Short cuts: Belmond’s new Britannic Explorer train unveiled, plus a $24mn treasure-hunting dive off Panama

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Diving The UK-based tour operator Pelorus is known for its highly adventurous — and highly expensive — itineraries, but its latest trip could see guests returning home richer than they set out. The company is offering four people the chance to join a treasure-hunting team as they search for a French frigate, the Maurepas, which sank off Panama’s San Blas islands in 1699. It is believed to have been carrying gold, silver and jewels worth an estimated $24mn, a gift from Charles II of Spain to France’s Louis XIV, to help fund his conflicts against England.

Now, the Guna people who live in the region have agreed to allow a salvage team called Deep Blue Explorers to search the area. Pelorus’s guests will accompany them on a week-long trip between now and November, spending their time diving, scanning the seabed using magnetometers and meeting members of the Guna community.

If the treasure is found, 70 per cent of the proceeds will be given to the Guna, but each of Pelorus’s guests will receive a 1.48 per cent share, as well as $25,000 for taking part in a documentary being made about the search. That could add up to $380,000, which, even after deductions to cover sales fees and the $185,000 per person price of the week-long trip, could — potentially — leave a decent profit. pelorustravel.com

Trains The Britannic Explorer, the latest in Belmond’s collection of private trains, was unveiled this week at London’s Euston station and will go into service later this month. The train, the only luxury sleeper in England and Wales, will operate three- and six-night itineraries to Cornwall and the Lake District, as well as a loop round Wales that takes in Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire.

It includes 18 cabins, an onboard spa, bar and two restaurant carriages serving menus created by Simon Rogan, whose Cumbrian restaurant L’Enclume has three Michelin stars. Interiors are the work of London-based studio Albion Nord, in collaboration with designers including FT contributor Luke Edward Hall.

Off the train, guests will be offered experiences such as sailing and seaside yoga in Cornwall, wild swimming in the Lake District and hikes and art classes in Wales. Including the Britannic Explorer, Belmond, which was acquired by luxury group LVMH in 2019, now operates seven trains, including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and the Andean Explorer in Peru. The new train’s maiden voyage will depart from London Victoria on July 21 heading for Wales; three nights, based on two people sharing a cabin, costs from £6,300 per person. belmond.com

Hiking Ordnance Survey, the UK’s national mapping agency, is asking walkers to provide live updates to its online maps to help warn others of fallen trees, angry bulls, muddy bogs and other hazards. The new “community alerts” feature lets users of the OS app mark potential dangers; later users who pass the same spot can report if the obstacle is still there or has been removed, in which case the annotation will be deleted.

OS says the system is “self-policing”, but alerts can only be left when the app user is physically close to the site they are reporting. Given the discrepancies between OS maps and the on-the-ground reality in popular walking destinations such as the Lake District, the “no visible footpath” alert could be well used over the summer. osmaps.com

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