Valparaíso, a UNESCO Gem

Begin your adventure in this vibrant hilltop city

Your expedition ship awaits you in Valparaíso, the “Jewel of the Pacific.” Built on steep hillsides overlooking the ocean, this UNESCO-listed city is well worth your time.  

Filled with attractions, the city is an exhilarating maze of winding alleyways, colorful houses and mercados packed with local produce. Why not take it all in on a funicular ride up to Cerro Alegre and Concepción?   

If you’d like to explore more of Valparaíso, you can join one of our optional Pre-Programs.  After picking up your expedition jacket and meeting your Expedition Team, find your cabin and explore the ship before enjoying the first of many delicious meals on board as we set sail.

Stunning La Serena

Explore the “City of Churches” and Serena Beach

Docking at the port of Coquimbo, we’ll head to Chile’s second oldest city, La Serena.  

La Serena is blessed with beautiful sandy beaches all along Avenida del Mar and beyond. Bursting with Neo-colonial architecture, there are around 30 carefully restored stone churches to discover, and you can visit the Archaeological Museum to marvel at the pre-Columbian artifacts.  

Take a stroll through the city's manicured public gardens, like the Japanese-inspired Jardín del Corazón, or shop for handicrafts at La Recova market. Down the discreet lane of Patio Colonial near Balmaceda you’ll find relaxed cafés and eateries. Before boarding the ship, leave some time to explore Coquimbo.

Relax at Sea

Relax and get ready for adventure

Enjoy the serenity of this day at sea. Relax and admire the scenery from the Observation Deck or inside in the Explorer Lounge & Bar.  

Throughout your journey, your Expedition Team will share their extensive knowledge of the region with you. Join them in the Science Center for lectures on topics like pre-Columbian history, the geology of the surrounding mountains and islands, and local folklore. Out on deck, they can help you spot seabirds and identify their species.

Iquique and the Atacama Desert

Discover the history of UNESCO-listed saltpeter mining towns

Our cruise continues to bustling Iquique, a flat city of promenades lined with palm trees.  

We’ll visit the abandoned, UNESCO-listed saltpeter mining towns of Santa Laura or Humberstone in the arid Atacama Desert. Back in Iquique, explore this smart ocean-side city on foot, or just pull up a chair in a café and watch the people.   

While you’re there, enjoy a delicious coffee or a traditional mango sour and chumbeque, a beloved regional sweet. Pay a visit to La Esmeralda, a four-masted corvette from the 19th century with historical significance.

Sunny Arica

Get to know Arica's history and try some local food

Arica experiences a year-round desert climate and is classed as one of the driest cities in the world. No wonder the city is popular with sunbathers and surfers.  

On the lively streets Calle 21 de Mayo and Bolognesi, you can try local treats and visit the El Agro market. Take a 15-minute hike up the remarkable El Morro cliff for glorious views, or visit San Marcos Cathedral, which was designed by Gustave Eiffel. 

You can see mummies and learn about Chinchorro culture at the archaeological museum, or stretch your legs on a trek along Playa Corazones or while exploring the caves of Anzota.

Clear Skies, Cool Climate

Go with the flow—the Humboldt Current

As we head further north toward Peru, we'll sail through an area of the ocean dominated by the Humboldt Current. The cold-water flow creates conditions that sustain an incredible abundance of marine life, including vast shoals of anchovies, mackerel, and sardines. Your Expedition Team will tell you more about the Humboldt Current’s importance to the marine ecosystem. 

You’ll have plenty of time for leisure as we spend the day at sea. You can relax in the heated infinity pool, go for a run on the outdoor track while taking in the stunning views and stimulating breeze out on deck.

Ballestas and Nazca

Among Peru's most notable attractions are the Nazca Lines and the Ballestas Islands, and both are accessible from Paracas.  

Known as El Chaco, the town has an array of restaurants along the main shorefront, where you can enjoy traditional jalea—fried seafood with salsa criolla and yuca root. Just offshore are the wildlife-rich Ballestas Islands. On a boat tour there you can look out for Humboldt penguins, turtles, pelicans, sea lions, Inca terns, and humpback whales.   

Otherwise, explore the Paracas National Reserve, with its otherworldly yellow sand dunes and red beaches, or fly over the mysterious Nazca Lines etched into the Peruvian coastal desert—it’s an experience that’s on many people’s bucket list.

Ancient and Modern Lima

Explore Peru’s historic capital

Lima's historic center is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a jewel of Spanish-era architecture, from colonial churches and monasteries to elegant mansions. Going further back in time, you can learn more about the city’s pre-Hispanic heritage at the ruins of the Huaca Pucllana pyramid. 

 Known as the food capital of South America, Lima has everything from gourmet restaurants to unmissable street food. We recommend trying Peru's national dish, ceviche, which is fish marinated in lime juice, onion and chili peppers.

Trujillo and Chan Chan

Be awed by Trujillo's ancient kingdoms

Salaverry is the gateway port to Peru’s third largest city and some fascinating archaeological sites. Colorful Trujillo boasts a Baroque cathedral, colonial churches and Neoclassical mansions, as well as one of the longest mosaic murals in the world. 

Nearby, the vast ancient ruins of the Chimú city of Chan Chan date back to at least 900 CE. On the other side of Trujillo, the mysterious Moche pyramids of the Sun and the Moon predate even that.

