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THE
TRIP
PROGRAM & PROJECTS.
From October to April, the Regina Maris sails from Amsterdam across the Atlantic, through the Caribbean and Central America, and back to Europe. The young people not only spend many weeks at sea, but also discover the countries along the route off the beaten track during selected land-based projects .
Our route is deliberately not planned down to the last detail. Wind, weather, and sea conditions all play a role in determining our course and when we reach our next destination. Wherever possible, we travel under sail – because that's simply part of life on a tall ship.
Along the route, the young people will encounter around ten different land-based projects . The focus is not on visiting as many tourist attractions as possible, but rather on genuine encounters and experiences on the ground. Nature, culture, social issues, and interaction with the people in the respective countries make the journey an important part of the learning experience, even on land.
Thus, each year a journey is created with its own unique course – shaped by life at sea, the countries along the route and the people we meet along the way.
PLACES & COUNTRY PROJECTS
Our itinerary is based on past voyages and serves as a guideline. However, at sea , wind, weather, and safety determine the actual course – therefore, each voyage can unfold somewhat differently.
The land-based projects are an integral part of Nautic Horizons. At selected locations, the young people leave the Regina Maris for several days and immerse themselves in local life. They encounter people and cultures off the beaten tourist track, learn about different ways of life, and, depending on the project, participate in social, environmental, or cultural activities.
The goal is not to tick off as many places as possible. Young people should have time to truly arrive, to listen, to participate, and to understand. In this way, travel destinations become experiences, and what is learned in the classroom becomes encounters with the real world.
The safety of the young people is our highest priority, even on land. Our land-based projects are planned in collaboration with our local partners and are reviewed again before implementation to ensure that the necessary safety conditions are still in place. The young people are never alone on land, but always travel in groups of at least three and are supervised by our educational team throughout the projects.
This allows them to get to know new places and cultures as directly as possible, while traveling in a reliable and accompanied environment.
Here you can get an insight into our route and some of the land projects you can expect along the way:
🇵🇹 PORTUGAL OR SPAIN
After their initial time at sea, the first joint land-based project awaits them on the European Atlantic coast. The main focus here is on one thing above all: growing together as a group and mastering new challenges together.
Team-building activities, workshops, and shared tasks allow the young people to get to know each other in a completely different way. Sporting challenges, such as a surfing course on the Atlantic coast, can also be part of this first stage.
After the first intensive weeks on board, this stay also offers time to reflect on the experiences so far and to prepare for the upcoming Atlantic voyage.
Focus: Team building · Community · Reflection
🇪🇸 TENERIFE
Depending on weather and visibility conditions, the itinerary on Tenerife includes climbing either Mount Teide or Mount Guajara. Teide is Spain's highest mountain, while Guajara is the highest peak of the caldera wall – both offer breathtaking views and fascinating insights into the geological processes and unique volcanic landscape of the island.
You will also attend an international school, participate in classes, and make friends with local students. Together with a local guide, you will explore the island and deepen your understanding of Spanish culture.
Focus areas: Volcanism · Geography · Spanish · Student exchange
🇨🇻 Cape Verde
In Cape Verde, African and Portuguese influences meet an island world whose life is closely linked to the Atlantic Ocean.
Together with local guides, the young people explore the island and gain insights into the daily life, culture, and traditions of the local people. At the same time, the sea takes center stage: its importance for island life, the underwater world, and the protection of marine ecosystems offer numerous opportunities to directly connect classroom topics with the surrounding environment.
In this way, the young people get to know Cape Verde not only as a stopover on our Atlantic crossing, but as a habitat with its own history and culture.
Focus : Island culture · Atlantic Ocean · Marine ecosystem
🇩🇲 DOMINICA
Dominica is one of the most pristine islands in the Caribbean. Rainforest, waterfalls, and volcanic landscapes make the island itself a place of learning.
On challenging hikes, the young people, accompanied by local guides, discover places like Boiling Lake or Victoria Falls and experience the tropical nature up close. They learn more about the island's unique ecosystems and how closely nature and everyday life are intertwined in Dominica.
Encounters with local people and joint activities provide additional insights into the culture, traditions and life on the island.
Focus: Rainforest · Ecosystems · Local culture
CARIBBEAN ISLANDS WORLD
Part of what makes our trip special is that not every Caribbean stop needs to be planned months in advance. Therefore, in addition to larger islands, smaller Caribbean islands and island groups like Guadeloupe can also be part of our itinerary.
Here we take the time to get to know each island, to get in touch with local people and to perceive the cultural and landscape differences within the Caribbean.
