Miami to Lima

The seaport city of Miami, a hip urban centre located on Biscayne Bay in south-eastern Florida, is one of the world’s most popular vacation spots and is known as the ‘Cruise Capital of the World’. For more than two decades, the Port of Miami has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world. It is the second-largest city in Florida with a population of around 5.5 million people, and is a major centre, and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. Miami, Named after a Native American word meaning "big water," was original claimed for Spain in1566 by explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. One year later, a Spanish mission was established. Spain and Great Britain successively "controlled" Florida, and finally Spain ceded it to the United States in 1821. The landscape is very flat, with the highest elevation being only 12m (40 ft ) above sea level, with an averages of about 1.8m (6 ft.).

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Dive into the exuberant colourful world of Cozumel - a Mexican island of exceptional scuba diving snorkelling and dazzling beaches. Abundant underwater ecosystems swirl among reefs of black coral - attracting experts and beginners alike to the azure waters of this island. Waiting across the Carribean waters from Playa Del Carmen and a world away from its lively resorts Cozumel is an idyllic land of gently curving palm trees and tropical shores. Playa Palancar occupies the western coast with velvety powder and balmy Caribbean seas. Relax with just the notes of the washing sea and whispering palm trees accompanying you during splashes through the shallow waves or tanning sessions on the soft sand. Playa El Cielo - or the appropriately named Heaven Beach - is home to a divine constellation of starfish resting on the seabed below its glass-clear waters. Stingrays and sea turtles also swirl in the waters as you snorkel through some of the island's most vibrant and diverse displays of marine life. Beach bars serve up spicy Mexican fare with a seaside twist - like delicious prawn fajitas fish tacos and lime-squeezed ceviches. The crumbling San Gervasio ruins meanwhile offer cultural intrigue and a fascinating insight into the remarkable ancient Mayan civilisation. Despite the presence of majestic ruins from antiquity it's the giant iguanas soaking up the sun in clearings who often unwittingly steal the show.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Christopher Columbus became Costa Rica's first tourist when he landed on this stretch of coast in 1502 during his fourth and final voyage to the New World. Expecting to find vast mineral wealth, he named the region Costa Rica ("rich coast"). Imagine the Spaniards' surprise eventually to find there was none. Save for a brief skirmish some six decades ago, the country did prove itself rich in a long tradition of peace and democracy. No other country in Latin America can make that claim. Costa Rica is also abundantly rich in natural beauty, managing to pack beaches, volcanoes, rain forests, and diverse animal life into an area the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. It has successfully parlayed those qualities into its role as one the world's great ecotourism destinations. A day visit is short, but time enough for a quick sample.

Colon welcomes you to one of humanity's most extraordinary engineering endeavours the Panama Canal. This extraordinary waterway connects two of the world’s great oceans and on opening saved ships from an epic and treacherous 8 000 mile voyage around Cape Horn. Take an old world voyage on the regally romantic Panama Railway Canal which preceded the canal and was constructed at extraordinary human cost to traverse Panama’s narrow land. A side trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Portobelo is also a must. With its reef rock fortifications built by the Spanish in the 17th century these jagged jaws of coral were carved to cut approaching pirates and conquistadors to shreds. It shares its World Heritage Site designation with nearby Fort San Lorenzo which perches on an emerald-green cliff casting its gaze over the harbour below. Back in Colon after staring in awe at the grand clanging Gatun Locks and splurging on a case of duty-free rum and trinkets from the Colon Free Trade Zone - a trip to the beach will soothe city-worn souls. Playa La Angosta is a rabble of raucous beach-going fun where the blue waters swirl with bright banana boats and fleeting canoes. Relax on the sand among sizzling yuca fritters and families clamouring in the shade of cabanas. On the Caribbean side Playa Chiquita is accessible only by boat but rewards with warm gin-clear waters backed by thick rainforest.