Science and Leisure

Enjoy some relaxation or research—or a bit of both

Your Pacific coast cruise continues toward Ecuador. As we sail, you might want to soak up the scenery from the hot tubs or panoramic sauna, or indulge yourself in a spa treatment in the on-board wellness center.   By this stage of your journey, you’ll have made friends with your fellow explorers, finding that you have interests and a passion for nature in common. You can spend time chatting with them in the Explorer Lounge & Bar, perhaps recalling the best bits of your expedition cruise so far.  Of course, the Expedition Team will continue to deliver insightful lectures in the Science Center, and you can delve into the books in the on-board library if you want to learn more about a particular subject.

Machalilla National Park

Go wild in Machalilla

Machalilla National Park is a truly special place. With its beautiful dry forests and protected wetlands, this stretch of coastline is home to more than 270 bird and 81 mammal species.  

If conditions allow, we’ll anchor off the long sandy beach at the fishing village of Puerto López, using our small expedition boats to land. 

The park is also something of an outdoor museum of pre-Columbian history thanks to the ancient Machalilla culture that used to thrive here. We'll visit the Agua Blanca archaeological site, taking in spectacular scenery along the way.

Made in Montecristi

Discover the birthplace of Panama hats: Ecuador

Manta is a lively port city with a long history of fishing that has brought the city prosperity. You'll find wild shrimp, black clams and red snapper at many local restaurants. Manta is most famous for its tuna, which we recommend trying in the encebollado broth. 

Head to lively Playa el Murciélago for the shops and eateries of Malecón Escénico, or learn about pre-Columbian civilization at the Museo Municipal Etnográfico Cancebí. 

Montecristi is also nearby. The town is known for its handicrafts, and you can buy a stylish genuine Panama hat here, expertly handwoven using the leaves of the jipijapa tree.

Crossing the Equator

Enjoy a quirky seafaring tradition

As our expedition cruise continues toward Panama, you'll have time to enjoy more lectures from the Expedition Team and brush up on your photography or art skills. You can also take samples gathered on our cruise and analyze them under the microscope in the Science Center. 

As we cross the Equator, you can seek Neptune's blessing in a short ceremony. Don't be shy, it's an old seafaring tradition!

Island of Cébaco

Experience nature, pure and wild

Our adventure continues to Cébaco, a hidden gem of an island. The only way to get to this island is by sea, but with no regular ferries, it's almost untouched and the only human settlement is the small village of El Jobo in the north. 

Wind your way around miles of pristine beaches, like Playa Grande to the south with its soft white sands and coconut trees. Or hike through rainforest trails and enjoy the peace while looking out for wildlife. 

 The Gulf of Montijo, which surrounds the island, is a nationally protected marine zone. You can enjoy exceptional snorkeling here, spotting colorful fish among the coral reefs.

Wildlife of Golfito 

Go on a rainforest adventure

Today, we reach Costa Rica. Relaxed and blissful Golfito is the gateway to Piedras Blancas National Park, with its roaring waterfalls. Follow the rainforest trails through the wildlife refuge to the park. Look out for toucans, macaws, blue morpho butterflies, anteaters, sloths, and mantled howler monkeys. 

The calm waters here are perfect for kayaking through the mangroves toward isolated beaches, or you can join a walk through the town. Enjoy views from the marinas and see anglers heading out in pursuit of the prized Pacific sailfish.

Stunning Quepos

Discover beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park

Further up the coast, our next port of call is Quepos. Visit pretty Marina Pez Vela, and there are various water sports available at the mile-long Playa Espadilla.  

 Quepos is something of a paradise for people who love nature and the ocean. Many come here to enjoy marine pursuits, trek in the nearby rainforest, or just laze on the mile-long beach, Playa Espadilla. 

The port is the gateway to nearby Manuel Antonio National Park, which is ranked one of the most beautiful national parks in the world by Forbes magazine. The park boasts impressive views of mountains, mangroves, lagoons, beaches, and tropical forest and is home to a plethora of wildlife.   

Following the breathtaking Perezoso trail, you can hope to spot scarlet macaws, toucans, hawks, sloths, iguanas, armadillos and up to four species of monkey.

Colorful Curú

Visit a wildlife refuge in a paradise setting

Today, we sail to the southern Nicoya Peninsula, where monkeys, exotic birds, deer, iguanas and more thrive in the lush green forests and mangroves.  

On our small expedition boats, you’ll head ashore to visit the Curú Wildlife Refuge. Set amongst tropical forest, white sand beaches and protected bays, you can wander the meandering trails and learn more about local conservation. A successful sustainable development program, the refuge works to reintroduce key species and preserve fragile habitats like coral reefs.  

Get out on the water to fully appreciate this breathtaking setting. Explore the turquoise sea by kayak or SUP, or simply jump in for a swim.

Arrival in Puntarenas

Onward from Puntarenas

Your expedition cruise comes to an end in Puntarenas, a thin strip of land jutting into the Pacific.  

If you have time before your onward journey, the palm-tree-lined Paseo de los Turistas makes for a pleasant stroll. There are also restaurants, food stalls and vendors for any last-minute souvenir shopping. And if you’d like to indulge your sweet tooth, we recommend batidos fruit smoothies or churchills, which is a combination of fruit, shaved ice, syrup, and ice cream. 

If you're not ready to end your adventures just yet, why not join one of our optional Post-Programs?