Costa Rica UnCruise Immerses You in All of Nature’s Awe

UnCruise Costa Rica

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Do you want to see a snake?” asked Rey, our expedition guide.

He’d just been notified by walkie-talkie of a snake ahead of us on the trail.

We tromped quickly to a scene worth filming by National Geographic.

We were on an UnCruise Costa Rica trip, sailing on the Safari Voyager with UnCruise Adventures.

Kayaking while on an UnCruise Costa Rica voyage
Kayaking while on an UnCruise Costa Rica voyage

The snake was biting into a baby bull frog the size of a tennis-ball, strangling the poor thing at the same time.

The plaintive squeals from the frog were heartbreaking.

They’re cries for help,” explained Rey, as we watched in pity and horror. “Yes, it’s sad to us, but it’s nature.

Nature – in all its awe – was being dug up and tossed at us in spades.

The Safari Voyager cruises Costa Rica and Panama.
The Safari Voyager cruises Costa Rica and Panama

Costa Rica UnCruise with UnCruise Adventures

UnCruise Adventures currently operates several small adventure vessels (maximum 84 passengers) in Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and the Galapagos.

(When we did this trip, they also operated adventure cruises in Costa Rica and Panama.)

“Safari Voyager” cabins

Our Safari Voyager cabin was cute, but really cozy!
Our Safari Voyager cabin was cute, but really cozy!

You won’t spend much time in your cabin, or want to.

Cabins, though comfy with ensuite bathrooms, are much smaller on UnCruise ships than staterooms on larger, traditional cruise ships.

UnCruise activities: You’re outdoors baby!

You'd prefer to enjoy unique adventures in Costa Rica like kayaking to spending time in your cabin, right?
You’d prefer to enjoy unique adventures in Costa Rica like kayaking to spending time in your cabin, right?

Rather, you’re outside in nature – hiking, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling and spotting wildlife on skiff excursions.

Shopping?

You also won’t find a casino, jewelry shop or pool onboard. So, sorry, no duty-free shopping!

There are few (if any) ports or towns on most UnCruise itineraries where you can get out and shop.

UnCruise Costa Rica to Panama

An UnCruise Adventures' staff member helps a guest gear up for a skiff ride in a Zodiac-style inflatable.
A staff member helps a guest gear up for a skiff ride in a Zodiac-style inflatable

With UnCruise Adventures, you visit deserted islands, national parks and remote wilderness areas.

Take our snake encounter on our Costa Rica to Panama cruise.

That was on a hiking foray in the dry forest of the Curu National Wildlife Refuge.

The ship anchored off the non-touristy, southeastern tip of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula; guests were ferried ashore in rigid Zodiac-style inflatables.

And like all landings on our Costa Rica cruise (and in Panama), it was a “wet” landing – where, steadied by crew, we slid off the inflatable into knee-deep water and waded up onto an isolated beach.

On our UnCruise Costa Rica trip, we never docked, but took motorized skiffs (like Zodiacs) to get ashore (aka "wet" landings).
On our UnCruise Costa Rica trip, we never docked, but took motorized skiffs (like Zodiacs) to get ashore (aka “wet” landings)

Hiking Corcovado National Park

More hiking and wildlife highlights followed on our third day when we ventured into the lush rainforest of Costa Rica’s untouched Osa Peninsula.

We’d been told three pumas and a jaguar roamed the Campanario Biological Station property which we walked in the morning.

The sound of cicadas was almost deafening.

Mindful of any camouflaged poisonous snakes (we’d seen an eyelash pit viper at Costa Rica’s Arenal Hanging Bridges), we trod carefully over gnarled roots along the leaf-strewn path, our eyes darting from left to right, internal antennae on high alert.

Chances are you won’t see a puma or cat in the jungle,” said the station director. “But a thousand eyes will be watching you.”

No matter that we didn’t see a jungle cat – the exuberant beauty of the giant mahogany and “walking” mangrove trees was reward enough.

We spotted several iguanas on our trip – no jaguars though :-)

When you cruise Costa Rica with UnCruise, you have tough decisions to make, as different activities are offered ashore at each anchorage.

That afternoon, we had one such tough decision to make.

Chillax on the beach?

The ship’s crew had set up a “beach club” under the shade of leafy trees, with canvas stools, towels and even a small bar for rum-and-pineapple cocktails. Inviting…

Or join Rey on a long, “guide’s choice” coastal hike which he promised would bowl us over with its scenic beauty?

