13-Day Expedition Cruise in Southern Caribbean (Panama to Barbados)

You start your tropical expedition cruise to Barbados from Colón, the Caribbean gateway to the Panama Canal. It’s a bustling cosmopolitan center with hot springs, a thriving handicraft industry, and wonderful cuisine. You will visit a beautiful jungle lodge by the Chagres River or head to Panama City and visit the UNESCO-listed Casco Viejo.

Discover ancestral traditions on the San Blas Islands Just 60 miles from Colón, we enter a different world. The Guna people of the San Blas Islands live just as their ancestors did.

It's time to explore an isolated stretch of Colombia’s wild coast Capurganá and the neighboring settlement of Sapzurro are two idyllic villages as remote and isolated as you can get in the Caribbean. The area around Capurganá offers excellent hiking opportunities, exotic tropical wildlife, and ideal conditions for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking. Capurganá has no port facilities, so we’ll drop anchor and use our small boats to land.

You will unearth pristine mangroves and tucked-away villages San Antero is a small community of scattered villages seldom visited by cruise ships. We’ll anchor at Cispatá Bay and use our small boats to sail into the mangrove forests, observe birdlife, and land on shore. Along with seeing mangrove forests, you can look forward to water activities on Cispatá Bay, meeting the Zenú communities of the Córdoba region.

You will visit one of Colombia’s best-preserved colonial towns. Travel back to the 16th century in Cartagena de Indias, a port city tucked into a sheltered bay on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Its impressive fortifications are a reminder of its former status as the Spanish crown’s chief port and link to the West Indies. Stroll at your leisure and take in the colorful plazas, beautiful mansions, and impeccably preserved churches and monasteries of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Explore Spanish colonial heritage and tropical jungles Your southern Caribbean expedition cruise continues to one of South America’s oldest towns, Santa Marta, founded in 1525. It’s also one of Colombia’s most attractive cities, surrounded by idyllic beaches and mountains. Evidence of colonial Spain abounds, from colonial architecture to the impressive statue of libertador Simón Bolívar. The Tairona Gold Museum is a fantastic visit. The nearby Sierra Nevada mountain range offers both quiet contemplation and active adventures at the magnificent Tayrona National Natural Park.

You will visit Cabo de la Vela and sail around Colombia’s Cape Horn Arid Puntas Gallinas on the Guajira Peninsula wins the prize for being South America’s northernmost tip. It’s also the ancestral home of the proudly independent Wayúu people, who refused to cede to the Spanish conquistadores.

You will visit a vibrant place where the Old and New Worlds meet The first thing you’ll notice about Kralendijk is its colorful buildings. This is the charming capital of Bonaire, a Dutch island with Spanish and Portuguese heritage, which hosts an exhilarating mix of cultures.

You will enjoy visiting the Science Center at the sea After a week of adventure.

You will discover the raw power of nature in Dominica Dubbed ‘Nature Island,’ Dominica is a mountain paradise by the sea. There are more mountains, volcanoes, and jungles here than anywhere else in the Lesser Antilles. The tropical forest, swamps, and sandy beaches of Cabrits National Park are excellent places for nature walks and birdwatching. You discover the traditions and customs of indigenous people.

It's time to enjoy stunning vistas in the stunning volcanic landscape and its many iguanas in the land of iguanas. You will have panoramic ocean views and learn about St. Lucia’s colonial past. Then step back into modern-day life in the bustling yachting marina of Rodney Bay, where you can spend some time enjoying its restaurants and galleries.

You are now exploring the smallest paradise in the Caribbean At barely more than one square mile, Mayreau is the most petite paradise in the Caribbean. The island is only accessible by boat, has only one road, and most of the residents live on a hilltop called Station Hill. What Mayreau lacks in size, it more than makes up for in beauty. This island gem has some of the most beautiful beaches in the West Indies.

You will disembark and visit historic sites, including UNESCO-listed treasures in Bridgetown where you tour ends.