Star Collector: Latin America Explorer via the Panama Canal

Quepos allows tourists to experience a once in a lifetime nature experience in Manuel Antonio National Park without leaving any of the familiar amenities behind. The close proximity of the park, located just 4.3 miles (7 km) to the south, and a wide array of services makes Quepos the perfect place to visit for those who wish to explore this enchanting area. The amenities available include everything from banks, restaurants, hotels, gift shops, bakeries, bars, a hospital, supermarket and even a post office. The area was once dependent on banana plantations which used to line the surrounding area. After disease infiltrated the harvest, interest transferred to African Palms as the prominent crop. Now, tourism has deemed itself the major economic factor, contributing to just about everything in the area. Quepos lures in many tourists for its fantastic sport fishing. In fact, some have come solely to participate in this world class experience and have never left, but besides sport fishing, many other activities are available. Exploring this maze of wetlands by boat is amazing but not the only way to see crocodiles, monkeys, herons, raccoons and more. This small paradise has the perfect balance between nature and the comfort and facilities someone might need.

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The former banana-exporting town of Quepos is your basecamp for a day of rainforest adventure. Take a walk along trails that weave up to waterfalls, or ride horseback to a beautiful jungle pool. A float trip through a mangrove swamp populated by monkeys, crocodiles, egrets, and herons is also available. Or you may choose a nature walk through Manuel Antonio National Park, with its lovely beaches, easy trails, and abundant animal life.

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Picture Jurassic foliage growing down steep hillsides all the way to the waterline, the hoots of monkeys echoing through trees choked by orchids. Golfo Dulce is one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse areas, where both the jungle and the sea brim with life. Explore the canals by kayak in search of javelinas, butterflies, and more bird species than in all of North America.This port is accessed with a wet landing.

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Located within a Nature Preserve of 50 islands, and part of Chiriqui Marine National Park lovely Isla Parida boasts magnificent beaches, one of which is over 1,300 feet long. The crystal clear waters stay at 82 degrees year round and are filled with marine life. There are numerous hardwood trees like teak, mahogany, and eucalyptus, and fruit trees like mango, banana and coconut trees. Here you will be treated to Windstar’s Signature Beach Party on a secluded beach that faces the Pacific Ocean.

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One of the entrances to the Panama Canal on the Pacific side, Balboa/Fuerte Amador was founded in 1519 and is a short distance from Panama City. In 2012 Balboa was ranked #1 in Latin America in the category of world’s busiest container ports. Sightseeing highlights include the colonial homes, the Administration Building, the Goethals Memorial, the Prado, and the local handicraft markets of traditional Panamanian crafts.

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At nearly 48 miles long, on your transit through the Panama Canal you will enter three sets of locks that raise and lower the vessel 85 feet between the calm Pacific Ocean and the shimmering waters of the Atlantic. Your voyage features a daylight hours transit with numerous observation vantage points for outside viewing and comfortable indoor air-conditioned lounges. Expert onboard commentary enhances your journey as you watch the day to day workings of this bucket list experience.

The provincial capital of Colón, beside the canal’s Atlantic entrance, is named for the Spanish-language surname of Christopher Columbus, though the Americans called it Aspinwall in the 19th century.. The city was founded in 1850 by Americans working on the Panama railroad and named Aspinwall for one of the railway engineers. Following completion in 1855, Colon gained in importance, which was furthered by the plans for an isthmian canal. During the time of the French canal attempt, a fire in 1885 burned the city nearly to the ground and left thousands of people homeless. Colon was rebuilt in the architectural style then popular in France. Buildings from that era plus the ones constructed by Americans between 1904 and 1914 are still in use today, although the majority is on the verge of collapse. In addition to its importance as a port, Colon boasts the world’s second largest duty-free zone, known as Zona Libre, which is contained in a huge fortress like, walled-off area with giant international stores. However, most of the merchandise is sold in bulk to commercial businesses throughout the country.

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Explore the inner workings of the Panama Canal, head into the jungle to meet with Embera Indians, or take an aerial tram ride through the rainforest canopy.

Day itinerary:

At nearly 48 miles long, on your transit through the Panama Canal you will enter three sets of locks that raise and lower the vessel 85 feet between the calm Pacific Ocean and the shimmering waters of the Atlantic. Your voyage features a daylight hours transit with numerous observation vantage points for outside viewing and comfortable indoor air-conditioned lounges. Expert onboard commentary enhances your journey as you watch the day to day workings of this bucket list experience.

Day itinerary:

Manta is a modern urban hub, with beautiful beaches, high rises, and amazing fish. In fact their giant tuna statue welcomes visitors, as a reminder of the delicious tuna and other seafood dishes found here. It is a foodies delight for tasting not only amazing tuna ceviche, but also squid, lobster and South American-style tapas. Check out the impressive collection of ceramics from the Manteno-Huancavilca culture at the Archaeological Museum of the Central Bank of Manta. The well-known picturesque Montechristi is only about 20 minutes away.

Day itinerary:

Manta is a modern urban hub, with beautiful beaches, high rises, and amazing fish. In fact their giant tuna statue welcomes visitors, as a reminder of the delicious tuna and other seafood dishes found here. It is a foodies delight for tasting not only amazing tuna ceviche, but also squid, lobster and South American-style tapas. Check out the impressive collection of ceramics from the Manteno-Huancavilca culture at the Archaeological Museum of the Central Bank of Manta. The well-known picturesque Montechristi is only about 20 minutes away.

