Leeward Islands and Panama Canal

The Iles des Saintes, a tiny cluster of islets off the southern coast of Guadeloupe is what the doctor ordered, if he ordered an unspoiled Caribbean experience. No franchise duty free, no big hotels, no casinos. It is what much of the Caribbean used to be like. Stroll around the little town of Bourg de Saintes. Shop for real French cosmetics from the sidewalk vendors. Grab a seat and a beer and revel in the weather and the pace of the past.

This is the island’s yachting center, quieter and less crowded than the main port of Castries. You can visit the island’s “drive-in” volcano at Soufriere, view the iconic peaks of the Pitons or perhaps snorkel at Pigeon Island, one of Jacques Cousteau’s favorite dive spots.

Antigua is blessed with an abundance of shining white beaches, and many of these have sprouted top-end resort hotels that engender golf courses and other amenities counted among the best in the Caribbean. A pleasant drive up through farms and tiny villages leads to the commanding fortress on Shirley Heights, from which you can survey the town and the harbor of Nelson’s Dockyard across the island. Once a carenage for British frigates, today it is an enclave of shops and restaurants.

A classic golden arc of sugary sand at South Friar’s Bay, Carambola is home to the island’s most luxurious beach clubs and restaurants. Umbrellas, loungers and optional water sports abound for those so inclined. Otherwise St. Kitts has other attractions, including a number of lovingly preserved plantation great houses, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brimstone Hill Fortress and a scenic narrow gauge sugarcane railway.

There are approximately 40 British Virgin Islands (the exact number varies from authority to authority), many of which are uninhabited. Some have only a handful of residents. Jost Van Dyke has a small population of its own families: the Turners, Grants, Ringes and Callwoods to name the majority. The desire to continue in the old ways is strong here, and "Jost" looks much as it must have looked 100 or 200 years ago. This archipelago is pristine and traffic light free. Weather permitting, your captain will anchor in this idyllic location and deploy the Marina for a day of play in the sea and sun.

In the early morning, your ship joins the flotilla of hulls of every shape and purpose from the far corners of the globe. They gather in Limon Bay off the shoreline of Cristobal in the Caribbean Sea to form the day’s convoy. Soon you will parade in file into the mighty Gatun Locks, there to be lifted patiently by inrushing water through three steps and exit into Gatun Lake to begin your transit of the canal. In truth, your ship sails from west to east, threading the jungled Gaillard Cut and before arriving at the Pedro Miguel Locks to begin your descent to the Pacific Ocean. At the Miraflores Locks, your ship files through the three descending steps, lowered gracefully by the outrushing waters into the mouth of the canal, bidding farewell to your convoy, and sailing on into the largest ocean on earth.

Located in the Golfo Dulce nearly to the southern border with Panama, Golfito is far from the main tourist spots further north and the capital city. But what it does supply is Costa Rican nature at its best. The town is the gateway to the Piedras Blancas National Park, which is one of the three parks that ring the Golfo Dulce. The park is considered one of Costa Rica’s top birding spots, as well as being home to howler and capuchin monkeys and one of the last populations of jaguars in the country. South of Golfito stretch beaches that are world-famous among surfers, Playa Pavones is rumored to have the longest left-hand break in the world, with waves that supply rides as long as three minutes. Golfito is also famous for its sportfishing, especially for sailfish.

The principal town of Costa Rica’s Gulf of Nicoya, Puntarenas gives access to several of the nation’s ecological reserves, including the Monteverde Reserve, as well as highlights of the highlands such as the famous woodcarving center of Sarchi and the distinctive highland town of Grecia with its metal Gothic church. At the nearby Carara National Park, visitors can see the “Pura Vida” waterfall, some 650 feet high and keep an eye out for brilliant Scarlet Macaws.

Once the site of an impressive ancient Mayan civilization, Guatemala was conquered by Spanish conquistadors in 1524. Puerto Quetzal is Guatemala's largest Pacific Ocean port, offering access to the natural and historic wonders of Guatemala. Beyond the black-sand beaches that surround Puerto Quetzal, a narrow ribbon of lowland runs the length of the Pacific shore, where local farmers raise cotton, sugar, bananas and maize. Bordering the fertile lowlands, the Guatemalan highlands suddenly emerge, rising to heights of 2500 to 3000 feet. Jutting boldly from the southern highlands is a string of volcanoes, adding even more drama to this diverse land of ancient Maya ruins, Spanish Colonial heritage and breathtaking scenery.

Puerto Chiapas is located in the southern Soconusco region of the Mexican state of Chiapas, close by the Guatemalan border. The region produces both coffee and cacao for chocolate, and so provides opportunities to see how these commodities are grown, processed and used worldwide. Bananas and tropical blooms are two other regional agricultural mainstays. If you have never tasted a truly tree-ripened banana, the experience can be revelatory. There are some pre-Columbian ruins at Izapa, although nothing on the scale of other, more famous Mayan ruins in Mexico and Guatemala. Favorite activities that have been developed for visitors include people-to-people opportunities in some of the nearby rural (and very friendly) communities.

Cabo San Lucas is ideally located where the Mexican desert collides with the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, producing postcard perfect views. Once a hideout for pirates and a tranquil fishing village, Cabo is located at the southernmost tip of the magnificent Baja peninsula, and is blessed with what many describe as the perfect climate. Long a favorite for anglers out to land the "big one," Cabo San Lucas has great beaches, unlimited shopping options, restaurants and cantinas, and a variety of hotels and resorts. Cabo is also known for El Arco, a magnificent natural rock formation at Land's End and Playa Medano, Cabo San Lucas' long white sand beach.

Los Angeles is a city spinning with energy and creativity, where tomorrow’s trends are born, nurtured and released. Having one of the best climates in the world, Los Angeles draws visitors year-round from all over the world. Officially founded in 1781, the modern-day metropolis of Los Angeles sprawls across over 4,000 square miles between the beautiful Pacific Ocean and the snowcapped San Gabriel mountains. Los Angeles is considered the entertainment capital of the world, a vibrant city of visual delights with more museums than any other U.S. city.