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Highlights
of Panama
9 Days & 8 Nights
Explore the best of Panama’s wildlife, history, and
culture as you travel throughout the country with our local naturalists and
interpretive guides.
Arrival to Panama
Upon arrival to Panama the
group will be met in the Tocumen International airport by your interpretive
guide and escorted to your hotel. This
evening we will host a “Get Acquainted” event with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres,
and a tour briefing.
Day 2
The Panama Canal and Panama City
One cannot visit Panama and at least do a
partial transit of the canal. This morning we will board a ship designed
exactly for visitors wanting to experience what every ship transiting the canal
goes through. It will be an
unforgettable experience as our boat is raised and lowered through two sets of
locks, Miraflores and Pedro Miguel, and transits the infamous Gaillard Cut.
Roughly 5 percent of the world’s commercial trade transits the Panama
Canal. The entire transit is narrated by
an expert explaining the history, engineering, and execution of the canal.
In the early afternoon we
disembark and set off to explore the city of Panama. Casco
Antiguo, the historic center of Panama City is a quiet, charming
district of narrow streets overlooked by the flower bedecked balconies of two
and three-story houses. At its tip lies French Park, a monument to the French
builders who began the Panama Canal, and the lovely French Embassy. As we
meander through the area we will see the remaining ruins of the convents and
seminaries, the famous Flat Arch, which reportedly helped convince engineers
that Panama was earth-quake-proof and the beautiful Cathedral with its mother
of pearl covered spires.
Afterwards we’ll make a
stop at the former YMCA which now houses the local artisans market. The Artisan
Market in Panama City is a warren of wonderful little stalls and stores where
it is possible to find, under one roof, all of the local arts and crafts. The
mola, made by the Kuna Indians, is an intricately stitched and overlaid piece
of fabric that can be used for many purposes.
The tagua nut is a collectible item that is delicately carved and
painted to resemble many of the local wildlife of Panama. Beadwork and Embera
baskets abound.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day 3
The Wild Side of the Panama Canal
This day tour combines
the thrill of encountering wildlife in their natural habitats while passing in
the shadows of the mammoth cargo ships transiting the Panama Canal. Gatun
Lake, with a surface area of 423 square-kilometers, was created in 1914 as the main
waterway for the canal and contains many small islands (former hilltops) that
provide protected natural habitats for many of the animals that live in the
region. With all the rivers in the surrounding watershed area flowing
into this reservoir, which provides the 52 million gallons required per
lockage, this is a highly protected region. Without the healthy
rainforest of the watershed land, over 500,000 hectares, the canal could not
function. Healthy rainforest provides good habitats, and therefore these
forest are teaming with wildlife.
From the comfort of our expedition boat which allows shoreline access to
the rainforest covered islands we will search for white-faced capuchin, mantled
howler monkey, central american spider monkey, and Geoffrey’s tamarin. We are
likely to spot green iguana and three-toed sloth resting on tree branches,
crocodile napping on beaches, osprey hunting for peacock bass, snail kite, and
keel-billed toucan. At mid-day, we will enjoy a picnic lunch on a small island
with extraordinary views of the Panama Canal and the natural surroundings.
This afternoon we’ll board
a plane for the short flight to the Chiriqui highlands where we’ll embrace the
mild climate of this beautiful mountainous region surrounded by cloud forest
and coffee fincas.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day 4
Cerro Punta, Parque Internacional La Amistad (PILA)
and Finca Dracula
Often referred to as the
“bread basket” of Panama, this fertile region flanking the steep hillsides of
Volcan Baru produces much of the local produce consumed throughout the country.
Today we’ll spend the morning walking the trails of the international park,
PILA, that shares its over 400,000 hectares of land with Costa Rica, creating a
unique biological corridor.
After lunch we’ll visit a
local farm to learn about the unique techniques utilized to farm this
mountainous region and the efforts taken to promote organic farming practices.
The rest of our afternoon will be spent visiting Finca Dracula Orchid Farm.
Named after a rare genus of orchids, the Dracula, the collection here exceeds
2,200 different species.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day 5
Finca Lerida Coffee Finca and Nature Reserve
This morning we will get up
with the birds for a walk along the trails at Finca Lerida’s natural reserve
with its variety
of trees producing the aguacatillo fruit and year-round quetzales. Among the many other highland species of
birds found here, this private nature reserve is a unique place to study and
experience the cloud forest environment and to discover the flora and fauna
hidden within.
