If you love warm weather but a 'fly and flop' trip to the Caribbean is not for you, a small ship expedition cruise can bring you so much more. Naturalist guides help you to really learn about the fascinating variety of wildlife, both underwater and on land, whilst historians bring to life the extraordinary changes that took place when marauding Europeans arrived in search of treasure.

You can choose to explore the Pacific coastline of Costa Rica, investigate the vast Darien Jungle of Panama, or island hop away from the crowds in the Southern Caribbean.

Lush vegetation and an abundance of wildlife mark your Costa Rica visit - you might see macaws, sloths and howler monkeys, and identify just some of the country's 50 species of hummingbird. The country's extraordinary biodiversity is quite fascinating, and the national parks, pristine beaches, volcanoes and ecotourism make this an extra special destination.

Learn more about the incredible feat of engineering that is the Panama Canal as you travel through it. Counter-intuitively, you will find that in travelling from the Pacific to the Caribbean you are actually going from East to West. And if you don't believe us, check a map!