Panama Discovery

We invite you to discover this unspoiled country filled with natural and cultural riches with a legacy that has shaped the world’s history.

Day 1
Arrive Panama City

On arrival in Panama City, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Day 2
Embera People on Gatun River – Panama Canal Expansion –Train Ride

Depart on a 1.5 hour drive across the Isthmus towards Colon for a cultural visit an Embera indigenous village on the shores of the Gatun River. You will board a motorized piragua (dugout canoe) and travel through lush forest to the community. Along the river you may be able to spot Little Blue and Green Heron, Great Egret, Anhingas, Neotropical Cormorant, Amazon, Ringed, and Green Kingfishers, along with Keel-billed Toucans and Ospreys flying above. At the Embera village you will be greeted with dancing and music. Learn about Embera customs and their relationship with nature. There will be handcrafts available for sale and you will have a chance to be painted with the traditional jagua, a natural dye the Embera use to adorn their bodies. Enjoy a traditional lunch prepared by the indigenous women which usually consists of fried fish and plantains, accompanied by fresh fruits and snacks.

This afternoon, a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience history in the making by observing close-up the Panama Canal Expansion works on the new Gatun Locks. Panama embarked on a major project to expand the Panama Canal a decade ago. The US$6.25 billion project will give the waterway the needed competitive advantage to operate successfully for at least another century. The Panama Canal celebrated its 100th anniversary on August 15, 2014.

Return to Panama City on the Trans-Isthmian train. The railway follows a similar route as the original train built to transport 49ers coming from the East coast of the United States across the Isthmus to continue their journey by boat to California during the Gold Rush. The route was diverted when Gatun Lake was formed to give way to the Panama Canal. After a 1 hour train ride you will be transferred to your city hotel early evening. BLD

Day 3
Panama Canal Jungle Boat Adventure – Miraflores Locks – Chiriqui

Early in the morning you will be picked up by your Naturalist Guide and transferred to the town of Gamboa, on the Panama Canal, where you will board a specially equipped expedition boat. The voyage takes you across Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal passing by gigantic cargo ships transiting the waterway and making contrast with the natural surroundings. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to spot Green Iguana and Three-toed Sloth resting on tree branches, crocodile, Osprey in the hunt for Peacock Bass, Snail Kite and Keel-billed Toucan among other species. The expedition boat will allow for close approaches to rainforest covered islands in Gatun Lake to search for White-faced Capuchin, Howler Monkey, Spider Monkey and the endemic Red-napped Tamarin. Enjoy the extraordinary views of the Panama Canal and the natural surroundings followed by a picnic lunch in a private garden in Gamboa town. From here you head to the Panama Canal visitors Centre at Miraflores Locks, where you will learn about the canal’s history, operation and expansion work currently underway. Enjoy a close-up view of the locks and ships in motion. In the afternoon fly from Albrook domestic airport to David, the capital of the Chiriqui province. Chiriqui is known as “Panama’s breadbasket” and contains some of the most breathtaking highland scenery in Central America. Transfer by van to the eastern side of the dormant Baru Volcano to the quaint town of Boquete with its countryside dotted with flower, fruit and vegetable farms, coffee plantations and extraordinary cloud forest environments. BLD

Day 4
Cloud Forest Canopy Ziplining – Coffee Tour

This morning you will take a cloud forest canopy tree trek on a zipline which allows you to contemplate the rainforest from fourteen different canopy platforms while smoothly soaring in the heights of the cloud forest from one treetop to another. Discover a fascinating perspective of wildlife that you had never appreciated. Native species of flora and fauna can be observed. Marvel at the sight of a great variety of orchids, trees and wildflowers that are found throughout the area. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

This afternoon you have an interactive experience in the highlands of Boquete. Sr. Tito´s Finca La Milagrosa in the Jaramillo region is one of the most respected and 100% organic coffee producers in the country. This small farm is not meant for large productions, and Mr. Tito’s specialty coffee is only destined for exportation to Europe and the United States. When Mr. Tito took over this farm from his father 30 years ago, he started without any machines or even coffee plants, and produced his first roasting machines with used pieces of his old Mitsubishi car, and even some computer pieces! Return to your hotel this afternoon. B L D

Day 5
Waterfall Nature Walk – Continental Divide – Bocas del Toro

La Amistad is a bi-national park stretching from Costa Rica into Panama, a small portion of which extends into the Chiriqui province encompassing mostly cloud forests. Here, the land rises in excess of 1,500m and warm air ascends the mountains where it meets with cooler air and condenses into a persistent cloud cover. Cloud forests exhibit a unique ecosystem with an astonishing diversity of flora and fauna. Towering trees reach towards the sun to form a canopy which creates a cool, shadowed, misty underworld on the forest floor.  It is noisy with the sounds of numerous insects, birds, and frogs but it is difficult to see them because of the ferns, tree ferns and epiphytes that crowd the lower and middle strata of the forest. During the 4-5 kilometre nature walk you will reach up to 1,700m where you can take a refreshing swim in the waterfall.  Water drips from spongy mosses that cover tree trunks, from bromeliads that attach themselves to every cranny on the trees, and from flower petals perched high in the canopy of the forest. Around midday enjoy a lunch at a local restaurant in Boquete before you continue on a approx. 3.5 hour drive to Almirante, Bocas del Toro. Enr oute across the Continental Divide, and stop at Fortuna Dam. You will be crossing the Palo Seco protected area which serves as buffer zone to La Amistad International Park. The transition from the cloud forests to the coral reefs of Bocas del Toro in the Caribbean Sea will be impressive. In Almirante you are met by your boat and transferred to Isla Colon. You have ample time to enjoy the hammocks on the upstairs deck or mingle with the locals in the small friendly town. BLD

Day 6
Salt Creek Village – Bastimentos Marine National Park

Depart by boat from the Bocas Inn traversing the expanse of Bastimentos National Park, Panama’s first marine national park. Reach Salt Creek by navigating through clusters of Red Mangroves, which provide sea creatures with a protective area during their reproductive and development stages. Upon arrival you first enjoy a walk along Cayman Trail. This trail takes you through several stages of lowland forest dynamics. Here, you will look for birds such as Red-throated Ant Tanager and Golden-collared Manakin (Cerritus sub sp.). Mammals such as Night Monkeys, White-faced Capuchins and Three-toed Sloths also live here. An older tract of rainforest has tall trees that provide life to birds such as the Three-wattled Bellbird and Green-breasted Mango. A nearby lagoon is home to Spectacled Cayman and Slider Turtle. On the ground, look for the tiny endemic poison dart frog Oophaga pumilio. After the hike, enjoy a visit to the indigenous community and a chance to purchase handicrafts such as painted woodcarvings and Ngobe handbags, followed by lunch. In the afternoon, snorkel among mangroves and coral reefs, searching for numerous fish species, as well as dynamic and brightly colored sea fans, sponges and brittle starfish. BLD

Day 7
Boca del Drago – Panama City

Early morning,  take a boat ride to Boca del Drago around Isla Colon. Weather permitting, visit Swan’s Cay, a rock protruding from the depths of the Caribbean Sea, which serves as rookery for Red-billed tropic birds (the only place to be found in Panama) and Brown boobies. Along the coastline, returning to the lodge, stop at coral reefs and mangrove isles for snorkeling. Back to the lodge for lunch and on to the airport return flight to Panama City. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance from your hotel. BLD

Day 8
Depart Panama

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. B

Photo top page  Ian Espinosa on Unsplash.