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| Panama: The Canal, Highlands and Islands
An 8-Day tour starting from $3,098
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| About This Tour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| An incredible journey of discovery is yours everywhere you venture throughout this diverse isthmus. Days are filled with spectacular walks in varied ecosystems—home to 960 indigenous bird species. Panama is a marvel—a country of relatively small size but with a wealth of natural assets. It boasts a stunning landscape and vibrant wildlife, as well as a rich cultural heritage. You traverse the famed Panama Canal waters looking for red-napped tamarins, take invigorating walks in cloudforests searching for the elusive quetzal, and explore the underwater world of the Caribbean Sea in all its teeming brilliance. A rainforest resort, a highland lodge, and a charming seaside inn highlight this region’s breathtaking beauty and enhance your experience on and off the trail. |
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• Experienced, friendly and knowledgeable guides
• All transportation while on tour • All accommodations while on tour including a rainforest resort, cozy highland inn, and charming seaside lodge • All meals included except one dinner; alcoholic beverages not included
DAY 1
Arrival
Upon arriving at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City you transfer to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. If you arrive with time to explore, we recommend taking a ride up the resort’s aerial tram accompanied by a naturalist guide. The evening is yours to relax and enjoy the beautiful property. You can savor dinner at one of the wonderful restaurant choices offered at the resort. Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Gamboa DAY 2 Pipeline Road, Soberania National Park; 3-4 miles, 2-3 hours; Panama Canal rainforest boat adventure This morning you meet your naturalist guide in the lobby after breakfast. You walk to the town of Gamboa, home to the Panama Canal’s dredging division and continue on to Soberania National Park’s world-renowned Pipeline Road, where you spend the day walking. This is the site of the Audubon Society’s 1996 famous world Christmas Bird Count, when more than 500 species of birds were identified in a period of 24 hours. During World War II, a pipeline was built along the Panama Canal to transport fuel from one ocean to the other in the event the waterway was attacked. Fortunately, it was never used. Today, the road built to maintain the pipeline provides excellent access to primary rainforests within Soberania National Park, one of the essential supports underlying the working and conservation of the Panama Canal. The moist forests of Soberania are its main feature, with impressive examples of the Ceiba tree (Kapok tree), royal palms, and wild plum—the fruit of which feed many of the the birds and mammals living here. Only 45 minutes from Panama City, Soberania’s 293,000 acres are home to some 525 species of birds, including the black-cheeked woodpecker, broad-billed motmot, blue cotinga, and a great array of migrants (during the North American winter months). Soberania is also home to 105 species of mammals, including large felines, tamandua, two- and three-toed sloth, four species of monkeys, agouti, some of which are listed as endangered species, and 59 endemic plant species in four life zones. Following the walk, you board a specially equipped expedition boat and depart on an adventure that includes a voyage across Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal. As you ply the canal, you pass enormous cargo ships transiting the waterway—an intriguing contrast with the lush natural surroundings. Along the way, you may spot green iguanas resting on tree branches, crocodiles, ospreys hunting for peacock bass, snail kites, and keel-billed toucans among other species. The expedition boat brings you close to rainforest-covered islands in Gatun Lake, where you might spy intriguing animals in the forest canopy—the indigenous red-napped tamarin, white-faced capuchin, and howler monkey. You take in the extraordinary views of the Panama Canal and the natural surroundings while enjoying a picnic lunch on an island nearby. You return to your resort by mid-afternoon with plenty of time to relax or explore some of the surrounding 20 acres of rainforest. This evening a delightful dinner is served at the hotel. Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Gamboa DAY 3 Metropolitan Nature Park and Historic Panama City; 3-4 miles, 4-5 hours; transfer to Chiriqui Highlands Early this morning you check out from your resort and head for the Metropolitan Nature Park, located within Panama City limits. Metro Park boasts an amazing variety of wildlife, and it is the only protected nature area within city limits in the region. You have the privilege of riding on the Smithsonian’s rainforest canopy research crane, made available under special permit. After a short hike on the park’s trails, you drive to Casco Viejo, the colonial section of the city. Here you walk the cobblestone streets and enjoy lunch. This afternoon you explore the ruins of Old Panama. Panama City was the first European settlement established along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Today this historic site dating back to the early 1500s is living testament to the Spanish colonial era. Later you transfer to the Albrook Domestic Airport, where you board the one-hour scheduled flight to David, capital of Chiriqui province, in western Panama. Chiriqui is known as “Panama's breadbasket” and boasts some of the most breathtaking highland scenery in Central America. From the airport in David you transfer one hour to Boquete, a charming mountain town located in a valley on the eastern foothills of Baru Volcano. You are welcomed to your home for the next two nights at the lovely family owned