The True Treasures of El Dorado

Are you fascinated by Kew’s exotic plants? Have you ever wanted to explore a biodiversity hotspot and see such plants in their natural habitat? Well, now’s your chance. This tour offers a truly unique opportunity to explore some of the remotest corners of Central America and the Caribbean in the company of Kew’s scientists – all from the comfort of a small expedition ship.

Travelling to Costa Rica, Panama, Grand and Little Cayman, Belize and Honduras, you’ll visit otherwise inaccessible coasts and far-flung coral islands. You will also sail through the spectacular Panama Canal, with its richly forested slopes. Accompanying you throughout the trip will be a knowledgeable team from Kew, as well as a marine biologist.

  

On Grand Cayman, you’ll get a unique insight into Kew’s work overseas. ‘We’ve got a really strong relationship with our partners in the Cayman Islands and collaborations there truly exemplify what Kew is all about,’ says Colin Clubbe, head of conservation training and the UK Overseas Territories programme at Kew. ‘We’ve provided training opportunities in Cayman and we’re supporting developments in the QEII Botanic Park – an important reserve for Cayman’s threatened habitats and a superb botanic garden showcasing all that’s unique in the Cayman Islands.’

En route from the Pacific to the Caribbean, you’ll be able to snorkel and swim on coral reefs, enjoy nocturnal walks, see tropical plants in their natural habitat and encounter a wide range of wildlife, such as manatees, turtles and many colourful bird species. The voyage, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of Kew’s Temperate House, also includes exclusive visits, such as a trip to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, based on a private island on the Panama Canal.

 

Email or call contact Emily Pontifex on 020 7386 4664 for further details and reservations.

 

Day 1: Saturday, 23rd February

London / San José, Costa Rica

We depart London Heathrow on a Continental Airlines flight via Houston to
San José. We overnight at the Intercontinental Hotel, a short distance from the
international airport. Dinner under own arrangements.

Day 2: Sunday, 24th February

San José / Punta Arenas, Costa Rica
After a morning at leisure, we have an early lunch before the scenic drive to the
ship on the Pacific Coast. En route we visit the privately owned Else Kientzler
Botanic Garden, where the species of palm trees, aquatic plants, bromeliads,
succulents and orchids will make an exciting introduction to our expedition.
We embark on MS Island Sky and sail in the early evening.

Day 3: Monday, 25th February

Isla de Caño, Costa Rica
We spend the day on this remote island, walking and snorkelling. Now
a designated Biological Reserve, the uninhabited island is known for its
mysterious stone spheres believed to be a pre-Columbian cemetery. There is
excellent snorkelling on coral reefs which are home to a huge variety of marine
life including turtles, dolphins, manta rays, tuna, snapper, grouper and
occasionally whales.

Day 4: Tuesday, 26th February

Isla de Coiba, Panama     
The Coiba National Park, an archipelago of some 38 islands, covers 430,825
acres and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The island is
approximately 75% woodland with standing ancient forest. It is also home to
plant species found only here and is one of the last places in Central America
where the scarlet macaw can be found in large numbers. We shall explore the
island beaches and reefs in the morning and later walk ashore on the island.

Day 5: Wednesday, 27th February

 
Ensenada de Garachiné, Darien, Panama
A highlight of our expedition, today we travel by boat into the heart of remote
Darien with its pristine forest. Weaving our way through the mangroves
and dense riverine vegetation up the Sambu River, we shall see magnificent
examples of the extraordinary tortuous buttress root systems of the huge
Bloodwood trees. Village elders from the remote Chunga tribe will welcome
us to their charming neat village with its stilt houses, little changed since Sir
Frances Drake ransacked the Spanish Main.