The hike won out.

Hiking in Costa Rica
Janice wading across an inlet of water on our hike

And in the excitement of spying not one, but two neon-yellow toucans soon after setting off, we forgot about the energy-sapping humidity that soon slowed our stride down to a mere strolling pace.

We did lots of hiking on our Alaska UnCruise: Read what it’s like to go wild on an UnCruise adventure in Alaska

Toucan spotting

A toucan in the trees in Costa Rica
A toucan in Costa Rica

The toucans were easier to spot than the three-toed sloth we’d seen our first day in Manuel Antonio National Park. 

Looking like a coconut-sized bump high up in a tree, the sloth – greenish in color from the algae that flourish in the fur – had blended in perfectly with the forest canopy.

We’d needed our guide’s telescope to make it out.

By contrast, these toucans (along with other beautiful Costa Rica birds) were hard to miss once Rey pointed them out.

Monkey thieves

Cute and cunning, white-faced capuchin monkeys are incredibly fun to watch

Ditto the white-faced capuchin monkeys jumping in the trees. 

Locals dub them “mafia monkeys,” as these charming thieves steal food and camera lenses from unsuspecting visitors.

They’re the smartest monkeys of the bunch,” laughed Rey.

They know how to use tools to cut open coconuts.”

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Crossing a sweet beach cove – with grey sand, fine as powder – we met a family group lounging in white plastic chairs at the water’s edge, beers in hand.

We wondered how they happened to be here in this remote piece of wilderness paradise.

It turned out they were also Canadians, from Ontario, who’d rented a nearby house (invisible from the beach) through VRBO. It was only accessible by boat, and their groceries had been shipped in by water taxi.

Hiking the stunning coastline in Corcovado National Park

Fishy business

A bit further on, we stopped to watch a startling scene.

The sea was bubbling and boiling up with fish beneath a cloud of dive-bombing pelicans!

And whooping and hollering, two local fishermen raced into the water, tossing their lines in. Within minutes, they reeled in four fat silvery jackfish.

Dinner, they proudly explained, was going to be good that night, fried up with oil and garlic.

Just before meeting the boat that would pick us up, we came across a palm-fringed lagoon. It looked very inviting for a dip.

A swim here would be great if it weren’t for the crocodiles,” cautioned Rey.

And sure enough, what looked to be an innocuous log on the bank lazily rose up on stubby legs and slid silently into the water.

Granito de Oro: Swimming and snorkeling

UnCruise Adventures dropped anchor off the tiny islet of Granito de Oro in Panama, where we enjoyed some beach time.
UnCruise Adventures dropped anchor off the tiny islet of Granito de Oro in Panama, where we enjoyed some beach time

Hiking is all well and good, but UnCruise Adventures knows of beautiful beaches in both Costa Rica and Panama.

We were ready for a beach day when we called in at Granito de Oro (“Grain of Gold”) the next morning.

This tiny uninhabited islet off Coiba National Park in Panama – with clear turquoise water lapping onto a blindingly white sand beach dotted with palm trees – is about as perfect as a tropical island can get.

We had the beach to ourselves on Granito do Oro, until a handful of other people came in on a small boat
We had the beach to ourselves on Granito do Oro, until a handful of other people came in on a small boat

Time for snorkeling!

A kaleidoscope of colorful fish scenes unfolded underwater – yellow-and-black striped Sergeant Majors darted about, balled schools of silver jackfish swam by, puffer fish hung effortlessly in the water.

Snorkeling in Granito do Oro
No hiking today! It’s time to snorkel!

Some lucky guests even saw a white-tipped reef shark.

And in a Zen moment, a green loggerhead turtle glided by gracefully just below the surface as we tried our hand at stand-up paddleboarding.

Costa Rica cruise
Stand-up paddleboards ready for guests

You can snorkel with manta rays on an UnCruise Hawaii trip! Discover hidden Hawaii on this UnCruise Hawaii adventure

“Happy hour” cocktails and dinner

Come evening, we always looked forward to “happy hour.”

That’s when everyone mingled over drinks, shared the day’s experiences and learned about the next day’s adventures from the expedition team.

Happily, all cocktails and wines are included in the Safari Voyager’s rates because we took a particular liking to the “Valencia” – brandy, apricot liqueur, fresh orange juice and sparkling wine – that Daniel, the bartender, shook up.

UnCruise reviews invariably mention the good food.

