Natural sanctuaries & Caribbean encounters

From Belize City, Ponant invites you to board Le Dumont-d'Urville for a brand-new10-day expedition cruise to discover the lush landscapes, beautiful shores and cultural treasures of Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. At your first port of call, you will discover Half Moon Caye, a mythical place with an exceptional marine biodiversity. Corals, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, eels and groupers live in these turquoise waters, while on land the coastal forest is home to amusing geckos and a large colony of red-footed boobies.From the attractive little town of Punta Gorda, the Mayan civilisation will...read more reveal itself around its ancestral traditions. You will discover Placencia will be next on your itinerary.

This village exudes an Afro-Caribbean atmosphere in a preserved Eden, between houses in shimmering hues, sublime beaches leading into the Caribbean Sea and its lagoon, a real sanctuary for wildlife including sheltering manatees, dolphins and saltwater crocodiles. From the attractive little town of Punta Gorda, the Mayan civilisation will reveal itself around its ancestral traditions. You will discover Placencia will be next on your itinerary. This village exudes an Afro-Caribbean atmosphere in a preserved Eden, between houses in shimmering hues, sublime beaches leading into the Caribbean Sea and its lagoon, a real sanctuary for wildlife including sheltering manatees, dolphins and saltwater crocodiles.

Then, Le Dumont-d'Urville will sail to Livingston, Guatemala, the heart of Garifuna country, which proudly perpetuates an original culture and a music that is listed as a UNESCO heritage site. Your ship will set sail to Punta Sal and the Jeannette Kawas National Park. This idyllic haven offers a formidable panorama of the biodiversity in Honduras, between the lush vegetation of the tropical rainforest and the rich marine ecosystem. You will then call at Water Caye which offers wonderful scuba diving opportunities to discover the treasures of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. You will continue your odyssey towards the Bay Islands and Les Cayos Cochinos, a small archipelago classified as a marine reserve in 1994 and located on the world's second-largest coral reef.

Let yourself fall under the spell of these idyllic shores, which are among the Caribbean's most beautiful coastlines. A wild corner of the Caribbean coast at the confluence of several rivers, the green jungle of the Cuero y Salado National Park is home to exceptionally diverse fauna. Then your ship will finally set sail for Belize City, the end of a memorable cruise. The encounters with the wildlife described above illustrate possible experiences only and cannot be guaranteed.