Costa Rica & Panama Canal

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Small Ship Costa Rica & Panama Canal Cruises

Tropical Islands. Exotic Jungles. The Panama Canal.
Experience It All in Private Yacht Style

Natural and man-made wonders combine in this exotic region where you are an explorer by day with cocktails on the fantail of your boutique ship by night. Costa Rica is one of the most ecologically diverse places on earth over landscapes of rainforest, lakes, cloudforests, volcanoes, and more, boasting an impressive variety of wildlife. Learn more about their history, flora and fauna from a local Naturalist on board and transit the massive Panama Canal during daylight hours. Against all this color and adventure, your white ship rests at anchor awaiting your return from a delightful day of exploring.

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Windstar Knows the Way to Costa Rica & the Panama Canal

THE RAINFOREST, SEA, AND BEACHES here brim with life — howler monkeys, jaguars, blue morpho butterflies the size of dinner plates — bisected by a canal built on a scale never before attempted by man. Mayan and colonial relics hint at past glories, shrouded in jungle and hidden deep within Belize’s limestone caves. Latin cuisines burst on the palate with the exuberance of a mariachi band. Absorb the Lost World vibe of Bahía Drake and lounge on the beach of the San Blas Islands. Meet Embera Indians in Panama and search the Costa Rican rainforest for endangered species. You are an explorer by day, with cocktails on the pool deck at 5.

Shore Excursion Must-Do: Rainforest Extravaganza & Traditions (Quepos, Costa Rica) The small town of Esquipulas rests at the foot of high mountains, and this family owned private nature reserve protects both primary and secondary rainforest at the mountains’ base. Follow your naturalist guide along the trails, watching for toucans, hummingbirds, butterflies, monkeys and other rainforest residents. You’ll also learn about Costa Rica’s most important crop — coffee — observing the process from roasting to cup, followed by a hearty traditional Costa Rican casado lunch.

Face to Face with Wonder SEE THE PANAMA CANAL FOR THE AMAZING engineering feat it truly is as you view the locks from below, rather than from above as you would on a large cruise ship. And get closer to the best wildlife-watching areas, like Bahia Drake where you’ll take a Zodiac ashore to access Corcovado National Park. When you need a break from adventure (if you ever do), relax on uninhabited white-sand beaches and snorkel stunning reefs in Windstar-exclusive destinations like Isla Parida.

Get Your Feet Wet This is an adventure! Get your feet wet as you wade ashore from the Zodiac (a “wet landing”) onto deserted beaches and access remote wilderness areas.

Windstar's Signature Beach Party Spend a full day enjoying secluded Isla Parida during Windstar’s Signature Beach Party — a catered affair complete with an island bar, water toys, and a plentiful, mouthwatering buffet.

The Panama Canal Beyond Ordinary Nothing makes you appreciate the enormity of the Panama Canal than sailing through it on a small ship. Make a daylight transit of the Panama Canal as our Canal historian shares incredible facts about its construction and insights into its inner workings.

Featured Port: Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica “Port Jim” is one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse areas. Rare birds like scarlet macaws, harpy eagles, and quetzals share the rainforest with land creatures like jaguars and ocelots, while offshore, humpback whales and dolphins play in the the deep waters of Golfo Dulce. Kayak through the mangroves and estuaries watching for monkeys, caimans, butterflies and more, or simply relax on a perfect beach.