Discover North & Central America

Discover North and Central America

Welcome to a world where ultra-luxury meets discovery. Enjoy thrilling views of breaching humpback whales along Alaska’s Inside Passage from your private verandah or close-ups of iridescent hummingbirds and scarlet macaws flitting through Costa Rican rainforests, through precision Swarovski telescopes on the Observation Deck of Scenic Eclipse. Join your Discovery Team’s expert naturalists and historians for close encounters, like those with magnificent manta rays in the Sea of Cortez and living Mayan culture in Guatemala.

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North America

From spring to autumn, North America’s Pacific coast comes alive as whales, seals and birds chase increasing daylight north to feed on the riches it generates, and return south again as winter sets in. It’s a lively time as fishing fleets depart Dutch Harbour to ply the Bering Sea; grizzly and brown bears fish for salmon; while bald and golden eagles soar above. As snowpack recedes, spectacular hikes open along the coast of Alaska and British Columbia, and fascinating day trips reveal cultures ranging from villages of Inuit hunters to Tlingit totem carvers. Discover music-infused Seattle and the Victorian era towns of Oregon and Northern California; the Gold Rush and counter-culture of San Francisco and the sun-drenched beaches of Spanish-influenced Santa Barbara and San Diego.

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A Sea of Cortez, Mexico B Seattle, USA C Blue anole D Chan Chan ruins, Peru E Santa Barbara, USA F Humboldt penguin, Isla Guañape

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Baja California, Mexico & Central America

Water activities, such as paddleboarding, kayaking and snorkelling, feature along the coast of Mexico and Central America. Your expert Discovery guides are keen to show you their favourite spots; where the Sea of Cortez laps against Baja California, the tropical oasis Bahía de Cacaluta and Oaxaca’s Huatulco National Park. In Guatemala, visit the Spanish colonial capital Antigua, and rich coffee plantations amidst dramatic volcanic landscapes. El Salvador boasts archaeological sites like the Mayan ruins of Tazuma and Joya de Cerén, the “Pompeii of America, as well as exotic wildlife in El Imposible National Park. From Corinto, set off to hike through Nicaragua’s “Land of Lakes and Volcanoes”. In Bahia Culebra, discover Costa Rica’s natural beauty where iguanas, deer, and white-faced and howler monkeys roam. Chase adventure by horseback, zipline or snorkel, and explore magnificent rainforest in Curu and enchanted coral reefs in Manuel Antonio national parks.

Peru, Ecuador & Panama

Trace changing ecosystems from Peru’s Isla Guañape, once quano-harvesting islands but now a reserve for inquisitive southern sea lions, mischievous Humboldt penguins and Guanay cormorants. The Pacoche rainforest in Ecuador is home to howler monkeys, reptiles and exotic birdlife like rufous headed chachalaca and saffron siskin. Colombia’s Utria National Park features magnificent frigate birds and the endemic blue anole, the world’s only pure blue lizard. Embera Indians proudly maintain their traditions amidst tropical rainforest where endangered species like the night monkey, spotted paca and Guatemalan black howler live. In Salaverry Peru, explore ancient cultures and archaeological treasures of the Mochicas and Chimu civilisations, including Sun and Moon pyramids of the former, and of the latter, Arco Iris Temple and the complex of Chan Chan – the largest earthen city of preColumbian America and one of the finest examples of mud cities in the world.