Cruise from Colon to Cienfuegos

Since 1914, the Panama Canal has linked the Atlantic to the Pacific. This technological marvel of locks and canals also comprises two artificial lakes. The Gatúnsee, one of the world's largest dammed lakes, has now regained a unique range of flora and fauna. In fact, nature has reclaimed the lake for itself, with the rainforest sprawling over its banks. The former hills are now islands on which an astonishing variety of species has formed, due to its isolation. The largest island, Barro Colorado, is completely untouched and has been a nature reserve since 1923. Scientists from all over the world come here to try and discover the jungle's last secrets.

The Bocas del Toro Archipelago in north-western Panama comprises six large and numerous tiny islands. The Bastimentos Island National Marine Park is the first marine reserve in Panama and was created in 1988. Whether you visit Isla Bastimentos or Cayos Zapatillas - between mangroves and snow white palm beaches - you will find a rich variety of species swimming around in the water. It is a paradise for marine turtles and even dolphins pay a visit from time to time in the crystal-clear waters. In the unspoiled coral reef you can see a unique underwater world with colorful shoals of fish, sponges and starfish.

The Corn Islands in the Caribbean consist of two islands, Big and Little Corn Island, as well as "Blowing Rock", a handful of volcanic rocks out in the open sea, from the center of which seawater periodically shoots vertically upwards. Formerly a safe haven for pirates, Little Corn Island is still an undiscovered treasure and a delightful paradise for divers and snorkelers, with its deserted palm-covered tropical golden beaches, crystal-clear water shimmering in every shade of turquoise, and a large protective coral reef with shoals of colorful fish.

Roatán is around seventy kilometers (43 miles) long but just three kilometers (2 miles) wide. In its center the landscape is typically tropical and mountainous, with dense rainforest and a coastline that exhibits unusual-looking rocky bays, traditional little fishing villages and delightful sandy beaches lined with coconut palms. The island is surrounded by the second largest coral reef in the world and, as a result, many wrecks and alleged pirate treasure still lie unsalvaged on the sea bed. The island's other treasures are more obvious - West Bay, a gently curving, 300-meter-(985 foot)-long "dream beach" is one of the most beautiful strips of sand on Roatán.

Belize City is the country's largest town, main port, and its economic and cultural center, although it has not been the capital since 1975. Belize is situated in the south-east of the Yucatán peninsula and was part of the Mayan Empire, which left behind a rich legacy here. The ruined city of Altun Ha is one of Belize's best-preserved and most accessible Mayan cities. Lamanai, which lies on the banks of an inland lagoon, has been a settlement for 3,000 years. Excavations have shown that more than 20,000 people lived here in 700 AD.

The Belize Barrier Reef is a 256-kilometer-long series of coral reefs made up of numerous small coral islands. It is the second largest in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef. In Lighthouse Reef Atoll you will discover a very unusual natural wonder - the Great Blue Hole. It was formed during the last ice age and this circular recess in the ocean floor with a diameter of over 300 meters is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Almost any pirate who was anyone dropped anchor here. Nowadays it's filled with people wanting to escape the stresses of daily life under palm trees or in the rich underwater world. Cozumel, the largest island in Mexico, lies only a few knots away from the Yucatan peninsula. The advanced Mayan civilization in Central America, which began around 5,000 years ago and reached its final stages at the time of the Spanish conquest, still poses questions today. Their ceremonies appear bloodthirsty, their stepped pyramids impressive and their stone carvings extremely skilled. As far as we know, Tulum is the only Mayan settlement which was established on the coast.

Cienfuegos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, whose name literally translates as "Hundred fires" is also known as the Pearl of the South. The city owes its grand, romantic architecture to the French colonists who first settled there. The beautiful old town of Trinidad de Cuba is a true gem, with lovingly restored colonial facades, sleepy lanes and a turquoise sea. This friendly town, with its important past at the center of sugar cane cultivation, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for many years, along with the cultivated landscape of the Valle de Los Ingenios, or "Valley of the Sugarmills".