Sexy metropolis intermingles with sultry jungle as we set out from high energy Panama City and allow its iconic ocean-to-ocean canal to carry us from the Pacific to the Caribbean. Traversing one of the world’s finest man-made wonders, we ply the spidery tributaries of Gatun Lake and forge into Chagres National Park, passing dramatic dams, spillways, and showering waterfalls in search of elusive wild cats and soul-renewing salutations with indigenous Embrera Indians.
Pirate battles and colonial ruins punctuate the port town of Porto Lemon, our gateway to Costa Rica’s eco-paradise, where howler and capuchin monkeys swing through a verdant cloud forest alive with birdsong and blue morpho butterflies. Our jungle chapter comes to a close in colourful Key West, the last in the string of laid-back, coral reefed cays, before the beautiful waters and our private-island-escape of the Bahamas beckon. Only magnetic Miami, where distinguished art deco meets design and contemporary-art scene cool, can soften this return to reality.
EJ159 Operated by Explora Journeys