(507)6429-8163
Unpack Your Bags & Stay
A While
information@senderopanama.com
8 Days & 7 Nights
One amazing quality that
makes Panama so unique is that from one location in Panama City travelers can
enjoy so much of this beautiful country and its culture and nature without
having to change hotels. If you are the type
of traveler that likes to check into to one hotel, unpack your bags, and
venture out, then this is the tour for you.
Day 1
Arrival to Panama
Upon arrival to Panama the
group will be met in the Tocumen International airport by the Tour Leader and
an interpretive guide and escorted to the Country Inn and Suites located on the
Panama Canal. From your hotel, guests enjoy spectacular views of the giant
cargo ships and the Bridge of the Americas that links North and Central America
with South America. This evening we will host a “Get Acquainted” event with
cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a tour briefing.
Day
2
Ancient and Modern Panama City
Now that you are acquainted
with your travel mates, let’s get acquainted with Panama! We’ll first 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.
Dinner will be provided at
the hotel.
Meals Included: B,L, D.
Day 3
Panama Canal Zone.
This day will be dedicated
to the engineering marvel that is the Panama Canal. In the morning we will visit the former US
Canal Zone, first exploring the area which houses the now vacant U.S. Army and
Naval bases. Then we move on to the
Panama Canal Administration Building to see the magnificent 360-degree murals
depicting the monumental effort to build the canal.
Before lunch 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.
Lunch will be enjoyed at an
ocean-side restaurant of Mi Ranchito located on Flamenco Island and the Amador
Causeway. After lunch we will return to
the hotel for short break before heading out to the Miraflores Visitor’s
Center.
The Miraflores Visitor
Center is 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.
Dinner will be provided at
the hotel.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day 4
The Panama Canal:
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
return to our hotel for free afternoon to spend at your leisure.
This evening, we’ll return to Panama City for
a wonderful dinner out on the town.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day 5
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.
After a nice break at the hotel, we will
visit Mi Pueblito Interiorano, an exact replica of a small, Panamanian,
interior town at the turn of the century.
This replica includes government offices, shops, a school and a tiny
church surround a cobblestone plaza, complete with fountain. There is also a
museum is devoted to the pollera, Panama's national dress.
Dinner will be provided at the hotel.
Meals Included: B, L, D
Day 6
From Coast to Coast
Portobello, the Caribbean Sea, 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.
Dinner will be provided at the hotel
Meals Included: B, L, D.
Day 7
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.
Tonight we bid farewell at
local restaurant in Casco Antiguo
Meals Included: B, L, D.
Day 8
Panama Departure
Today we’ll say farewell 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.