Viking World Voyage III

A beloved leisure destination for Floridians and visitors alike, the Ft. Lauderdale area exudes the carefree attitude of South Florida’s coast. In Miami, a thriving Cuban culture infuses Old Havana and gleaming high-rises overlook Biscayne Bay. On the outlying barrier islands, South Beach is an intoxicating blend of seaside glamour and art deco pastel brilliance. Farther north, the seven-mile-long Ft. Lauderdale Beach provides a more leisurely ambience. Along Las Olas Boulevard, cafés and boutiques invite lingering and endless browsing.

The Gulf of Mexico has been a witness to much of the history of North and Central America. In 1497, Amerigo Vespucci was purportedly the first European to sail into the gulf’s basin, charting its coast and changing the world map.

The island of Cozumel holds the keys to many of the most intriguing secrets of Mexico’s ancient civilizations. At San Gervasio, pre-Columbian women made offerings to Ix Chel, goddess of the moon and fertility. More recently, the Spanish left marks of their early presence in the colorful colonial architecture and lively traditions of San Miguel and at the scenic lighthouse at Punta Sur. Today, this island off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula attracts as many snorkelers as it does history buffs; the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park is the world’s second-largest coral reef system.

Sail through turquoise waters where legends of marauding pirates, swashbucklers and tales of hidden treasures were born.

Learn about the delicate ecosystems of the Caribbean Sea that lie beneath the surface of these crystal clear, warm waters. These remarkable coral reefs are known as the “rainforests of the sea.”

Cartagena is Colombia’s cultural treasure. The walls of its extensive San Felipe de Barajas Fortress stretch for seven miles and are 25 feet thick, making them the longest in South America. Inside this impregnable fortress, Cartagena’s Ciudad Vieja, or Old City, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkable preservation. Its many picturesque plazas and beautifully preserved buildings invite endless strolls and exploration. Lively Afro-Caribbean rhythms spill into the charming alleyways, offering a hint of the vibrancy throughout the city.

Colón lies near the Panama Canal’s Atlantic entrance. During the California gold rush, prospectors from the eastern United States sailed here, trekked across the narrow isthmus of Panama, then sailed up the Pacific coast, believing the journey easier than traversing the entire United States. Indigenous tribes maintain a strong presence in this northern corner of Panama. In the city’s rural reaches, the Emberá people—descended from ancient tribes—live in thatched-roof huts, travel by dugout canoe and weave traditional baskets.

The Panama Canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, crossing the narrowest stretch of the Isthmus of Panama. A full transit through the 48-mile-long canal takes around eight to ten hours and passes through the Gatun Lake and the Culebra Cut, an artificial valley that runs through the Continental Divide. An engineering marvel of the 20th century, the crossing passes through a series of locks that lift and lower ships 85 feet from sea level, guided by electric locomotives known as mulas . The Panama Canal transit is a rite of passage and a truly memorable experience.

Sail Mar Pacífico , meaning “peaceful sea,” dubbed by Ferdinand Magellan when he crossed these waters almost 500 years ago.

Puntarenas is the gateway to magnificent beaches and rich wildlife. The port prospered on the shoulders of coffee barons as oxcarts delivered satchels of beans to the docks from the mountains. With the opening of a railroad in 1879, the oxcarts disappeared, but coffee remains Costa Rica’s major export. Today, Puntarenas retains its fishing heritage, as colorful boats in the harbor attest, and the lush rainforests nearby offer endless walking trails under a dense canopy; rich in vegetation and echoing with the screeches of howler monkeys.

Traverse the world’s largest ocean, which covers almost 64 million square miles. At twice the size of the Atlantic, the Pacific is an ocean of extremes.

Sail the Pacific Ocean, its vast expanse of waters covers more than 30 percent of the Earth’s surface and touches the continents of Asia, Australia, North and South America.

Cross the Pacific Ocean and learn about its fascinating geology, with more than 75,000 volcanoes—many still active—reaching up from its depths.

The Pacific Ocean may have been officially discovered in 1521, yet early civilizations have been traversing these waters since 3000 BC.

Located at the tip of the 775-mile Baja Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Gulf of California, Cabo—as it is commonly known—is one of Mexico’s top destinations for its long beaches, resorts, scuba diving and picturesque coast. Renowned for the spectacular rock formations that line its shores, this bustling playground boasts one of the region’s most scenic harbors. The sleepier side of this resort town lies in San José del Cabo. Its charming pink church, inviting town square and low adobe homes evoke an old colonial flair.