Panama Canal 2008/2009 - (Page 43) Gatún Lake, Panama Half Moon Cay, Bahamas Manaus, Brazil Formed by an earthen dam, Gatún Lake provides the perpetual water supply necessary to operate the lock systems. Fact: It will take about 52 million gallons of water to float your Holland America ship through the locks. Sample shore excursions: Gatún Locks & Kayak in the Canal; Panama Railway; Portobelo Market Town & the Panama Canal; The Canal Experience. Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica (scenic cruising) Holland America’s private island has everything you need for a day of play in paradise: a perfect crescent beach, an inland lagoon, water toys, a tropical village, even private cabanas with water misters and butler service. Sample shore excursions: Horseback Riding by Land and Sea; Deep-sea Fishing; Stingray Adventure. Kralendijk, Bonaire This jungle capital sprang up during the great rubber boom of 1896. View the ornate opera house where wealthy rubber barons enjoyed performances by Verdi and Puccini. Witness the “Meeting of the Waters” where massive dark and light rivers meet and run parallel for miles without blending. Sample shore excursions: The Meeting of the Waters — A Jungle Cruise; Ariau Towers Jungle Lodge Overland. Manta (Quito), Ecuador So primitive, so pristine is this uninhabited stretch of shore that Costa Rica has declared it a national treasure. Here, rain forests are so dense that 100 different kinds of trees crowd onto a single acre, and there are more bird species here than in the U.S. and Canada combined. Guayaquil, Ecuador The “B” of the Netherlands Antilles’ famous ABC islands. Feast your eyes on gorgeous coral gardens, take in the blush of pink flamingos reflected in the still salt lake. Sample shore excursions: Samur Sail & Snorkel Adventure; Sportfishing; Mangrove Boating Eco-adventure. Loreto, Mexico Just outside this tranquil coastal town lie the villages where the famous Panama hats are woven. Farther afield: colonial Quito, so perfectly preserved the entire Old Town has been designated a World Heritage Site. Sample shore excursions: A Day in Quito; Philanthropic Experience to Ecuadorian Society; Landmarks of Quito and Otavalo. Mazatlán, Mexico Busy, energetic, the “Pearl of the Pacific,” Ecuador’s largest city once harbored gold and silver bound for Europe. Sample shore excursion: Guayaquil City & Anthropology Museum. Gulf of Nicoya (scenic cruising) Holland America Line is the only major cruise line to visit this historic mission town on Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. Ashore: Jesuit missions, cobbled plazas, pristine coves made for snorkeling. Sample shore excursions: San Javier Mission; Kayak the Baja; Mexican Fiesta & Traditional Clambake. Home of the world’s largest shrimp fleet, this popular resort town tempts with miles of sandy beaches, bustling markets and charming colonial villages tucked into the Sierra Madre Mountains. Sample shore excursions: Deluxe City Tour with Papantla Flyers; Sierra Madre, Concordia & Copala; Deer Island Kayak. Be up on deck as your ship navigates the pristine waters between the Nicoya Peninsula and the mainland of Costa Rica. Here, on densely forested islands and in mangrove swamps, nature rules in the form of howler monkeys, ocelots, leatherback turtles and blue morpho butterflies. A BoV E LE FT To RIGH T golden cathedrals, golden beaches: mazatlán has it all. The toucan, whose bill can measure up to one-third of the bird’s length. www.hollandamerica.com 43 ports of call http://www.hollandamerica.com
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