The second major jumping off point for the Galapagos Islands after Quito, this is a little city with a big heart. A sea port first and foremost, the city’s personality has been founded on that, and all the better it is for it too. Almost Caribbean in feeling, the clement climate coupled with the intermingling rhythms floating from the windows and abundance of fresh seafood make this a very tropical destination. Once not even considered by the travel books as a potential destination in its own right, the city has undergone something of a resurgence in the past few years. Proud Guayaquileños will not hestitate to point out the Malecón or the exciting new riverfront promenade, once a no-go area after dark, now happily (and hippily) lined with museums, restaurants, shops, and ongoing entertainment. The new airport and urban transportation network are also lauded to the happy tourists who find themselves here. As the largest and most populous city in Ecuador as well as being the commercial centre, it would only be natural that the city would have some kind of modern architecture, but it is the colourful favelas, or to use their real name guasmos, that cling to the side of the hillside like limpets that really catch your eye. A blend of old and new, the first inhabitants can be traced back to 1948 when the government cleared the area for affordable housing, these shanty towns are witness to the social and political particularities that Guayaquil has faced in the past.

Day itinerary:

The modern city of Guayaquil is known as a gateway to Pacific beaches and the Galapagos Islands. Sprawling along the Guayas River is the exciting new Simon Bolivar promenade lined with museums, restaurants and shops. See the Las Penas neighborhood full of colorful houses, Santa Ana Hill where the stairs are lined with cafes and art galleries that lead up to the Santa Ana Chapel, a lighthouse with 444 stairs. Parque Seminario is where to find over 100 iguanas roaming the park.

The second major jumping off point for the Galapagos Islands after Quito, this is a little city with a big heart. A sea port first and foremost, the city’s personality has been founded on that, and all the better it is for it too. Almost Caribbean in feeling, the clement climate coupled with the intermingling rhythms floating from the windows and abundance of fresh seafood make this a very tropical destination. Once not even considered by the travel books as a potential destination in its own right, the city has undergone something of a resurgence in the past few years. Proud Guayaquileños will not hestitate to point out the Malecón or the exciting new riverfront promenade, once a no-go area after dark, now happily (and hippily) lined with museums, restaurants, shops, and ongoing entertainment. The new airport and urban transportation network are also lauded to the happy tourists who find themselves here. As the largest and most populous city in Ecuador as well as being the commercial centre, it would only be natural that the city would have some kind of modern architecture, but it is the colourful favelas, or to use their real name guasmos, that cling to the side of the hillside like limpets that really catch your eye. A blend of old and new, the first inhabitants can be traced back to 1948 when the government cleared the area for affordable housing, these shanty towns are witness to the social and political particularities that Guayaquil has faced in the past.

Day itinerary:

The modern city of Guayaquil is known as a gateway to Pacific beaches and the Galapagos Islands. Sprawling along the Guayas River is the exciting new Simon Bolivar promenade lined with museums, restaurants and shops. See the Las Penas neighborhood full of colorful houses, Santa Ana Hill where the stairs are lined with cafes and art galleries that lead up to the Santa Ana Chapel, a lighthouse with 444 stairs. Parque Seminario is where to find over 100 iguanas roaming the park.

Several National Sanctuaries and Ecological Reserves found near Machala boast sun-drenched beaches and mangrove forests. Pelicans, frigatebirds, and egrets nest nearby as Blue-footed Boobies dive for fish further out to sea. Whales and dolphins can occasionally be seen in the vicinity. Machala, with a population of approximately 250,000 inhabitants, is moreover known for traditional Latin American foods from shrimp ceviche to fried bananas. In fact, bananas feature heavily in the culture as the city is also known as the “Capital of the Banana.” During the third week of September the ‘World Fair of the Banana’ is held here and producers and buyers from Perú, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, México, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina, Guatemala, Panamá, República Dominicana, El Salvado, Honduras and Ecuador attend the event.

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Located in the fertile lowlands near the Gulf of Guayaquil, Machala is said to be the banana capital of the world as well as coffee and cacao. More locals escape here than tourists, and Machala has a diverse culinary scene. The downtown area is very walkable with wide sidewalks and generous amounts of flowers and greenery. The impressive Machala Cathedral is located in the popular Parque Juan Montalvo. Not far away is the Petrified Forest Puyango with the largest array of fossil trees in the world, some measuring over 6 feet in diameter and nearly 50 feet long.

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Salaverry is located near the city of Trujillo, founded by the conquistador Diego de Almagro in 1534. Trujillo is known for Peru’s traditional dance, the marinera. It retains much of its colonial charm and the colonial center is home to the majestic bright yellow Trujillo Cathedral and the blue Casa Urquiaga contrasting with the vivid green and brown terrain of the Andean foothills. Another site to see is the Iturregui Palace boasting Italian marble statues. West of Trujillo is the pre-Colombian Chimu archaeological site of Chan Chan, a vast adobe complex.

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Lima has worked at becoming more than the gateway to Machu Picchu, but also a tourist destination in its own right. Declared the unofficial gastronomical capital of South America, it is the only city to have two restaurants ranking in the top 10 of the World’s Best Restaurants. Find the Historic Center, declared a UNESCO site, the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, the Lima Metropolitan Cathedral, the Palacio de Torre Tagle, and the National University of San Marco, the oldest continuously functioning university in the New World.

Day itinerary:

Lima has worked at becoming more than the gateway to Machu Picchu, but also a tourist destination in its own right. Declared the unofficial gastronomical capital of South America, it is the only city to have two restaurants ranking in the top 10 of the World’s Best Restaurants. Find the Historic Center, declared a UNESCO site, the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, the Lima Metropolitan Cathedral, the Palacio de Torre Tagle, and the National University of San Marco, the oldest continuously functioning university in the New World.