In 1513, the famous Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa decided to begin an expedition where over 400 men, both indigenous and Spanish, walked the dense jungle in search of another sea, one where the natives wore gold and houses were decorated with pearls, their women were beautiful and where friendship prevailed.
After walking for a long time, more than 20 days, they could see the South Sea (as named by Balboa). As they got to the coast, a knight held a ceremony to celebrate the discovery of the sea.
A boat was taken unarmed, assembled on site, and sailed for the Bay of Panama. Along the way, the sailors discovered an island inhabited by native people. The natives were dressed gold, the women wore pearls. The island was called “King Island.”
Like the Spaniards, National Geographic Quest decided to explore the archipelago. We visited Granito de Oro Island, where we snorkeled and could see many varieties of fish. The underwater show was run by the hawksbill turtle and green Pacific turtle. There are turtles everywhere, and our guests were happy to have the opportunity to join them.
Other guests enjoyed the paddleboard and kayaking. Part of our group decided to explore the inside of Coiba National Park, and they walked through the dense jungle to spot some birds like the lance tail manakin, bananaquit and more.
After many magical moments here, we’re ready to start our journey to beautiful Costa Rica.