Enter the mighty Panama Canal, one of history’s most ambitious and spectacular stretches of waterway. Connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and slicing through the heart of a continent, the canal is a staggering engineering triumph, eliminating the need to traverse the treacherous waters of South America and Cape Horn. Sail one of the world’s great canals to appreciate the true scale of this achievement, as your ship manoeuvres between its vast, gushing locks and huge lakes. The French began construction in 1881, but the costly project was left abandoned and unfinished until the United States finally completed the work in 1914. Following the path of the Panama Railway of 1855, locks raise ships large and small 26 metres up above sea level to the canal’s elevated channel. New locks have recently been added, which allow the canal to accommodate ever bigger ships. Leaving the confinement of the locks, you will enter the canal’s channel, to sail through Panama’s core. Wide lakes are linked by painstakingly chiselled wedges of canal, which slice through the lush scenery. Look out for the Culebra Cut section, the most challenging stretch of the entire route to construct. The Bridge of the Americas is a vast arched landmark, which sweeps across the Pacific Entrance and was completed in 1962. It’s one of several huge bridges that you will sail below on the 51-mile journey, including the much newer Centennial Bridge, and the Atlantic Bridge, which spans the entrance close to Colon.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

As home to Ecuador’s second-largest seaport, Manta is a one of the most important economic cities in the country. So, far from rustic shores and a sleepy village, visitors to Manta can expect a modern urban hub, complete with vast beach, high rises, city slickers and lots and lots of fish. This is the city that has a giant tuna statue welcoming its visitors, so it is no surprise that seafood is high on everybody’s list of important things. What was once a small fishing village has today grown into a mighty industry and ultra-fresh seafood – mostly tuna – takes pride of place. Thus, no trip to Manta is complete without sampling at least one of the local dishes. Foodies will salivate at the opportunity of tasting not only amazing tuna ceviche but also exquisitely prepared squid, octopus, lobster and inspired South American style tapas. If tasting the city’s legacy isn’t enough for you, then the Archaeological Museum of the Central Bank of Manta boasts an excellent collection of ceramics of the Manteño-Huancavilca culture that flourished here between 800 and 1550 A.D. Manta’s seafood, beaches and boutiques might be enough for some people, but it is worth noting that picturesque Montechristi is only about 20 minutes away. Jump on a colourful (and colourfully authentic) Chivas bus for the short ride to the home of the Panama hat – which does not originate anywhere near Panama! The enchanting village has retained much of its faded Spanish elegance with its milliners by far its star attraction.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Splashing colour and culture into the arid Peruvian landscape, Lima is a city bedecked with grand colonial splendour. Founded in 1535, this sprawling capital enjoys a breezy oceanfront location and forms one of the world's largest desert cities. A place of sharp contrasts, almost 10 million people are packed into the city, occupying vastly different living conditions. Visit for an unfiltered experience of this richly layered place of ancient history, colonial relics and dazzling flavours. Rising from the misty blanket of the garua - a persistent fog that cloaks Lima during winter - you'll find one of South America's most culturally vibrant cities. The former capital of the Spanish colonists - head to Plaza de Armas to immerse yourself in the heart of the old city. The Basilica Cathedral of Lima watches over Plaza Mayor - listen out for the stomps of boots outside, as the pomp and ceremony of the Changing of the Guards draws crowds to the Government Palace. The history of this area runs much deeper, however, and pre-Colombian cities and temples emerge from the dusty earth nearby. Grand museums showcase unearthed treasures from the extraordinary civilisations who built vast mud adobe cities across Peru's coastline, and incredible settlements in the country's valleys and mountains. The Barranco district is Lima's artsy area, and you can walk from modern art galleries to see the local muse, the Bridge of Sighs. This wooden bridge is an artist's favourite, and one of the city's most romantic spots. Afterwards, sample some of Lima's cuisine, and the zingy flavours of spicy, lime-marinated fish ceviche. So revered in these parts, ceviche even has its own national day on June 28th. Sipping a Pisco Sour is the perfect way to round off your visit to this engrossing, multi-layered city.