After a lunch prepared with fresh, organic,
local ingredients we’ll enjoy an in
depth interactive coffee tour for those interested in learning more about
coffee, which includes a tour of the coffee plants, the processing plant, the
coffee cupping and coffee roasting facilities Considered the equivalent of
Napa Valley for coffees, Boquete produces some of the best highland coffees
of Panama.
This evening we have
the opportunity to explore the town of Boquete with its shops, cafes, and art
galleries.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day 6
Ngobe Indigenous, Bocas Del Toro, and Sea Star Beach
After breakfast we'll make
the scenic drive over the Talamanca mountain range from Chiriqui to the
province of Bocas Del Toro where along the way we’ll visit the Ngobe indigenous
village of Silico Creek. Here we’ll see
how the organic cocoa is grown and processed into chocolate. Once we reach the town of Almirante on the
shores of the Caribbean we’ll take a boat ride from mainland Panama to the archipelago
of Bocas Del Toro. After checking into
our hotel and a lunch of local cuisine we head to the opposite side of Isla
Colon to explore Sea Star Beach, bask in the tropical sun on a white sand
beach, and swim in the warm turquoise waters.
At Sea Star Beach one can get up close and personal with the beautiful
pin cushion sea star.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day 7
Bastimentos National Park
This day is spent exploring
both the terrestrial and under water wonders of Bastimentos National Park. First we visit Salt Creek, another Ngobe
village, where we’ll be greeted by our local guide Salino, who will lead us
through his nature trail where we have the opportunity to see sloths, monkeys,
including the western night monkey, birds, Caymans, and the famous red
strawberry frog, a poison dart frog that lives on the island. Lunch will be enjoyed at a restaurant by the
sea, built on stilts out over the water.
With a full stomach we’ll head for a short on respite on Red Frog Beach
where one can lie in sun or take a swim in the Caribbean. The afternoon will be spent snorkeling Tino’s
reef and sponge garden and Solarte Gardens which are teaming with tropical fish
and multiple varieties of coral and sponges..
Meals Included: B, L, D.
Day 8
Chagres River and Emberá Indians
This is a perfect
opportunity to visit an indigenous village in the midst of a wonderful natural
setting that supports the harmony of their lifestyle and traditions. Early in
the morning guests are picked up at their hotel and transferred to Port El
Corotu on the shores of Madden Lake, the main reservoir of drinking water for
the cities of Panama and Colon. Madden Lake also supplies 40% of the water
required for the operation of the Panama Canal. Here, we board a motorized
piragua (dugout canoe) and travel up the Chagres River to the Embera indigenous
village of Embera Drua or Tusipono. The
boat journey takes us through the rainforest of the 320,000-acre Chagres
National Park, which is the largest of the National Parks protecting the Panama
Canal Watershed.
At the Embera village we
will be greeted with dancing and music. We will learn about Embera customs and
their relationship with nature. There will be handcrafts available for sale and
we will have a chance to be painted with the traditional jagua, a natural dye
the Embera use to adorn their bodies. After a lunch of fish, plantain, and
fresh fruit served in traditional style by the Embera, we visit the nearby
waterfall where we can take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Chagres River
before heading back to Panama City.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day 9
Coast to Coast
Portobelo, San Lorenzo, and The Panama Canal Railroad
This morning we head out on
the newly opened Isthmian highway for the town and forts of Portobello. Famous for its trade fairs during the 17th
century, Portobelo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During colonial times it
was one of the most important strongholds of the Spanish Main in the Americas.
We will visit Forts San Geronimo and Santiago de la Gloria as well as the
Church of San Felipe famous for its black Christ. After strolling through the ruins of
Portobello we will board a small boat that will take us to a hidden Caribbean
beach where we can swim, sunbathe, and enjoy a picnic lunch. Mid afternoon we’ll begin to make our way to
the city of Colon to where we board the train for the one hour ride across the
isthmus to Panama City. The train 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.
The route was diverted when
Gatun Lake was formed to give way to the Panama Canal. The train ride will take
us along the magnificent waterway to the west and flanked by the exuberant
rainforests of Soberania National Park to the east.
Meals Included: B, L, D.
Day 10
Panama Departure
Today we’ll say “hasta
luego” to this enchanting country and return home, where you’ll be eager to
share your incredible Panama and the Panama Canal experiences.
Meals Included: B
Each departure itinerary may vary slightly.
Although the day in which a stop is listed may differ, you will enjoy the same
experiences listed here.