Finca Lerida, a privately preserve in Boquete, in the buffer zone of the Baru Volcano National Park. Finca Lerida, Boquete DAY 4 Chiriqui Highlands - Baru Volcano National Park; 5-7 miles, 4-5 hours Following a fresh breakfast, you set off on the day’s walk through the scenic valley below Baru Volcano, the highest peak of the country at 11,400 feet above sea level. The route leads into the cloudforests of Baru Volcano National Park, and you make several stops along the way to enjoy the views of the beautiful Boquete valley and search the skies and tree canopies for the elusive resplendent quetzal. A landscape of rolling hills on country roads unfolds, the route lined with coffee and other produce fields. A picnic lunch is served on the trail, and you relish the mild temperatures for which this area is known. The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy, perhaps exploring the small, quaint town of Boquete or taking advantage of the beautiful grounds at the hotel. Finca Lerida, Boquete DAY 5 Finca Lerida; 3 hours - Continental Divide. Transfer to Bocas Del Toro (3 ½ hour drive, ½ hour boat ride) This morning you explore the Finca. At an elevation of 7,500 feet, the area offers a great opportunity to continue your search for the resplendent quetzal as well as the three-wattled bellbird, volcano hummingbird, and long-tailed silky-flycatcher in their cool habitat of orchids, bromeliads, and wild avocados. You hike through lush vegetation and return to the Collin’s coffee farm in time for a delicious lunch. You return to the hotel and prepare for a 3 ½-hour drive to Almirante, Bocas del Toro. En route across the Continental Divide, you view spectacular waterfalls and scenery along the way. As you cross the Palo Seco protected area that serves as a buffer zone to La Amistad International Park on the Costa Rican border, you are, again, struck by natural contrasts as the cloudforests yield to the coral reefs of Bocas del Toro in the Caribbean Sea. In Almirante you are met by your boat and transferred to Colon Island. Upon check-in at the Bocas Inn, you are served a tropical cocktail. Afterwards, you have ample time to take a dip in the warm waters of the Caribbean, enjoy the hammocks on the upstairs deck, or mingle with the locals in the small, friendly town which is walking distance from your new home. Bocas Inn, Bocas Del Toro DAY 6 Bastimentos Marine National Park; snorkeling, easy This morning you travel by boat to Bastimentos Marine National Park. You spend the morning on the water, snorkeling along coral reefs in the stunning company of queen angels, blueheads, french angelfish, and four-eyed butterfly fish. You also snorkel along an archipelago of tiny clearwater mangrove islands where marine inhabitants are protected during their infant stages. After a picnic lunch with local hosts, you spend the afternoon enjoying more snorkeling through the coral reefs at Solarte Gardens, leaving time to relax on pristine white sand beaches. You may opt to play in the waves or take a stroll down the endless beach. Bocas Inn, Bocas Del Toro DAY 7 Chagres River and the Embera Drua; full day cultural tour This morning you fly to Panama City (one-hour flight). Upon arrival you transfer to El Corotu on the shores of Madden Lake. Here you board a motorized piragua (dugout canoe) and travel up the Chagres River to the Embera indigenous village of Embera Drua. The boat journey takes you through the rainforest of the 320,000-acre Chagres National Park, which is the largest of the National Parks protecting the Panama Canal Watershed. Along the Chagres River, you may be able to spot little blue and green heron, great and keel-billed toucans, and osprey flying above. At the Embera village you are greeted with dancing and music. You learn about Embera customs and their relationship with nature. After a picnic lunch you walk to the nearby waterfall where you can swim in the crystal-clear waters of the Chagres River before returning to Panama City. This evening a farewell dinner is served at a local restaurant in Bella Vista, within walking distance of your hotel. Miramar Intercontinental Hotel, Panama City DAY 8 Departure You meet in the lobby of the hotel 2 ½ - hours prior to your scheduled departure flight and transfer to the Tocumen International Airport. Itinerary Changes Please bear in mind that this is a typical itinerary, and the actual walks and sites may vary due to season, special events, or weather. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary since tour arrangements are made up to a year in advance, and unforeseen circumstances that mandate change may arise. Itinerary changes are made to improve the tour and your experience.
Tour Highlights:
• Diverse fauna and flora • Varied ecosystems- rainforest, cloudforest, volcanic foothills, seacoast • Colonial historic sites and mountain villages • Snorkeling around coral reefs and mangrove islands • Boat excursion on the Panama Canal • Rainforest resort, seafront lodge, and inns Walk Ratings • Easy to moderate terrain • 3-6 hours of walking per day with with occasional options All tour prices are per person, in US dollars, based on double occupancy.
Single Supplement $650 |
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| Note: All prices are per person, double occupancy, subject to availability. These pages are not endorsed or supported by the tour operator in any way. All information presented is based on promotional material provided by the tour operator. All prices, itineraries, accommodations and dates are subject to change without notice and at any time by the tour operators. Availability is limited and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. The prices on this website are not guaranteed. We are not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes in pricing. Please call us toll free at 1-800-942-3301 to confirm availability and pricing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