Past years, for example, have also
Explored Aruba and got to know the Arikok National Park and the island's unique landscape.
Focus : Caribbean culture · Geography · Island worlds
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🇨🇴 COLOMBIA
One of the most intensive land projects of past trips took our young people to the Arhuaco, an indigenous people in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
For several days, the young people leave their familiar surroundings and have the opportunity to experience a daily life that is fundamentally different from their own. Encounters and shared activities provide insights into traditions, community, and the Arhuaco people's special relationship with their natural environment.
The intention is not to observe another culture from the outside. The young people should listen, ask questions, and learn to understand how differently people live, think, and shape their communities.
Focus: Indigenous cultures, society, connection to nature, intercultural encounters
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🇵🇦 PANAMA
In Panama, young people take on responsibility within a prepared framework. In small groups, they plan parts of their time, manage a set budget, and make decisions together. They receive pedagogical support and travel in groups of at least three.
A particularly special experience is the island world of San Blas. Here, the young people spend several days among small, remote islands, overnight on deserted islands, and learn about the culture and way of life of the Guna people.
Panama combines personal responsibility with an intense experience of nature and culture in the heart of the Caribbean.
Focus areas: Personal responsibility · Planning & budget · Guna culture · Nature experience
🇨🇷 COSTA RICA
Costa Rica offers a unique learning environment for topics such as biodiversity, agriculture, and sustainability.
Part of the rural project is a visit to a coffee plantation. There, the young people follow the journey of coffee from cultivation and harvesting to processing and the finished product. They learn about the importance of coffee cultivation for Costa Rica and simultaneously explore the ecological and economic issues behind a product that is an everyday staple for us at home.
Where the season and work processes allow, the young people should not only watch, but also participate and learn about individual steps in practice.
In addition, they experience the extraordinary nature of Costa Rica and, together with local partners, work on the protection of natural habitats and the question of how agriculture, biodiversity and sustainable use can be reconciled.
Focus: Coffee cultivation · Agriculture · Biodiversity · Sustainability
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🇯🇲 JAMAICA
In Jamaica, the focus is primarily on meeting local young people.
When our students visit an English-speaking school, they experience a different school day, participate in lessons, and interact with peers. Shared activities create an exchange that goes far beyond traditional language lessons.
Nature and agriculture can also be part of the stay. This gives the young people insights into different aspects of Jamaica – from everyday life to the island's scenic and cultural features.
Focus: English · Student exchange · Culture · Agriculture
CENTRAL AMERICA
In Central America, fascinating history, extraordinary natural landscapes, and diverse cultures converge. Depending on the route, the young people discover different places and have the opportunity to get to know the region far beyond the typical tourist routes.
In the past, our land projects took us to places like Mexico, where the young people explored cenotes, learned about Mayan history, and attended an international school. Other destinations in the region are also possible.
Becoming part of the journey opens up new opportunities for cultural exchange and joint projects.
Focus: History · Geography · Culture · Student exchange
🇧🇲 BERMUDA
After many weeks in the Caribbean, Bermuda marks a special stage on the way back across the Atlantic.
The archipelago is closely linked to the history of seafaring and offers the opportunity to delve deeper into maritime history, navigation and life on a remote island group in the Atlantic.
Visits to cultural and maritime institutions complement what the young people already know from their own experience at this time: life and navigation at sea.
Focus: Seafaring · Navigation · Maritime history
🇵🇹 AZORES
After several months of travel, a very special challenge awaits in the Azores.
First, the young people experience the volcanic landscape of the archipelago – for example, during hikes on Pico or Faial. Then, nature itself becomes a learning environment.
During our 24-hour wilderness project, the young people spend a day and a night in nature with limited equipment. They organize their site, build suitable shelter, and learn how to manage with the available resources.
The project is prepared jointly and takes place in a pedagogically supervised and safety-secured framework.
The aim is not to create the most extreme situations possible, but to apply existing knowledge, make decisions and experience a completely different form of learning.
Focus: Wilderness · Self-organization · Volcanic landscape · Nature experience
🇪🇺 THE FINAL STAGE
After the stay in the Azores, the final leg of the six-month voyage begins. Depending on the wind and course, the Regina Maris may call at Ireland, England, France, Belgium, or another port in the Netherlands.
The young people will have another opportunity to explore new places together and enjoy the last weeks of their trip before the Regina Maris finally sets course for Amsterdam.
After six months full of shared experiences, this leg marks the end of a special time on board – and the last nautical miles of a journey that will be remembered for a long time.
Focus: Europe · joint conclusion · final stage
