Pure Panama: Cultures, Coasts & Canal

Arrive at the airport and meet the ship's representative. Transfer to the hospitality area to relax with your shipmates until it is time to board the Safari Voyager. Cross the peninsula overland to Colon, where the ship waits at anchor. Settle in to your cabin and attend a welcome dinner as the ship sets sail.

Home to one of the best preserved Native cultures in the Americas, the indigenous province of Guna Yala (formerly the San Blas Islands) encompasses over 360 islands of white sand beaches backed by palm trees and dotted with thatched-roofs. Discover the remarkable heritage of the Guna (or Kuna) with a village visit to an arts and crafts market, traditional cemetery, and communal house of the chiefs. Enjoy an afternoon with the locals, revealing traditional customs and daily living. Enjoy the natural wonders of these islands with a snorkel in the crystalline Caribbean waters.

Another beautiful day awaits you in Guna Yala. Enjoy the islands at a more relaxed pace, lounging on a stunning beach or taking an easy stroll in the sand. Hike through vibrant jungle forest passing forest farms along the way and snorkel, paddle board, or kayak among the picture-perfect islands.

The 'world’s most valuable river,' and Panama’s largest, was the route by which Incan gold was transported in Colonial times. Today, it is still a vital artery of the Canal. Walk among the battlements and canons of San Lorenzo Fort—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—built in the 1500s by the Spanish crown as a military stronghold and sacked multiple times by swashbuckling pirates. And if conditions allow, see the wild side of the river by skiff, paddle board, and kayak. Hundreds of avian species live in this migration hot-spot—ground cuckoos, crested eagle, trogons, toucans, white hawks, with their “neighbor” monkeys, wild pigs, white tailed deer, and other wildlife. Later, prepare for one of the most memorable travel experiences—transiting ocean-to-ocean along the 48-mile marvel, the Panama Canal.

Golden sand meets topaz-colored water, and beaches make way for lush vegetation and rocky volcanic outcroppings on the 90 islands and nearly 130 islets of Las Perlas—the Pearl Islands. Almost entirely uninhabited, the islands are host to a plethora of tropical flora and fauna. Mid-summer through early-fall, the archipelago is frequented by dolphins and humpbacks—so keep your eyes peeled for acrobatic spinning and telltale blow spouts. Select your modus operandi—kayak, paddle board, skiff, or snorkel—and set out in a nature lovers’ dreamscape.

Untouched and untamed, the Darién Jungle is nearly as wild and magnificent today as it was for early conquistadors 500 years ago. Explore the vast Punta Patiño Nature Reserve on foot, part of Darién Province and the largest natural protected area in Central America. Traveling the Mogue River by motorized dugout canoe, your expedition guide will help you spot wildlife—astonishingly-colored roseate spoonbills, ibises, osprey, and raccoons can be seen fishing for breakfast from the water’s edge. After welcoming formalities at a local Emberá village, they’ll share their customs and stories, and you’ll have an opportunity to buy handicrafts from the villagers, including their highly-prized and intricately woven rainforest baskets.

Explore the vast Punta Patiño Nature Reserve on foot, part of Darién Province and the largest natural protected area in Central America. Then set sail in search of wildlife, keeping watch for bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, smaller shark species, and early in the season for migration, whales. This festive evening includes a special farewell dinner and celebratory slideshow from your expedition team.

After an early breakfast, bid adios to your crew. Transfer to the airport for your independent travels home.