And meals were delicious!

Sample dinner: Spiced carrot soup, followed by leg of lamb with eggplant and saffron rice (or for seafood lovers, shrimp with chipotle honey sauce).

Cruising the Panama Canal back to the real world

Two freighters moving through the Gatun Locks in the Panama Canal
Two freighters moving through the Gatun Locks in the Panama Canal

We completed our cruise from Costa Rica to Panama navigating the 48-mile length of the Panama Canal, most of which is a vast man-made lake studded with islands and tropical vegetation.

At the canal’s entrance, sitting on deck at sunset, we were spellbound by the original locks’ operation.

Running on steeply rising tracks along both sides of the locks, electric locomotives (called “mules”) attached to the ship by cables, seemed to pull the ship along.

(In fact, they keep a ship from bumping into the sides of the canal as it passes through the locks).

A "mule" attached to the side of our ship in the Panama Canal
A “mule” attached to the side of our ship in the Panama Canal

The whole experience was quite surreal – it’s impossible not to be amazed by this ingenious lock system, which raises ships about 80 feet above sea level at one end of the canal, then lowers them back down again at the other.

As a goodbye to our time in the world of nature, the passage through this man-made marvel was perfect for re-entering the world of civilization.

“Safari Voyager” itineraries

UnCruise Costa Rica and UnCruise Panama itineraries

The newly refitted Safari Voyager used to sail various Costa Rica and Panama cruises.

Highlights included exploring Costa Rica’s Curu National Wildlife Refuge and Osa Conservation Area; and in Panama, a visit to Coiba National Park and a late afternoon/evening transit of the Panama Canal.

Rates

UnCruise rates include cruise accommodations, meals, all alcoholic drinks, guided adventure excursions and onboard naturalist talks.

For more information

See Uncruise Adventures’ website

Where to stay in Panama City? We loved the boutique Global Hotel Panama


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Costa Rica cruise with UnCruise Adventures

Our top travel tips and resources

Hotels: Booking.com is perfect for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. We especially like Booking’s flexible cancellation policy!

Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).

Cruises: CruiseDirect offers amazing deals on cruises (including Holland America, Viking Ocean Cruises, Seabourn and other lines we’ve reviewed).

Flights: To book the cheapest flights, search on Google Flights or Expedia. (Just be aware Expedia tickets may be non-refundable.)

Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!

Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.

Car rental: Renting a car is often a great way to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the lowest rates.

eSIMS: Stay connected affordably with Airalo eSIMS covering 200+ countries and trusted by 10 million+ users, including us! (No more huge roaming bills!)

Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation.

Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)

Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.

If you make a booking or purchase through our site, we may earn a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks!


Photo credits: 2 to 10, 12 to 15, 17, 19 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | 1, 16 UnCruise Adventures


About the authors

Janice and George Mucalov are award-winning travel journalists who’ve explored all seven continents. They share destination guidesluxury hotel reviewscultural adventurescruise insightstravel tips and more on their luxury travel blog, Sand In My Suitcase. See About.

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9 Comments

  1. I did the Uncruise Alaska trip this past May (2018) and I fell in love with Uncruise. I have always wanted to see a real rainforest and this part of the world so I have the UnCruise Costa Rica trip scheduled for April of 2019. I am even more excited now after reading your article. Thank you!

    1. You should have a great time! You’ll get lots of rainforest in Costa Rica :-). Take comfortable sneakers/light hikers — ones that can get wet if you have to hop from rock-to-rock in a creek. Lots of scenic hikes are on the itinerary!

  2. Very nice – I’m not into cruises but THIS cruise I would do…sounds like an adventure and not a floating all-inclusive. The size of the boat just right and the rooms look cosy. Very nice.

    Frank

  3. Nice writeup! This is the kind of thing I need to point my parents towards. They’d love to see the jungle, but wouldn’t be comfortable doing it overland. Fantastic monkey photo as well!

    1. Most of the places we went to would be almost impossible to access on your own (at least to try to do this sequentially). Some were really remote – off-the-grid with no A/C. Our ship offered us a comfortable way exploring this part of Costa Rica and Panama… We had a great time!

  4. What a great “UnCruise” adventure, immersed in the outdoors—with a ship as your home and all of nature and the outdoors as your backyard!

    1. We couldn’t have survived without the comfort of the ship to return to! A shower, then one (or more) of Daniel’s magical cocktails was a welcome treat at the end of an adventurous day :-).