and the Humboldt Current before you arrive at your destination for the afternoon. Located off the coast of La Libertad, Peru, two islands, North and South Guañape, along with several small islets constitute a biological reserve for seabirds. In 2009, the National Wildlife Refuge System of Peru officially protected the islands. The rugged, rocky, and dry island group is uninhabited by people, but is home not only to large colonies of South American sea lions, but to hundreds of thousands of seabirds. These include Peruvian pelicans, Inca terns, blue-footed boobies and Humboldt penguins. In your Zodiacs cruise along the island and adjacent islets to get a better view of the birds and the buildings and walls set up to collect guano.

Day 3: Salaverry, Peru

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning visit Trujillo to see its colonial Main Plaza and historical houses before heading to the main religious center of the Mochica culture east of the town. The archaeological complex includes the Temple of the Sun, one of the largest adobe structures in the world, and the Temple of the Moon, covered with beautiful Moche designs. Next visit a private hacienda for sparkling wine and appetizers, witnessing a performance of Peruvian Paso horses - an unrivalled opportunity to immerse yourself in genuine Peruvian culture spanning centuries.

Day 4: Cruise & Explore Isla Lobos de Tierra, Peru

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today it's off to Isla Lobos de Tierra and Lobos de Afuera — steep and rocky islands that protrude more than 200 feet from the surface of the deep blue Pacific. An abundant array of marine mammals and seabirds surround these two islands and offer you a splendid opportunity to explore with your Zodiacs. Sea lions bask on the beach and hundreds of blue-footed boobies can be viewed ashore as well, while Peruvian pelicans pass overhead. If the weather permits, attempt to make a landing on the island. In the afternoon attend a lecture about Ecuador and its natural history, preparing you for Machala and Isla de la Plata.

Day 5: Machala, Ecuador

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Machala, with a population of approximately 250,000 inhabitants, is called the “Capital of the Banana” as the ‘World Fair of the Banana’ is held there during the third week of September. Fortunately for you, there is more to Machala than just bananas: opposite Machala is Santa Clara. Whales and dolphins can sometimes be seen in Santa Clara’s vicinity, although most sightings occur later in the year.

Several National Sanctuaries or Ecological Reserves can be found near Machala and you have three options: you can either visit the Buenaventura cloud forest reserve with its staggering amount of hummingbirds and a known lek of the rare long-wattled umbrellabird, or visit the Arenillas Reserve, a “dry forest”. If you like extremes, the Puyango Petrified Forest might be more to your liking: it is one of the largest petrified forests in the world and located within a lush tropical forest.
Since Machala is also known for several typical dishes, mostly seafood - from raw marinated shrimp to shrimp soup and fried shrimp, and from fried bananas to fish soup, all excursions have some sample of local refreshments.

Day 6: Isla de la Plata, Ecuador

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Exploration and discovery awaits you as you anchor off the coast of the uninhabited and unspoiled Isla de la Plata. The island’s name was derived from the legend of Sir Francis Drake’s buried silver treasure. The island was privately owned until 1979, when it was declared part of Ecuador’s Machalilla National Park. Best known for its fauna, which is amazingly similar to that of the Galapagos Islands, Isla de la Plata is a delightful place for birding, photography and long nature walks.

As you approach the island, blue-footed boobies circle overhead. Together with some local natural history guides, go ashore and enjoy various walks, watching for herons, pelicans, gulls, and magnificent frigatebirds, and blue-footed, red-footed, and Nazca boobies. Potential songbirds on the island include collared warbling-finch, short-tailed woodstar, and gray-and-white tyrannulet. A special treat would be the waved albatross, an endemic to Isla de la Plata and Española, Galapagos. Although just south of the equator, the influences of the colder Humboldt Current bring nutrient-rich water as far north as Isla de la Plata. If conditions permit, you might also enjoy some snorkeling.

Day 7: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Attend informative lectures that prepare you for the upcoming ports-of-call in Colombia. Apart from lectures there might also be a workshop or seminar, or you can relax on the Sun Deck, have a cigar in the Connoisseurs Corner, or partake in Team Trivia, testing your knowledge about the area the ship is passing through.

