Panama Canal Cruise - from Miami - 125730

Miami is a city at the South-East coast of the US state of Florida. The "Coconut Grove" district was the heart of the settlement in 1884. Today, the city is dominated by elegant boutiques and pavement cafés. Often, free street concerts are held in the side streets - usually reggae or jazz music. The city has numerous high-rise buildings, hotel complexes, areas with palm trees, shopping centres, cultural and recreational facilities. Sights include: the Southeast Financial Center - the tallest building in Florida at 55 storeys high; Dade Country Courthouse; Metro Dade Cultural, a cultural centre that houses Miami Dade Main Library; the Centre for Fine Arts and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.

Cartagena was founded in 1533 by Pedro de Heredias, a Spaniard and companion of Columbus, as a naval port. The historic old town and the harbour are listed and have been a World Heritage Site since 1984. Due to the flourishing trade in gold from Peru, silver from Bolivia and emeralds from Muzo, the city developed quickly and magnificently. Today, mainly oil coffee and platinum are exported and the city has been able to make a name for itself as one of the most beautiful colonial cities of South America. Sights include: the Gold Museum, the cathedral dating from the 16th/17th century and the San Felipe de Barajas fort with its amazing system of tunnels.

In the middle of Central America lies the tropical region of the Panama Canal with its lush vegetation and rainforests. The Panama Canal is a technical masterpiece and one of the most important waterways in the world. It takes just a day to travel along the canal, but visitors are sure to remember the trip for many a long year.

Puntarenas means 'sandy tip' and the town lies on a tongue of land that sticks out into the Gulf of Nicoya. For a long time it was the most important Pacific port in the country, and even today the harbour is lined with fishing boats, giving the town its incomparably maritime character. This beach resort, which is steeped in tradition, is the perfect place for a stroll along the southern beach promenade, Paseo de los Turistas, which is particularly busy at the weekends. In the evening you can watch the glowing red sun sink down into the Gulf von Nicoya while enjoying a cocktail at the popular beach.

The Pacifc port of Puerto Quetzal is around 2 hours south of the capital, Guatemala City, and is named after the Quetzal bird, the heraldic symbol of this Central American country. Puerto Quetzal is the starting point for trips inland on the trail of the Mayans and into the tropical rainforest.

The small fishing village of Zihuatanejo lies in a picturesque bay and is surrounded by beautiful beaches. Its peaceful surroundings and narrow cobbled streets are reminiscent of the old Mexico. It was founded by the native Indians and in the 16th century developed into a trading centre and hideaway for buccaneers and pirates. Today, it provides an interesting contrast to the luxury resort of Xtapa, which is just a few kilometres away and was created by leading architects and landscape gardeners around a sandy bay. There is hardly a building more than 20 years old there. Luxurious hotels are surrounded by exclusive golf courses, tennis facilities and spacious beach resorts. Sights include: the remains of a pre-Columbian city wall in the bay of Zihuatanejo.

Manzanilla, which has a population of 80,000 lies on a mountainous peninsula between sheer cliff faces and a wide lagoon. On closer inspection of the streets of Manzanillas you can discover houses built into the cliff face due to the lack of space. With its black and white sandy beaches the island has excellent sporting facilities and is also the perfect place to relax. Sights include: the Colonial Hotel, which is said to be the most beautiful building in the city.

This Mexican port is bordered by desert, mountains and the sea. Ensenada is the oldest municipality in the Mexican province of "Baya Peninsula" and was founded in the 17th century by Spanish missionaries. Nowadays it is known primarily as a busy port. Ensenada's breezy climate is perfect for long shopping trips, evenings spent enjoying a meal by the seaside and tours of the "Gold Coast".