22 February

Costa Rica: Playa Flamingo

23 February

Costa Rica: Punta Leona

24 February

Costa Rica: Quepos

The little town of Quepos is the gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park, a nature-lover’s paradise that’s home to monkeys, iguanas and the reclusive three-toed sloth. The area around Quepos also boasts some of the best beaches in Costa Rica, and the town itself has some nice restaurants.

25 February

Costa Rica: Golfo Dulce

Seldom visited by tourists, the lush and humid Golfo Dulce is home to Piedras Blanca National Park, an area of pristine rainforest teeming with wildlife. Amongst the mangroves that line the coast lurk crocodiles and river otters, while the canopy above is home to nimble monkeys and colourful toucans.

26 February

Panama: Isla Parida

Beautiful Isla Parida lies within the protected Gulf of Chiriquí National Park, its tranquil beaches lapped by warm, crystal clear waters where you’ll find an abundance of marine life. This is a great place to kick back and chill out for a day, in idyllic tropical surroundings.

27 February - At sea

28 February

Panama: Fuerte Amador (Panama City)

The port of Fuerte Amador sits at the southern edge of Panama City, near the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. The shining skyscrapers of the Panamanian capital are a testament to the city’s status as a key financial centre, while the tiny Casco Viejo is home to pretty colonial streets, hip hotels and happening bars.

29 February - At sea

1 March

Panama: Bocas del Toro

The Bocas del Toro archipelago is one of Panama’s most appealing tourist destinations, a collection of idyllic Caribbean islands blessed with beautiful beaches, lush mangroves and wildlife including sloths, iguanas and turtles.

2 March

Panama: San Blas Islands

Situated just off the coast of Panama, the idyllic San Blas islands are home to the Kuna Indians, who enjoy political autonomy from the mainland and have an unusual degree of control over tourism to their homeland. Visiting these simple island communities is a privilege, and an insight into an indigenous way of life unsullied by mass tourism.

3 March to 4 March

Colombia: Cartagena

Cartagena was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1533, and the beautifully preserved centre is a real highlight of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The walled old town, the Ciudad Amurallada, is a camera-friendly collection of cobbled streets and colourful, colonial-era buildings.

5 March - At sea

6 March

Aruba: Oranjestad

The tiny Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, located just off the coast of Venezuela, lies outside of the hurricane belt, meaning it enjoys a largely dry climate, and boasts some of the best beaches in the region, if not the world.

7 March

Curaçao: Willemstad

The gabled houses of Willemstad lend an undeniably Dutch feel to the capital of little Curaçao, with a splash of Caribbean colour thrown in. The island itself is not your typical lush tropical paradise - the landscape is characterised instead by thorny shrubs and cacti - but there are some fantastic beaches and quaint little villages.

8 March

Caribbean Netherlands: Kralendijk

The quiet, cactus-covered Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire is internationally renowned for its diving, ringed by spectacular coral reefs that teem with life. The capital, Kralendijk, is home to some pretty colonial architecture, and the island is also known for its flamingos and pink sand beaches.

9 March - At sea

10 March

Saint Barthélemy: Gustavia

Gustavia is the chic and petite capital of Saint Barths, a tiny French Caribbean island that’s renowned as a haunt of the rich and the famous. You can certainly live well here if you’ve got the means, with an array of gourmet restaurants and luxury boutiques aimed squarely at the A-list. The beautiful beaches, on the other hand, are free and open to all.

11 March

British Virgin Islands: Jost Van Dyke

The idyllic island of Jost Van Dyke, named after an early Dutch settler, is known for its laid back vibe and friendly beach bars, including the famous Foxy’s, which counts Keith Richards amongst its past customers. It’s a place to kick back and relax, and the clear blue waters are also perfect for snorkelling.

12 March - At sea

13 March

Arriving in San Juan

Founded by the Spanish in 1521, Puerto Rico’s capital is the second oldest European settlement in the Americas. Modern San Juan is a bustling city, home to over a third of the island’s population, but the cobbled streets of the Old Town remain the biggest tourist draw.