This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Travelers can now board a new expedition cruise to Central America. Our collaborator was one of the hundred or so passengers to experience the route for the first time.
Even if, according to travel guides, the dry season should have already started in Honduras, the sky seems determined to turn gray for a few more days. Small inflatable boats have left the Dumont d’Urville from the French company Ponant a little earlier to move slowly in a heavenly setting – at least that’s what they say. Because quickly, the horizon became cloudy and visibility became almost zero. The drizzle turned into a deluge. Enough to test the waterproofness of windbreakers put on in haste.
Once on dry land, in Tela, on the Caribbean coast, it is the hiking boots that are put to the test on the flooded trails of the Jeannette Kawas National Park. A place once called Punta Sal and renamed in honor of the environmental and human rights activist who was murdered in 1995. The howler monkeys make their presence felt, even if they rarely show up. Their distinctive calls emerge from the dense forest. While some travelers grumble about the involuntary dip, others display broad smiles.
On board, couples rub shoulders with groups of friends – some have met on previous cruises – and solo travelers. The majority are French, but we also meet Swiss, Quebecers and a few Americans. The friendly atmosphere encourages exchanges. Conversations begin spontaneously at the bar or around the buffet.
Diving, meetings, discovery
Throughout the stay, a small group of seasoned divers sets out to explore the seabed whenever conditions permit. It is necessary to have obtained certification to take part in these underwater trips. Fortunately, snorkeling hikes accessible to the majority are also planned. “It’s like the rainforest underwater,” explains Petra Glardon, naturalist guide, about the lushness of the second largest coral reef in the world.
As we approach Guanaja, in the heart of the Bahia Islands, a fanfare is heard. No doubt, the villagers are waiting for the passengers of the tires who arrive in turn with obvious joy. Nothing stuck: the return of tourism is celebrated here with drums, trumpets, hearts and dance steps. It must be said that this island of 6,000 inhabitants has experienced its share of challenges in recent years. In 1998, the hurricane Mitch swept away part of its territory. In 2021, a fire ravaged 90 homes and forced the evacuation of 400 people. Construction sites are still numerous, and travelers very rare.
Beyond the extraordinary biodiversity of Honduras, it is these encounters that stand out. Each stage of the stay was imagined with the local populations, according to the cultural elements they wish to highlight.
In Chachahuate, in the Cayos Cochinos, the Garifuna community, resulting from the interbreeding of freed slaves with the Arawak Caribbean people, has chosen to offer Punta treats and dances. In this music, “the drummer follows the dancers’ feet, and not the other way around,” explains Roger Alvarez, Honduran guide.
Naturalists with a nose
“Oh my, it smells like a monkey!” » The enthusiasm of Tristan Menant Leclerq, the naturalist guide who accompanies the ten passengers in the zodiac through the waterways of the Cuero y Salado National Park is contagious. The smell in question comes more precisely from the acidic excrement of the primate. Suddenly, an animal appears at the top of a tree. Then another, a little further away. Cruise passengers can barely contain their joy.
Seeing Pico Bonito — “pretty peak” — on the horizon under a clear sky that morning, the team already had the impression of having hit the jackpot. It was nothing compared to everything that awaited him. The natural spectacle highlighted herons, a kingfisher, an iguana, American jacanas, a vulture, mangrove trees, sapodilla trees. It is this species of tree that produces chicle, at the origin of the invention of chewing gum… While scanning the brackish waters of the canal in search of manatees, these legendary sea cows, the naturalist distilled a wealth of information about the role of the mangrove. “It is one of the forest systems that stores the most carbon dioxide,” he said. The spectacle of this reserve, located at the estuaries of the Cuero, Salado and San Juan rivers, was worth all the floods of the world.
Once in the village of Salado, it is the old system of transporting bananas on rails, today a means of transport for the villagers, which mainly attracts attention. Men push the carts on motorcycles or even on foot. The beauty of an expedition cruise undoubtedly lies in this diversity of experiences offered, far from the classic circuits. Sun or not, postcards are never the same.
Our collaborator was the guest of Ponant, who had no right to review this text.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.