Day 8: Utria National Park, Colombia

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Silver Explorer’s first stop in Colombia is at Nuqui Harbour. Your explorations of the Colombian Pacific coast start with a visit to Utria National Natural Park. From coral reefs and mangroves to the marine environment, tropical rainforest, and rocky beaches where sea turtles come to lay their eggs, few places in the world encompass the diversity of Utría’s ecosystems. The Expedition Team offers a choice of trail hikes to explore the park’s numerous highlights. During your walk, see some of Utría’s great variety of animal life, which includes deer, wild pigs, anteaters, black howler and spider monkeys, wild cats (such as jaguar, puma and ocelot), sloths, and some rodent species. As for flora, the park has several species of timber trees, notably the area’s beloved Cohiba tree and the Oquendo tree, which is used in the creation of local art and handicrafts.

Day 9: Bahia Solano, Colombia

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Arrive quite early in Bahia Solano, anchor offshore, and be brought to land by local tender or Zodiac. Bahía Solano is located in splendid isolation and is connected to the outside world by a single, small local airport. Tucked inside a beautiful bay, the small Colombian town is lined by the Pacific Ocean on one side and thick, impenetrable jungle on the other. The majority of the 10,000 residents work in local industries, which are predominantly fishing, agriculture and eco-tourism.

If you select the Bahia Solano Town Tour with your own local guide, the tour begins at the local secondary school. Be welcomed by the children who can guide you through their school. Afterwards, take a relaxed walk through the community, wandering the streets with their array of different shops and businesses, and visiting the main church, the primary school, and library before checking out the small fishing port, where fish are flown out daily to the main cities of Colombia. The tour ends on the “malecón” or seafront with the opportunity to see an artisans’ market where handicrafts are available for sale.

Day 10: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today sail from South America to Central America, crossing slightly south of the Gulf of Panama. As you intend to visit iconic national parks and ecosystems, attend lectures that teach you more about the many aspects of Costa Rica’s nature.

Day 11: Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Go ashore by Zodiac to the small port town of Quepos. Quepos is less than 4.5 miles (7 km) from Costa Rica’s most popular gem, Manuel Antonio National Park -one of the most stunning and biodiverse areas of the world. Spread out over 683 hectares, it is filled with diverse wildlife, has both primary and secondary forests, boasts a stunning shoreline ideal for bird-watching or swimming, and is home to a number of endemic species of plants and animals including iguanas, sloths, and squirrel monkeys. Together with your Costa Rican naturalist guides hike through the exotic, biodiverse tropical rainforests.

Alternatively, enjoy a cruise through the mangroves, an important ecosystem packed with hundreds of species of marine and land animals, aboard a sturdy vessel designed for this type of cruising. Your guides and captain navigate around shifting sandbanks to reveal the animals, insects, and plants that lie hidden from the untrained eye. Pass through wide lagoons where many species of seabirds can be observed, and round narrow passages, hoping for a chance to encounter white-collared capuchin monkeys.

If cruising on a river is more to your liking, choose the Savegre River, considered one of Central America’s most beautiful rivers, for a two-hour class I & II amazing river floating activity. During the bus ride to El Silencio, from where the river part starts, see spectacular scenery and cormorants, egrets, herons, and white ibises.

Day 12: Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today have the opportunity to visit Santuario Silvestre de Osa – the only wildlife sanctuary and rescue center in Golfo Dulce that devotes all of its efforts to the care and rehabilitation of rainforest animals. The sanctuary is home to a wide variety of orphaned and injured animals including: howler monkeys, spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, white-faced capuchin monkeys, scarlet macaws, toucans, parrots, and two-toed sloths. Enjoy the sanctuary grounds in the company of the park’s creators and wardens as they share their wealth of knowledge on local natural history and show some of these animals. Visit Casa Orquideas, a beautiful garden that contains many tropical plants and a medicinal garden.

If you prefer to watch for dolphins and other marine life, choose to go on a catamaran. The country’s best spot to watch large groups of dolphins, sea turtles, and manta rays is in the waters off the Osa Peninsula. Marlins and sailfish can sometimes be seen chasing large schools of tuna, while six different species of turtles might glide by. If time permits there may be the opportunity to swim in the placid waters of Punta Encato.

For those wanting a little more activity, a nature walk in the National Wildlife Refuge of Golfito is on offer. Golfito is surrounded by a spectacular primary rainforest with more than 125 species of trees, 31 species of orchids, and 300 species of birds. Bird species that can be spotted during the hikes include toucans and tanagers, while all four Costa Rican monkey species also call Golfito National Wildlife Refuge home.

