Experience Costa Rica intensely - Roundtrip Panama

Panama City is a dynamic capital where glass skyscrapers, the colonial UNESCO quarter of Casco Viejo, and the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal converge at the Western Hemisphere's narrowest point. Must-dos include watching mega-ships transit the Miraflores Locks, exploring restored Casco Viejo, and spotting monkeys in the Metropolitan Natural Park. Visit December through April for dry season weather.

Quepos is a laid-back Pacific coast town serving as the gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park, one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse reserves, where monkeys, sloths, and scarlet macaws share pristine beaches and dense rainforest. Must-dos include hiking the park’s trails, sampling fresh ceviche and Pacific seafood, and sportfishing for sailfish and marlin. December through April offers the driest weather, though the green season brings lush landscapes and fewer crowds.

Playa Flamingo is one of Costa Rica's rare white-sand Pacific beaches, set in Guanacaste's sportfishing capital with access to manta ray diving at the Catalinas Islands and leatherback turtle nesting at nearby Playa Grande. Must-do experiences include diving with giant manta rays, watching leatherback turtles nest (October-March), and sunset viewing from the hillside restaurants. December through April offers the driest weather and warmest waters.

Puerto Quetzal is Guatemala's main Pacific port, serving as the gateway to the UNESCO-listed colonial city of Antigua and the volcanic splendor of Lake Atitlán. Must-dos include exploring Antigua's earthquake-preserved ruins, tasting highland-grown coffee and traditional pepián stew, and visiting lakeside Maya villages. The dry season from November through April offers the clearest skies and most comfortable conditions for highland exploration.

Acajutla is El Salvador's main Pacific port, gateway to one of Central America's most compact and underappreciated countries — where colonial Suchitoto, the "Pompeii of the Americas" at Joya de Ceren, and the world's best pupusas await within easy excursion distance. Must-dos include Suchitoto's cobblestone streets, the Joya de Ceren archaeological site, and tasting freshly grilled pupusas stuffed with loroco flower. Visit November through April for dry, comfortable weather.

Puntarenas is Costa Rica's historic Pacific port, a narrow peninsula reaching into the Gulf of Nicoya where nineteenth-century maritime heritage meets vibrant marine life, signature street food like the iconic *churchill* shaved ice, and easy access to Tortuga Island, cloud forests, and world-class whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River. The dry season from December through April offers the most reliable sunshine and calmest seas for both shore excursions and gulf crossings, making it the ideal window for cruise itineraries calling at this authentically Costa Rican gateway.

Tortuga Island is a pristine beach paradise in Costa Rica's Gulf of Nicoya, offering a crescent of white sand, turquoise snorkelling waters, and tropical forest alive with howler monkeys and parrots. Must-dos include snorkelling the coral reefs, enjoying a beachside ceviche lunch, and watching for dolphins on the catamaran crossing. Visit December through April for the driest conditions and calmest seas.

Puerto Jiménez on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula is the gateway to Corcovado National Park — "the most biologically intense place on Earth" — where jaguars, tapirs, four monkey species, and scarlet macaws inhabit the Pacific coast's largest remaining lowland rainforest. Must-dos include boat access to Sirena station, hiking primary rainforest trails, and tasting corvina en salsa de coco at a local soda. December through April provides the driest conditions and most reliable wildlife sightings.

Panama City is a dynamic capital where glass skyscrapers, the colonial UNESCO quarter of Casco Viejo, and the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal converge at the Western Hemisphere's narrowest point. Must-dos include watching mega-ships transit the Miraflores Locks, exploring restored Casco Viejo, and spotting monkeys in the Metropolitan Natural Park. Visit December through April for dry season weather.