This unusual exploration of the Caribbean Sea includes four days in captivating Cuba. We start with two days in Havana and then we work our way around the westernmost tip of the island before exploring the southern coast. It is an extraordinary place; glorious landscapes, delightful people and lifestyle that is more 1930s than that of today. Very few cars travel the roads through the soft and gentle countryside, horse drawn carriages or pedal power are the order of the day. So for a few days we step back in time and enjoy the beauty of the landscape, the historic cities and take a rest from 21st century capitalism.

From Cuba we sail across to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula to view the Mayan site at Tulum and then we follow the Caribbean coast of the Central Americas. In Belize we encounter a vast barrier reef, second only in size to the Great Barrier Reef. We will explore this extraordinary natural site with our onboard naturalists and enjoy this marine paradise with its amazingly clear waters. We also have three little known islands to visit, Colombia’s San Andres and Isla Providencia together with the Honduran island of Roatan. These are beautiful and uncommercialised islands that offer a relaxing interlude in what promises to be an endlessly fascinating voyage. Our exploration ends in Costa Rica in Puerto Limon and from here you have the option of driving to the capital of San Jose for an overnight stay and returning to London or staying on in Costa Rica to visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.