April-Mei 2023
Arica Harbor, Chile
Arica - Chile
April 1, 2023
08:00 - 18:00
The port of Arica is located just 18 km south of the border with Peru. Arica is the capital of the province, the driest in the world. Arica is known as the city of eternal spring, thanks to its mild climate and its almost complete lack of rain, so much so that the cars don't even have wipers! The Humboldt Current makes the sea cold and this ensures reduced seasonal fluctuations in temperature, which never go too high. A few kilometres from the port of Arica is the Azapa Valley, an important archaeological site with over 10,000 years of history. The Museum of San Miguel de Azapata has the oldest mummies in the world. You can taste the famous olives of Azapa, a violet and bitter tasting variety.
Not to be missed:
• The Museum of San Miguel de Azapata
EIGEN FOTOS
https://www.whatsinport.com/Arica.htm
https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/arica-port-436
WIKIPEDIA
MAPS
April 3, 2023
08:00 - 18:00
In Lima, a megalopolis where a third of the Peruvian population lives, it is still possible to grasp here and there the traces of the ancient power and ingenuity of the Inca empire. The numerous city museums are available for a brief review of history, before entering into the actual archaeological sites, starting with the very famous Machu Picchu. While deciphering the unique microclimate, it is worth visiting the historic centre, with splendid architectural attractions, magnificent palaces of colonial and republican times, the large squares of San Martin and Mayor.
Not to be missed:
• Palomino Island, kingdom of penguins and sea lions six miles from the Port of Callao
• Miraflores, a modern neighbourhood that offers the best of Peruvian hospitality
• Barranco, a neighbourhood favoured by Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa.
EIGEN FOTOS
https://www.whatsinport.com/Callao-Lima.htm
https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/callao-port-439
WIKIPEDIA
MAPS
02VE
EXCURSIE
LIMA HIGHLIGHTS
An excursion exploring the best of Lima, the wonderful capital of Peru, founded by Francisco Pizarro and named the City of Kings. A tour of its key monuments, historic squares, fountains and parks, with a charming mix of ancient and modern, where the heritage of the past blends with a vision of the future.
Main stops :
Historic centre of Lima: Plaza Dos de Mayo, Plaza San Martin and Plaza Mayor with its bronze fountain
Government Palace, City Hall and Cathedral, lush gardens and magnificent fountains
Miraflores district: breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and Parque del Amor (photo stop)
The programme
We will leave the port of Callao and travel by coach to the historic centre of Lima, the political and financial capital of Peru, founded on 6 January 1535 by Francisco Pizarro with the name the City of Kings, referring to the Three Kings who arrived on the Epiphany.
The city centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, and we will waste no time in discovering the wonders it has to offer, starting with the famous Plaza Dos de Mayo, the square commissioned by the Peruvian government to commemorate the battle of Callao, which took place on 2 May 1866. We will then admire Plaza San Martín, the square that has a statue of Peru’s liberator José de San Martín in the centre and boasts a lively atmosphere thanks to the numerous artists and musicians there.
Then we will head to the restored Plaza Mayor, also known as Plaza de Armas, where we will stop to take photos. Dating back to the Colonial Period, it is the most important and picturesque square in the city. In the centre there is a marvellous bronze fountain decorated with zoomorphic elements and dotted with beautiful cherubs, nymphs, acanthus leaves, fins and volutes denoting the points of the compass.
The square is surrounded by the city’s most important historic buildings that symbolise Spanish colonial rule, including the Government Palace, City Hall and Cathedral of Lima, a symbol of Catholicism dating back to the early 16th century. The white building features various architectural styles and two huge spiral twin towers that are visible from every point in the city centre.
Plaza Mayor is also surrounded by lush gardens and magnificent fountains from more recent times, reflecting the desire to renew the capital city.
When we leave Plaza Mayor, we will head to the Miraflores district, the most picturesque and popular area in the city, with a sparkling artistic scene and an almost endless array of bars, restaurants, shops, hotels, nightclubs and fashionable venues.
We will stop here briefly to take some photos of the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean or we can admire the famous Parque del Amor, a park that opened on Valentine’s Day in 1993 with a romantic atmosphere thanks to its wonderful location with panoramic views of the bay. The park takes its name from the presence of a contemporary sculpture called "The Kiss" by Peruvian artist Victor Delfín, which depicts two lovers in a passionate kiss.
After our stop in the Miraflores district, we will board our coach again to return to the ship.
Manta, Ecuador
Apr 6, 2023
08:00 - 19:00
You can choose to enjoy the beach life or culture on the stopover in this city on the Costa Pacifica of Ecuador.
