COSTA RICA AND PANAMA CANAL EXPEDITION Immerse yourself in the remarkable coastlines of Costa Rica and Panama. Costa Rica (‘rich coast’) is one of the most biodiverse regions on earth. Explore the lush jungle, tropical rainforest and inviting turquoise waters surrounded by a truly outstanding variety of wildlife, brilliant birds and flamboyant flora. In Panama, discover pristine coral reefs, meet the Emberá Mogue indigenous community and cross the historic Panama Canal. ITINERARY Day 1 San Jose Upon your arrival at San José International Airport, use the complimentary airport transfer service provided by Double Tree Cariari by Hilton and transfer to the hotel. The hotel offers a free airport shuttle service departing every hour starting at 4.30 am until 10.30 pm. As you exit the international terminal, the pick-up point for the transfer is located in front of El Malinche restaurant. Upon check-in, please remind reception staff to provide you with your Aurora Expeditions cabin tags. Please fill out the luggage tags clearly, showing your name and cabin number so that we can deliver your luggage to your cabin ahead of your arrival. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. Accommodation: Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Cariari (or similar) Day 2 Puerto Caldera, embark Greg Mortimer 0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com After a leisurely buffet breakfast, transfer to Puerto Caldera (2-hours) where Days 5-6 Osa Peninsula & Golfo Dulce your vessel awaits. After boarding, you’ll have time to settle into your cabin before participating in important safety briefings. Afterwards, enjoy lunch on Over the next two days, we explore the untamed Osa Peninsula, considered by board as you sail to nearby Isla Tortuga (Turtle Island), where can snorkel, National Geographic to be ‘one of the most biologically intense places on swim, paddle or relax. The water is teeming with a dizzying array of tropical earth’. Considered to be the crown jewel of Costa Rica's park system, fish, big pufferfish, turtles, sting rays, white tip reef sharks, and occasionally Corcovado National park is the country's largest and one of the most remote dolphins. Isla Tortuga we will do our kayak orientation and have our first parks in Costa Rica. It is home to the largest and only tropical primary lowland introductory paddle. This evening, get to know your fellow expeditioners, rainforest in the world, provides habitat for a plethora of endangered plant expedition team and crew at a welcome dinner to celebrate the start of a and animal species including the scarlet macaw, various frogs, and the tapir - thrilling adventure. the largest terrestrial mammal in Central and South America. In order to conserve the integrity of the national park, restrictions are placed on the Day 3 Curú National Wildlife Refuge capacity of daily visitors permitted in the park. We therefore hike through a private conservation reserve adjoining the national park looking not only for Curú National Wildlife Refuge is a privately owned and managed nature wildlife, but also to experience the incredible wet tropical rainforest filled with preserve offering visitors some of the best eco-tourism experiences in Costa tall trees measuring over 60 m /197 ft, lianas, epiphytes, palms, gingers and Rica. The refuge is the first privately owned refuge in Costa Rica and is an orchids. The following day, we will round the peninsula’ most southern point to example of a successful sustainable development program, offering over 3700 enter Gulfo Dulce, or Sweet Gulf. The large bay hugs pristine beaches, rivers acres of tropical forests, mangrove swamps, and grassy fields sitting right and tall evergreen forest, a protected area known as the Golfo Dulce Forest along the coastline. 17 hiking trails wind through the varied terrain and you Reserve. As one of the wettest places on Earth with over 200 inches/5000 may see white-tail deer or catch a glimpse of armadillos or iguanas. Monkeys mm of rainfall a year, the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve boasts some of the are prolific including the native capuchin, spider, and howler monkeys. tallest ancient trees. Established in 1979, the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve was Located on the southern Nicoya Peninsula of northwestern Costa Rica, the created to protect the lowland forested areas that surround the gulf – the area is teeming with abundant wildlife and hosts one of the most beautiful reserve also connecting other national parks in the area. We visit a private beaches and protected bays on the Nicoya Peninsula, where we hope to go reserve called Casa Orquideas (Orchid House), akin to a botanical garden for a paddle and swim. adjoining Piedras Blancas National Park. A hike in Casa Orquideas allows you to appreciate colourful orchids, heliconias, palms, and all the