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 Chiriqui province 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.
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.
