The one to sell: Windstar Naturally Costa Rica

Jane Archer breaks down a handpicked itinerary that will hopefully entice you and your clients to get booking…

The itinerary

Windstar’s sailing ship Wind Star is exploring the west coast of Central America on a new Naturally Costa Rica cruise round-trip from Puerto Caldera starting in 2024. The seven-day voyage calls into Playa Flamingo, Corinto, San Juan del Sur, Playas del Coco, Bahia Herradura and Quepos, offering passengers a perfect blend of winter sun, beaches and wildlife, plus the excitement of a ship that really sails.

The cruise runs on four dates in January and February 2024 and on three dates between December 2024 and February 2025. Prices start from £2,110 per person departing January 6, 2024 including $100pp on-board credit. Flights extra. Clients can add more adventure by pairing the cruise with a seven-night Panama Canal sailing from Colon to Puerto Caldera.

The 248-passenger Wind Star. Image: Windstar Cruises

Easy breezy cocktails at the Pool Bar. Image: Windstar Cruises

The ship

Wind Star is a four-masted tall ship with 2,000 square metres of canvas that sails whenever the wind and weather allows. The vessel is one of Windstar’s smaller yachts, with room for just 148 passengers.

It has three dining venues: the Veranda for buffet or served breakfasts and lunches, Amphora for full-service dinners and Candles for steaks and skewers under the stars. All accommodation is ocean view.

There are no balconies but there is lots of open deck, a small spa, pool and hot tub, and a lounge. When conditions allow, a marina platform opens at the back of the ship revealing kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and more for passengers to borrow.

Nautical but nice: an elegant Wind Star stateroom. Image: Windstar Cruises

Destination highlights

Wind Star departs Puerto Caldera at 6pm on day one – by 9am next morning, when it arrives in Playa Flamingo, the adventure is already starting. This is one of Costa Rica’s most popular beaches so a lazy morning on the sand is tempting, but there’s stiff competition, namely a catamaran-cum-snorkel cruise in search of coral reefs and sea turtles, or zip-wiring high above ground through the forest canopy. If conditions allow, the marina will be open for water sports today.

The next two ports, Corinto and San Juan del Sur, are in Nicaragua, where hikes up volcanoes, the colonial city of León, founded by the Spanish in 1524, colourful markets and beaches are among attractions.

Then it’s back to Costa Rica and the beach resort of Playas del Coco, where active types can check in for more ziplining and snorkelling, while those keen on history and culture visit Liberia, a city founded in the 1700s, for a shopping and folklore tour that visits markets, churches and a traditional dance show. Again, the marina will open for water sports today if conditions allow.

The action steps up a gear – literally – in Bahia Herradura, where passengers can get down and dirty on a 4×4 buggy drive through rivers, muddy creeks and rainforest, or take a boat cruise through mangroves in search of birds, crocodiles and iguanas. The following day, there’s more wildlife and birds to spot in Quepos where tours include rainforest walks, mangrove cruises and horseback rides. Those who want a break from the action can join a cooking class and learn to make tortillas and plantain ceviches.

Back in Puerto Caldera, it might be time to disembark but the adventure goes on, with airport and post-cruise hotel transfers incorporating tours of an animal rescue centre that homes sloths, monkeys, toucans, parrots and more, a coffee plantation and San José, the capital of Costa Rica.

Dining under the stars at Candles. Image: Windstar Cruises

Ideal customer

With snorkelling, zip-lining, off-roading and wildlife safaris on the agenda, this is not a cruise for those seeking a quiet life. Think instead of adventurous clients, whether past cruisers or not, who want an all-action holiday without sacrificing luxury, as well as customers keen to see nature and wildlife in the raw. Throw in the romance of the sailing ship and you should also be targeting honeymooners looking for something beyond two weeks in a beach resort.

Windstar says

 “This new itinerary highlights the best of Costa Rica. It will appeal to British travellers looking for a more off-the-beaten-path itinerary that offers natural beauty, unique wildlife and a rich cultural heritage as well as those looking for something more adventurous such as white water rafting, hiking, snorkelling or ziplining over the dense canopy of the jungle.”
Debbie Belcher, marketing manager, The Cruise Line (Windstar UK GSA)