tropical wildlife Day 4 Manuel Antonio National Park such as toucans, macaws, tanagers, and honey creepers that feed from the flowers. The warm tropical waters in the gulf are a popular playground for Boasting over 100 species of mammals, 184 species of birds and a plethora dolphins - perfect for snorkelling, paddle-boarding, kayaking, and Zodiac of diverse flora, Manuel Antonio National Park is a paradise for wildlife lovers. cruising. Costa Rica’s star attractions - two and three toed sloths, white-faced monkeys and toucans can all be found on hikes that weave through the park. Hiking Day 7 Coiba National Park trails snake their way through the parkland offering access to its rainforest, waterfalls and remote white sand beaches whilst from the water we can Leaving Costa Rica behind, we sail through the Panamanian islands of Coiba snorkel, kayak and paddleboard to view the exquisite coral. We anchor off the National Park, located off the southwest coast of Panama and inscribed as by shores of Espadilla Beach and Zodiac to shore for a wet landing. Walk along UNESCO as a place of outstanding universal value. The national park protects this soft-sand beach or follow a trail through the rainforest parallel to the Coiba Island, 38 smaller islands and the surrounding marine areas within the beach to get to Playa Manuel Antonio, which is the most popular beach inside Gulf of Chiriqui. Protected from the cold winds and effects of El Niño, Coiba’s the park. It’s a short, deep crescent of white sand backed by lush rainforest. Pacific tropical moist forest maintains exceptionally high levels of endemism There are numerous clearly-marked hiking trails to choose from - a circular of mammals, birds and plants due to the ongoing evolution of new species. It loop trail (1.4 km/0.9 mi) around a high promontory bluff, which includes a is also the last refuge for a number of threatened animals such as the crested visit to the highest point on this hike – Punta Catedral, which offers eagle. The property is an outstanding natural laboratory for scientific research spectacular views, takes approximately 25 to 30 minutes return. The hiking and provides a key ecological link to the Tropical Eastern Pacific for the transit trails in Manuel Antonio National Park offer excellent opportunities to spot and survival of pelagic fish and marine mammals. Due to Coiba Island (the monkeys, sometimes sloths, agoutis, armadillos and coatis. main island in the archipelago) previously serving as a penal colony, access to the island was heavily restricted. As a result, nearly 80 percent of the islands' 0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com natural resources have remained untouched and flourished because of limited Day 10 Emberá Mogue Village, Darién, Panama human contact. Coiba National Park is managed by the National Authority for the Environment (ANAM) and is accessible only by permit from ANAM. With its There are few places on Earth like the Darién - a region of great interest to designations as a National Park and UNESCO protection, Isla Coiba, its biologists, anthropologists, and a notorious route for smuggling narcotics. It is surrounding waters and island neighbours have been given a greater degree of a place of immense natural beauty, where life in the rainforest has remained protection. Despite being subject to poaching, illegal logging and other relatively unchanged for the indigenous communities that live there. It is trespasses, the Panamanian government has taken a large step in their Panama’s last frontier. The Darién is enormous. The province itself spans preservation. On Coiba Island, we plan to spend the morning at Granito de some 16,671 square kilometres (6,437 square miles) and contains Panama’s Oro islet, a unique place which offers the casual snorkeller a diversity and largest national park and most the country’s most extensive lowland tropical volume of marine life that many avid scuba divers spend their lives trying to forest. However, with only 40,000 inhabitants, the Darién is also the most see. The waters surrounding are considered one of the best diving destinations sparsely populated part of Panama. Its residents live in small, impoverished in the world. Enjoy the morning snorkelling among abundant marine life, towns, and include members of the Guna and Emberà-Wounaan indigenous kayaking around rocky outcroppings, and basking on the warm sand. At groups. For many, the Darién is little more than the place where the Granito de Oro you can also enjoy hiking the “Monkey Trail”. The forest here is Pan-American Highway ends and the Darién Gap begins. The gap is the only home to rare indigenous flora, and provides sanctuary for wildlife such as missing link in a system of roads that connects North and South America, all mantled howler monkeys and crested eagles, as well as threatened bird the way from Alaska to Patagonia.