Join us on a 13-day expedition voyage with Australian-based adventure cruise line Aurora Expeditions, sailing through the Pacific waters of Costa Rica and Panama, crossing the Panama Canal to the Caribbean Sea and reaching the Colombian coastal city of Cartagena de Indias.
In the Costa Rican capital of San Jose, we boarded the Greg Mortimer, a 341-foot expedition vessel purpose-built to take modern-day explorers to the world's most remote destinations.
This particular expedition, which took place from April 18 to 30, 2022, marked the ship's maiden voyage in tropical waters. The first passenger ship to feature the revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW, allowing it to cross oceans more comfortably and efficiently, it accommodates an average of 132 passengers in 76 spacious cabins. We were fortunate to be among just 33 passengers on this voyage. On board, we quickly familiarised ourselves with a warmly-welcoming, highly-dedicated expedition team comprising naturalists, scientists and adventure experts.
For adventures ashore, sturdy Zodiacs served as our mode of transport. In Costa Rica, we spotted wildlife including sloths, spider monkeys and coatis in the densely-vegetated Manuel Antonio National Park, Corcovado National Park and Golfo Dulce with the assistance of enthusiastic local guides. It was heartening to witness their deep devotion to contributing to the ongoing evolution of the country's ecotourism sector. In between, we enjoyed swimming, kayaking, SUP and snorkelling at Isla Tortuga and Biesanz beach. Most of the time it felt as if we had this corner of the Pacific to ourselves, with no other ships seen cruising these warm tropical seas.
Crossing into Panamanian waters, we went snorkelling among coral reefs in Coiba National Park, spotting dozens of tropical fish species and even a pair of green sea turtles. Our final stop in the Pacific was Isla Bartolome, one of the Pearl Islands, for swimming and snorkelling in turquoise seas. Next up was our visit to Ella Puru Embera, one of Panama's remote indigenous villages, where we learned about a centuries-old way of life, embraced by younger generations, which continues today, despite the numerous challenges that they face. Later, a boat tour through manmade Gatun Lake revealed a host of wildlife, including cheeky white-faced capuchin monkeys and rare birdlife. A walk through Panama's old town, Casco Viejo, proved enlightening and offered views across to the silver high rises of Panama City.
When the time came for us to cross the Panama Canal in daylight hours, the excitement among our fellow voyagers, hailing from Australia, the US, UK and Germany, was palpable. Over about 10 hours, we watched in fascination as canal workers guided us through the locks. Moody weather, alternating between sunny and rainy, only added to the atmosphere.
Before we knew it, we had reached the Caribbean and disembarked at vibrant Cartagena, where we toured the old town with a local guide and overnighted at the beachfront Hyatt Regency. It seemed too soon to leave Cartagena after just one day. So we extended our stay and spent time strolling in the Getsemani neighbourhood, sampling local culinary specialties and visiting some of the tiny islands off the coast.
Flying out of Cartagena proved bittersweet but, following this multifaceted, well-thought-out journey to Central America and South America, we're already planning our next trip to this wondrous part of the world.
#AuroraExpeditions #cruising #costarica #panama #panamacanal #colombia

Videography by Carlo Raciti & Helen Iatrou. Editing by Carlo Raciti [ Ссылка ]

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