(507)6429-8163
Panama Multi-Sport Adventure
information@senderopanama.com
10 Days & 9 Nights
This
itinerary is designed with adventure seekers in mind. Discover Panama’s culture, nature and history
while having fun exercising your body and spirit!
Day
1
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
Boquete Mountain Biking
First thing in the morning 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. This
area is ideal for mountain biking and today we’ll enjoy a 25 kilometer
downhill biking trip, coasting through lush vegetation and local farms
experiencing the region's spectacular scenery.
This
afternoon we’ll 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.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day
3
White Water Rafting
The
province Chiriqui has the tallest mountains in Panama and some of the countries
longest rivers including the Rio Chiriqui and the Chiriqui Viejo. Whitewater rafting on these rivers is
exhilarating and world renown for easily accessible, non-stop, Class III-IV
rapids. The steep canyons and thick
jungle provide a breathtaking setting for the adrenalin packed trip. Along the way we’ll stop and swim in the many
swimming holes and at mid-day enjoy a riverside picnic lunch.
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
4
Hiking Los Quetzales Trail
This morning we’ll depart early from
Boquete to the trailhead of the Sendero de los Quetzales Located within the Volcan Baru
National Park. By beginning the hike
from Cerro Punta we’ll walk the six mile trail that slopes downhill finishing
in Boquete. Along the way we’ll have the
opportunity to appreciate our beautiful surroundings, look for the resplendent
quetzal, and enjoy a picnic lunch under the canopy of this tropical cloud
forest.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day
5
Boquete Tree Trek and Bocas Del Toro
This morning we’ll take the
skies using the same technology that botanists and naturalists utilize to
observe and study the behaviors of wildlife in their natural habitat. Gliding through the treetops of century-old
forests, this vantage allows one to view the natural landscape with its pristine
rivers and waterfalls from a different perspective as we move through the
canopy bordering La Amistad National Park and Volcan Baru.
After
a lunch prepared with fresh, organic, local ingredients 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.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day
6
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 7
Kayaking Changuinola Canal
This morning we head to the opposite
side of Isla Colon to explore Sea Star Beach and kayak. At Sea Star Beach one can get up close and
personal with the beautiful pin cushion sea star. Next we’ll kayak the Changuinola Canal
initially dug by the United Fruit Company where one can find many species birds
in the now abandoned and peaceful canal used primarily by the local farmers
that live on its banks. At lunch time
we’ll head to Yarisnori Restaurant which serves up some of the best food in the
islands. After lunch we’ll return to our
hotel for a quick shower and to collect our belongings for the trip back to
Panama.
Upon arrival to Panama we’ll visit The Miraflores
Visitor Center, an expression of the permanent commitment of the Panama Canal
Authority to strengthen the public’s knowledge of the Canal. Located on the
east side of the Miraflores Locks, the CVM allows the visitor to observe
transiting vessels from a distance of only a few meters and learn firsthand
about the various operations of the Panama Canal, the history of its
construction, its participation in the world markets, and the importance of its
watershed. From the observation
platform, you’ll watch in awe as ocean-going ships are tendered through huge
locks with only inches to spare.
Meals Included: B, L, D.
Day
8
Chagres River and Emberá Indians
Today we tone it down; however, 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
Ancient and
Modern Panama
Since
one cannot visit Panama without seeing the city our last day of this itinerary
will be spent exploring ancient and modern Panama. But we promise this day will include a lot of
walking, or as we like to call it “urban hiking.”
First
we’ll explore the ruins of Old Panama founded in 1519 and the first Spanish
settlement on the Pacific side of the Americas.
This ancient city of Panama was the gateway for Peru’s gold and silver
and the silks of the Orient. Our guide will lead us on an exploration of what
remains of the cities original convents and seminaries, which were looted and
destroyed by pirates in 1671.
Our
next stop will be the Seafood and Farmers market of Panama City. The waters off
the coast of Panama on the Pacific side are rich in seafood. The fishermen come
in daily and sell their catches to wholesalers who buy the entire load. The
wholesalers then turn around and resell the fish to retailers who sell it to
the general public. The stands in the seafood market are retailers who sell to
the general public. After viewing the
local produce and seafood, we will head upstairs to the Restaurant de Mariscos
for a lunch at one the best places to eat local cuisine
with the locals. After lunch we
will head back to the Hotel for a much deserved rest.
In
the afternoon we will visit Casco
Antiguo, The historic center of Panama City. It 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.
Time
permitting we’ll visit 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 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.