From Colón to Puntarenas · South America & Antarctica · 7 nights
Sleek and stylish, Ponant’s wonderful Explorer yachts blend luxury and intimacy with a discreet elegance and tasteful décor.
Named after six of France’s most famous explorers, Le Champlain,
Le Lapérouse, Le Bougainville, Le Dumont d’Urville, Le Bellot and
Le Jacques Cartier offer exciting and adventurous itineraries in
the utmost comfort. Technologically advanced, with the latest in
environmentally friendly hardware, the new ships embody Ponant’s
trademark élan and flair, with just 92 spacious rooms and suites, a
stylish pool deck and an intimate, refined onboard ambience.
Situated at the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal, Colón takes its name from Christopher Columbus, known in Spanish as Cristóbal Colón, although it's hard to imagine the famous explorer would find much reason to linger here nowadays. Once a thriving port, the city is now in a state of seemingly terminal decline, its colonial architecture crumbling and the modern city beset by social problems. It's not somewhere you will want to hang around for long, and serves merely as a gateway to the Canal, which will carry you to much nicer places.
Situated just off the coast of Panama, the idyllic San Blas islands are home to the Kuna Indians, who enjoy political autonomy from the mainland and have an unusual degree of control over tourism to their homeland. Visiting these simple island communities is a privilege, and an insight into an indigenous way of life unsullied by mass tourism.
The sleepy fishing village of Portobelo, on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, was once the busiest port in Spanish America, funneling vast quantities of Inca gold back to Europe. Ruined forts still litter the coast, and the legacy of the colonial era also lives on in the Congo people, descendants of African slaves brought here by the Spanish.
The Darién Gap is the only break in the Pan-American Highway that runs from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, a wild and untamed region of thick jungle. Although the region has a reputation for lawlessness, tourism is making inroads thanks to the jungle’s staggering biodiversity and the fascinating culture of the indigenous Emberá people.
Situated on a peculiarly shaped peninsula on the Gulf of Nicoya, Puntarenas is a popular weekend beach destination for residents of Costa Rica’s capital, San José. The port itself is not pretty, but the beachfront Paseo de los Turistas is a nice place to relax with a drink or enjoy a seafood lunch.
