Costa Rica and the Panama Canal - Westbound

The Costa Rica and the Panama Canal - Westbound is a 7-night Panama Canal cruise aboard National Geographic Quest, operated by Lindblad Expeditions. Departing Panama City on March 20, 2027, the voyage visits 4 ports.

Length: 7 nights
Departs: Mar 20, 2027
Returns: Mar 27, 2027
Ports of call: 4
Days at sea: 2

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Itinerary

Day 1 Mar 20, 2027 Panama City You probably can’t think of Panama City without conjuring images of the Panama Canal. But nearly 400 years before the Panama Canal opened its locks, Panama City was making its mark. From the vestiges of the original settlement to the modern skyscrapers, experience the history and culture of one of the Pacific Coast’s oldest continuously inhabited European settlements. After exploring the bustling local markets in search of fresh fish or artisan handicrafts, admire the restored Spanish Colonial architecture in Casco Viejo. Or you can head to the Miraflores Locks and watch one of the modern world’s most heroic feats of engineering in action. Panama City port guide Search cruises visiting Panama City

Panama City photo — Day 1 Mar 20, 2027 Panama City You probably can’t think of Panama City without conjuring images of the Panama Canal. But nearly 400 years before the Panama Canal opened its locks, Panama City was making its mark. From the vestiges of the original settlement to the modern skyscrapers, experience the history and culture of one of the Pacific Coast’s oldest continuously inhabited European settlements. After exploring the bustling local markets in search of fresh fish or artisan handicrafts, admire the restored Spanish Colonial architecture in Casco Viejo. Or you can head to the Miraflores Locks and watch one of the modern world’s most heroic feats of engineering in action. Panama City port guide Search cruises visiting Panama City

Day 2 Mar 21, 2027 Gatun Lake At the center of one of the world’s greatest engineering projects is a place where nature has been given a space to flourish—the vast Gatún Lake. The lake includes some 33 kilometers (20 miles) of the 77-kilometer (48-mile) route that ships follow through the Panama Canal. While a passenger gazing at its forested shores may assume they are looking at a landscape that predates the canal, the lake is as much a manmade creation as the various locks. It was formed in 1912, with the damming of the Chagres River, and the islands that dot the lake were once the peaks of hills. The surface of the lake sits at an elevation of between 25 and 27 meters (82 and 87 feet) above sea level. At its Caribbean end, the Gatún Locks raise ships traveling towards the Pacific to the level of the lake; at its other end, the Pedro Miguel and then the Miraflores Locks lower them back to sea level. In addition to opportunities to see the infrastructure of the canal, created at the expense of millions of dollars and thousands of lives, Gatún Lake is fascinating for its remarkable biodiversity. More than 100 species each of mammals and reptiles, as well as some 500 different birds, thrive in the nature reserves in and near the lake.

Day 8 Mar 27, 2027 Caldera, Costa Rica One of the stops along the Panama Canal Zone route, Puerto Caldera on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast isn't your ordinary port of call, positioned as it is within easy day-trip distance of the country's multiple national parks. The town itself is small, but makes for an ideal base from which travelers can venture out to explore the variety of this Central American country's outdoor attractions and activities. These include snapping photos of gushing waterfalls (and swimming at the base of one, if you bring your swimsuit!), sightseeing near active volcanoes, bird-watching in nature reserves and sanctuaries and horseback riding on Pacific beaches . . . and that's just for starters. Visitors to Puerto Caldera and the surrounding region also enjoy shopping for handicrafts that local artists sell at their cooperatives, as well as sampling traditional Tico cuisine, especially gallo pinto—a combination of rice and beans eaten at any time of the day or night. Puerto Caldera is the perfect reminder that adventure often awaits just around the bend.