The first settlement dates from the pre-Columbian civilisations of Manta, when the city was called Jocay. Has always been a famous commercial port, since ancient times, in fact, and enabled contact and exchanges amongst civilisations of the Ecuadorian coast and the Incas. Today we find ourselves in front of a city of over 200,000 inhabitants, surrounded by beautiful ocean beaches, full of restaurants and nightclubs. A tour of Manta could start from near Santuario de la Virgen de Monserrate, continuing to see the craftsmanship of straw hats. A stop at the Banco Central museum will allow you to dive into art and mana culture.
Not to be missed:
• Museo del Banco Central
• Beach of Murcielago
EIGEN FOTOS
Whatsinport
Cruisemapper
WIKIPEDIA
MAPS
THE BEST OF MONTECRISTI AND MANTA
An excursion dedicated to those who love Ecuador’s local arts and crafts and shopping. We will discover the refined production process of the famous Panama hat in the village of Montecristi and of the Tagua nut, the precious “vegetable ivory”, which is modelled into wonderful and unusual objects that we can buy as souvenirs. For real connoisseurs!
Main stops :
Manta seafront: modern tourist area and residential areas
Visit to the colonial village of Montecristi: production of the Panama hat and wicker items
Time available for photos in the central square and shopping in the local artisan markets
Visit to the Tagua coconut artisan workshop
The programme:
We will begin our excursion with a sightseeing coach tour along Manta’s seafront, the famous Malecón Escénico, the main tourist area in the city, lined with restaurants, beaches and modern architecture with some residential areas.
After around a 45-minute journey, we will reach the village of Montecristi, famous across the world for the handmade production of the Panama hat and wicker items. Located in the northern part of Ecuador, it is an ancient colonial village founded in 1628 when many of Manta’s inhabitants moved inland to escape the frequent pirate raids.
The Panama, which is produced here, is a type of hat that is hand-woven using fibres from a dwarf palm, the Carludovica palmata, or palma toquilla in Spanish, which is stretchy and bright. Produced in Ecuador, it takes the name of the city of Panama, which has been the main port for the sale of these hats for centuries. The production process has been the same for more than three centuries and involves various stages. Strands of toquilla straw of different thicknesses are woven together by hand to produce three types of Panama hat: Montecristi, Cuenca and Brisa. The hand weaving, which takes place in the village of Montecristi, takes four to six months because the weave is very thick. Also, the Montecristi hat is only produced early in the morning when the air is cool to prevent the fibres from breaking. This makes the hat long-lasting, lightweight and foldable. The Panama production process has been handed down from generation to generation, and the key elements are the varieties of straw selected and the ability and skill of the artisans in Montecristi. This hat is also famous as it has been worn by kings, emperors such as Napoleon I and presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt.
After seeing how they make the hats, we will have some time available to take some photos in Montecristi’s central square, embellished by wall paintings and elegant colonial buildings, and to shop in the local artisan markets selling ceramics and wicker products.
Next on our tour, we will discover another of the area’s typical products, the Tagua coconut, which is typical of the South American tropical rainforest and is also known as vegetable ivory. Once the fruit has dried out, its colour, consistency and appearance are very similar to animal ivory and it can easily be processed and dyed. It is used to produce mosaics, flooring, coatings, buttons, beads, jewellery, dice, domino and chess pieces, umbrellas, religious figurines, toys and musical instruments such as bagpipes. As a cheaper replacement for ivory, after the ban on elephant hunting, it has become an important low-cost and environmentally friendly product.
Then we will visit a local workshop where we can see how this nut is processed by skilled artisans that model it into a wide range of objects that we can buy as souvenirs.
After this interesting experience, we will return to the port and ship.
What you need to know
We recommend wearing a hat and lightweight, breathable cotton clothing, bringing cash in the local currency (US dollars) and sun cream and insect repellent.
The excursion takes place on uneven ground in Montecristi and flat ground during the visit to the ivory workshop.
Apr 8 - Apr 9
Arrival 19:00 - Departure 18:00
Today, Cristóbal retains much of the architecture of what was once known as Steamship Row (the areas around Roosevelt Avenue, Terminal Street and Columbus Avenue). Other historical places to visit during the cruise are the Washington Hotel, Christ Church by the Sea and the Church of our Lady of the miraculous medal of the Accademia di Santa Maria, all well preserved and of great interest for visitors.
Not to be missed:
• The Hotel Washington
• Christ Church,
• Church of Nostra Signora della Medaglia Miracolosa
EIGEN FOTOS
Whatsinport Colon
https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/colon-port-87
cruisemapper Panama canal
Wikipedia
Panama canal
Maps