Day 13: Isla Coiba, Panama

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning, take the Zodiacs and hope to land at this remote part of Panama for a hike through the rainforest. The island is part of the Coiba National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The onboard naturalists point out the local flora and search for signs of wildlife. The jungles of Coiba are home to mantled howler monkeys, Coiba Island agoutis, and white-tailed deer, crested eagles, brown-backed doves, and scarlet macaws. There are 97 bird species, 20 of them endemic, including the Coiba spinetail.

Just offshore from this nature preserve, a rocky headland provides an ideal spot for snorkeling. Join the onboard Marine Biologist and learn to identify damsel fish, jacks, surgeon fish, trumpet fish, parrot fish, trigger fish, and whitetip reef sharks. Hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead and olive ridley sea turtles frequent Coiba’s waters too. Take this opportunity to relax on the beach and enjoy true Silversea hospitality as your butlers serve fresh fruit skewers and a variety of cocktails.
During the afternoon attend a lecture about Panama and the Darien Jungle.

Day 14: Darien Jungle, Panama

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning anchor in the Darien Jungle’s Bay of San Miguel. Explore this pristine, remote, and seldom-visited area by Zodiac or local canoe, navigating up the tidal Mogue River. The Darien Jungle has one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and is recognized as one of the world’s top ten birding sites – apart from being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the colorful crimson-collared tanager, green and chestnut-fronted macaws, rufous-tailed and snow-bellied hummingbirds, as well as tapir and black-headed spider monkeys, vultures, and the endangered great curassow.

At the conclusion of your river adventure, be welcomed at the remote Embera Village. The Darien Jungle is rarely visited by outsiders (fewer than 1,000 tourists visit each year), and the Embera are one of several indigenous groups that live in relative isolation. Go ashore to melodic rhythms of traditional tribal music and the local women and children in brightly colored clothing lead you to their village and introduce you to their way of life. Visit authentic tribal dwellings as the Embera perform native dances and demonstrate basket weaving and carving techniques. There is the opportunity to purchase souvenirs, including beautiful handcrafted baskets and carvings.

Day 15: Disembark in Panama City, Panama

  • 1 Breakfast
After breakfast, disembark Silver Explorer.

Ship/Hotel

Silver Explorer

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$7,350
Rates are dynamic and fluctuate based on capacity. Contact us for a specific quote.
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Adventurer Class
6 cabins on Deck 3, 180 sq. feet, Twin or Queen beds, 2 portholes.
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Explorer Class
4 cabins on Deck 4, Twin or Queen beds, 180 sq. feet with view window.
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View Suite
12 suites on Deck 3, 230 sq. feet with view window, Twin or Queen beds.
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Vista Suite
16 suites on Deck 4, 194 - 230 sq. feet with large window, Twin or Queen beds.
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Veranda Suite
8 suites on Deck 5, 215 sq. feet with French balcony, Twin or Queen beds.
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Medallion Suite
2 suites on Deck 7, 358 sq. feet with private veranda, Twin or Queen beds.
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Silver Suite
6 suites on Deck 5, 430 sq. feet with 2 French balconies, Twin or Queen beds.
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Grand Suite
2 suites on Deck 7, 650 sq. feet with large private veranda, Twin or Queen beds.
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Owner
2 suites on Deck 7, 540 sq. feet with large private veranda, Twin or Queen beds.

Notes

Please note: Fares are capacity controlled, and subject to change at any time without notice. All prices are in US dollars, cruise-only per person based on double occupancy.

- The supplement for single occupancy in a Vista, Veranda or Midship Veranda Suite ranges from 25% – 100% above the double occupancy fare, depending upon the sailing and suite selected. Single supplement for a Silver or Medallion Suite (Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper), Owner’s, Grand or Royal Suites are 100% above of the double occupancy fare. Suites for single and third guests are capacity controlled.
Included
  • 14 Breakfasts, 13 Lunches, 14 Dinners
  • 14 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Personalized Service with a Butler for all Suites
  • One hour free WIFI per day for all guests. Unlimited free WIFI for guests sailing on select suite categories.
  • In-suite dining and room service
  • Guided Zodiac, land and sea tours, and shoreside activities led by the Expeditions Team
  • Onboard gratuities
  • Beverages in-suite and throughout the ship, including champagne, select wines and spirits
  • Complimentary transportation into town in most ports
Excluded
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Some champagne, premium wine and spirit selections, caviar, cigarettes and cigars are not included in your fare.
  • Meals ashore
  • Laundry or Valet services
  • Casino gaming

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This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
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