Days 6 & 7: Thursday, 28th February & Friday, 1st March

Panama and Canal Transit
A further highlight of the expedition, the Panama Canal transit takes between eight
and ten hours, including the massive locks and crossing of Lake Gatun with its richly
forested shores. A daylight transit cannot be guaranteed so we shall explore the Canal
environs first to understand fully the ecosystems affecting the forests and Canal
system. Our visits will include a specialised tour of the tropical research island mid
Canal, where the Smithsonian Institute has studied the flora, monkeys, sloths and
bird life for more than 80 years. We shall walk in the forest surrounding Lake Gatun
and lunch at the Miraflores Lock Centre to appreciate the Canal’s operations and see
the ships passing through the locks before our own transit in MS Island Sky.
Depending on the Canal transit time, in addition we will either visit the old
crumbling colonial Spanish centre of Panama city with lively cafés and colourful small
shops, or the once important 17th century trading and military port of Portobelo,
strategically protected by defensive forts and the burial site of Sir Francis Drake.

Day 8: Saturday, 2nd March

Providencia Island, Colombia
After a relaxing morning at sea we have a free afternoon at the Biosphere Reserve of
inaccessible Providencia Island to explore independently. This is a picture-perfect
island, as the Caribbean used to be, where supplies arrive once a week, simple
cafés with thatched roofs are dotted along the shore, locals play dominoes and the
swimming and snorkelling are outstanding.

Day 9: Sunday, 3rd March

At Sea
A day at sea to relax on deck and listen to lectures from our on-board team of
specialists from RBG, Kew, to learn more of their work in the UK Overseas
Territories including the Cayman Islands and the Millennium Seed Bank.

Day 10: Monday, 4th March 

Grand Cayman
“Showcasing the best of RBG’s collaborations”  Dr. Colin Clubbe
Kew’s local partner Frederic Burton, MBE and Dr Colin Clubbe, having worked
together for more than 10 years, will be our local experts in the Caymans. With the
benefit of their extensive knowledge, we visit the 65 acres of the Queen Elizabeth II
Botanic Park, with its unique plants, orchids, endemic butterflies and the critically
endangered magnificent blue iguanas. The Agave caymanensis and silver thatch palm
are just two of the 21 plant species restricted to the Cayman Islands. Conservationists
from Kew have been involved in projects here for many years, including a seed-
collecting programme for native species such as Salvia caymanensis, unique to Grand Cayman and thought to be extinct for over 40 years; re-discovered in 2007, seeds are
now safely stored at the Millennium Seed Bank. There will be time for independent
exploring before guided nocturnal walks to see pollination by moths and bats.
 

Day 11: Tuesday, 5th March 

Little Cayman
Guided again by Fred and Colin, our day is spent on this less visited island
with its undisturbed coastal communities and specialised flora, including the
locally threatened bay balsam. We can walk the Salt Trail home to rock iguanas,
visit Tarpon Lake and the mangrove-lined lagoon, home to a large breeding
colony of red-footed boobies, stilts and magnificent frigate birds or take
advantage of the superb swimming and diving.

Day 12: Wednesday, 6th March

At Sea
Today we can relax on board with time to discuss our visits and enjoy the
lecture programme.

Day 13: Thursday, 7th March

Islas de la Bahía, Roatán, Honduras
Perched on the world’s second largest barrier reef and surrounded by azure blue
waters, remote Roatán has been a smuggling haven for over four centuries. We will
see the exotic butterflies of Honduras, such as the sunset longwing and huge blue
Morpho, or enjoy independent swimming and snorkelling from the expansive
beaches and coves.

Day 14: Friday, 8th March 

Livingston, Guatemala
Accessible only by water, Livingston is a fascinating village of the Garifuna people.
We shall venture up the Rio Dulce, passing through tropical jungle into the gorge
of La Cueva de La Vaca for a special final day’s excursion. Exotic birds are abundant,
swamps, mangroves, cliffs and hot springs will be part of the day’s scenery and, if we
are lucky, we will see walrus-like manatees gliding through the river.

Days 15 & 16: Saturday, 9th & Sunday, 10th March

Belize
Disembarking this morning, we depart on a Continental Airlines flight via
Houston to London Heathrow, arriving on Sunday 10th March.

 

Email or call contact Emily Pontifex on 020 7386 4664 for further details and reservations.