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
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
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.
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. This afternoon, after
freshening up at the hotel, we'll take a short flight back to Panama City.
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
The Ruins of Portobelo, the Black Christ, & 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.
