With their hugging posture and ever-present smile, sloths embody Costa Rica’s pura vida lifestyle like no other creature. As the national symbol of this conservation-minded destination, sloths represent Costa Rica’s commitment to biodiversity and protecting the environment: the pure life.

“You know about pura vida?” asks our tour guide, Marco, as our motorcoach bumps along the road to La Perica Sloth Garden. “I explain it as no worries, the good life. If you know movies, ‘hakuna matata’—no problems.”

Pura vida. This is the Costa Rican philosophy, mindset and spirit, and it applies equally to Sea Cloud cruises. We’re cruising aboard the Sea Cloud Spirit, a gorgeous three-masted sailing ship that feels like a private yacht—and an absolute showstopper when its 28 sails unfurl. Like the storied Sea Cloud fleet, this vessel is beloved for lazy, unstructured days that encourage wallowing on sun loungers, losing oneself in a good book or playing backgammon or chess from the pile of boardgames stocked in the lounge, all set amidst the windjammer’s cultured elegance.

A spa with steam bath, relaxation room, multi-sensory shower and salon offers a variety of facials and massages, and the fitness room, while compact, provides workout space with endless ocean views. Weather permitting, the ship’s swim platform opens for swimming in the open sea or a chance to board a zodiac to circle the ship for a coveted photo session.

Shoreside adventure

Sea Cloud’s 13-day “Natural Wonders, Engineering Marvels” itinerary takes us to Costa Rica and Panama with a transit through the Panama Canal, where pura vida unfolds from the time you awake to a sunrise breakfast on Spirit’s Lido Deck to the moment you fall asleep swaddled in the cocoon that is your comfy bed in a tastefully designed cabin giving restful vibes in shades of cream, gold and blue.

One of the highlights of the itinerary is Port Jimenez and a morning walking and photography safari through a sloth garden created by the Valverde family for their grandmother. The 25-acre Costa Rican wildland, where 15 resident sloths, both two-toed and three-toed, snooze the day away in the treetops, is also home to howler monkeys, toucans, geese, chickens and other wildlife.

On the garden’s Grandma Trail, we spot one sloth curled up in a branch high above the ground; another one, a baby, rouses himself long enough to yawn widely, lick his lips and tuck his head back into his tummy. Nap time. We stroll the trails with our guides, learning the story behind the garden, intended originally as an oasis for the Valverde matriarch then expanded so all could enjoy the discoveries awaiting in the rainforest.

Our visit concludes with warm-from-the-oven cheese empanadas and homemade hot sauce, plus a gorgeous platter piled with papaya, watermelon, honeydew and pineapple. Before bidding farewell to the sloths, we have the good fortune to meet the grandfather and grandson and other Valverde family members, stewards of these hairy camouflage artists.

The sloth garden outing is among Sea Cloud’s thoughtful and personal shore excursions that also include beach and snorkel outings to tiny, picturesque islands, plus activities like a cocoa tour in Punta Leona, with chocolate tastings so melt-in-your-mouth delicious it’s easy to understand why it is “the drink of the gods.” Another tour, a visit to Hacienda Aromal in Playa Panamá, features not only horseback riding and ziplining, but cultural demonstrations in traditional tortilla making, hand-building pottery and crafting intricate jewelry by painstakingly braiding individual strands of horsehair.

Talks and transit

With the ship accommodating less than 140 passengers, everything about this trip feels personal, from the tours to mealtimes and nightly cocktail hours to the musical entertainment (which includes concerts performed on a Steinway grand piano) to daily lectures. Based in Hamburg, Sea Cloud has a solid German fanbase but is actively courting English-speaking guests so everything — tours, menus, newspapers, lectures and other programming — is presented both in German and in English. In fact, in the library, a polished and quiet nook for reading, working and crafting, I found several mysteries to borrow in a bookcase packed with English-language books.

A lineup of outstanding lecturers is featured on this itinerary: Joel Seidman, investigative news producer and journalist with NBC News, and Kevin Tibbles, journalist and longtime correspondent for NBC News, presented “Between the Lines and Across the Ocean,” a casual chat about their Emmy-winning careers where they were joined by German journalist Tom Buhrow, who served as longtime correspondent for German broadcasting network ARD in Washington and Paris. Additionally, Seidman and Tibbles screen their award-winning documentary, “Putin’s Endgame: The Stakes Beyond Ukraine.”

Leading the snorkel excursions and presenting several lectures was Costa Rica and Panama expert and naturalist guide Stephen Weston, who spoke on marine ecology topics ranging from sloths as walking ecosystems because their fur supports a community of moths, beetles and fungi to Costa Rica’s role as “the biggest fast food restaurant in the world” for animals and insects due to its diverse microclimates, which support more than 5% of all living organisms.

In addition to the well-attended lectures, Sea Cloud offered everyone a chance to climb the ship’s rigging. About one third of the guests took up the challenge, with each required to pass a fitness test before getting strapped into a harness and tethered to a carabiner for the scaling of the ratlines or rungs to the platform. The ship also provided opportunities to tour its bridge and engine room.

On the morning of the Panama Canal transit, Spirit glided beneath a blue sky and the Bridge of the Americas, with everyone, including crew members, gathered on the Lido and Sun decks to take pictures and video. We all watched as the ship advanced toward Miraflores Lock, rose through Pedro Miguel and continued to Gatun Lock, fully immersed in the slow-unfolding drama and thrilled to be part of this timeless maritime rite.

Impeccable meals and service

Dining aboard Spirit is grand and gracious, with every meal served with a spirit of fun and full-on hospitality by Sea Cloud’s excellent waitstaff. All lunches and some dinners are enjoyed al fresco on Lido Deck beneath a sun-shielding canopy. Breakfast buffets and other dinners, including the Captain’s Welcome Gala and Farewell Gala dinners, are served in the restaurant on Deck 3.

Menus, including those for the three- and four-course dinners, are bountiful and beautifully plated, both in the restaurant and on Lido Deck during Bistro evenings — special seatings of just 40 guests. One night might feature mesclun salad, broccoli soup and a choice of entrée — yellow point mackerel, Iberica pork tenderloin and a vegetarian option of stuffed potato with Creole veggies — followed by a dessert of berries mouse; another might showcase the catch of the day — fresh-caught and served that evening for the chef’s Big Fish Dinner.

I’m always happy to see soups on the lunch menu and Spirit ladled up some very tasty ones, including both a traditional and a green gazpacho. Like the soup, cold salads are a daily offering at lunch and stationed between the hot entrées and desserts and ice cream. Wine at lunch and dinner is included in the fare and selections highlight wines from Spain, Italy, France and Germany. Breakfast is an enticing array of meats, cheeses, fruits, pastries and more, accompanied by an eggs-made-to-order station.

By the time you disembark, Sea Cloud Spirit will have shown you that pura vida is less a phrase and more a feeling you carry home.

Plan your travels

Since 1979, Sea Cloud Cruises has been offering relaxed, immersive and authentic sailings with luxury five-star amenities. The legendary 1931-built Sea Cloud, her elegant sister ship, Sea Cloud II, and the modern Sea Cloud Spirit combine the traditions of classic seamanship with the ambience and luxurious charm of private yachts. With sails still raised by hand and an intimate number of guests onboard, the cruise line offers one of the most authentic and exclusive sailing experiences in the world.

In addition to Costa Rica and Central America, Sea Cloud sails to Europe, the Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean, among other destinations, and also offers transatlantic crossings. For more information, visit www.seacloud.com/en.