Panama Nature and Wildlife

Day 1: Bienvenidos a Panama

After passing through Customs, you will exit through the Doors to the Left and be greeted by a Tour Representative who will be holding a sign with your name on it.  You will then be transferred to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort.

Night at Gamboa Rainforest Resort – Deluxe River View Room with Balcony and Hammock

Day 2: Panama Rainforest Discovery

The Ammo Dump Ponds are a small wetland located just past Gamboa on the way to Pipeline Road.  It is the best place to see the elusive White-throated Crake, as well as a host of other water birds.  Least Grebes and Purple Gallinules are common, and Rufescent Tiger-Heron and American Pygmy-Kingfisher are also resident.

Pipeline Road, the best place in Central Panama to find forest birds, and one of the premier birding spots in the world!  This morning we concentrate our efforts at the beginning of Pipeline, where we will look for Greater Ani, Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Masked Tityra, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, and many other others.

The Panamá Rainforest Discovery Center, which is an ecotourism and environmental education facility located off Pipeline Road adjacent to Soberanía National Park.  The center contains several attractions, the best of which is a 100-foot-tall observation tower, with 4 rest platforms—each stopping at a different layer of the rainforest.

Night at Gamboa Rainforest Resort – Deluxe River View Room with Balcony and Hammock (B)

Day 3: Barro Colorado Nature Monument

Barro Colorado Island is located in the middle of Lake Gatun, which was formed by the damming of the Rio Chagres and the flooding of this jungle covered area. It is managed by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), which administers a world- renowned research facility here.

The boat ride across Gatún Lake takes between 45 minutes to an hour and presents a wonderful opportunity to see a panoramic view of the Canal waterway and its spectacular forested shoreline. Once you arrive at Barro Colorado you will have time to prepare for a walk along one of our interpretative nature trails, whether on the Island itself or on one of the peninsulas. The trails are about 2Km long and may be quite steep, but you will stop frequently, having time to rest and enjoy the sights, and to learn more about the natural history of the place.

Night at Gamboa Rainforest Resort – Deluxe River View Room with Balcony and Hammock (BL)

Day 4: Gamboa Rainforest Expedition

Experience the verdant rainforest of Gamboa from within, ascending some 280 feet from the shadowy forest floor, through the dense undergrowth and up to the sun drenched canopy with its thousand shades of green that are only interrupted by the vibrant colors of flowering trees. Once at the top, you will have the opportunity to climb our observation tower where you will have uninterrupted views of the vast rainforest of Soberania National Park while and the opportunity to watch the giant cargo ships maneuver through the Galliard Cut (the narrowest part of the Panama Canal).

Once we finish our visit to the Aerial Tram and Natural Exhibits, we will experience an exhilarating 20-minute ride at high speed right through the heart of the Panama Canal. The boat will slow down and enter the labyrinth of jungle-covered islands of Gatun Lake. In this protected area the wildlife is plentiful, and you are likely to encounter capuchin monkeys, 3-toed sloth, howler monkeys, various kinds of toucans and other bird life; as well as caimans, crocodiles, turtles and a wealth of butterflies.

Night at Gamboa Rainforest Resort – Deluxe River View Room with Balcony and Hammock (BL)

Day 5: Finca Lerida Coffee Plantation

The coffee tour begins in the fields of Boquete where we can get a glimpse of the three vital factors that influence the coffee’s quality: the soil, the micro-climate, and the particular genetics of the variety. Next we will learn about the history, origin, qualities and secrets of coffee handling. In the second phase of the tour, we will learn about coffee production all the way from ripe coffee cherry to roasted bean.

What makes this tour unique, besides the invaluable ecological reserve that the coffee plantation shares, is its history that was always tied to Toleff Boche Mönniche. Toleff was a Norwegian engineer and graduate from the Royal College of Dresden, Germany, who worked on the design and construction of the Panama Canal’s emergency gates.

The tour ends at the Tasting Table where the long, intense and complex coffee process ends. This is also the place where we find out whether or not a whole year’s work produced a high quality coffee.

Night at Valle Escondido Resort and Spa – Deluxe Room (B)

Day 6: Boquete Zipline Adventure

This morning may very well be the highlight of your Panama trip as you soar high above the ground through the rainforest. You will glide through the treetops of century-old forests, high above the pristine rivers and waterfalls that make up the incredible collection of natural landscapes bordering La Amistad National Park and the famous Baru Volcano.

Who would have thought that a technology utilized hundreds of years ago by our indigenous people and later perfected by botanists and naturalists to observe and study the behaviors of wild creatures in their natural habitat, would be transformed into one of the most revered extreme adventure sports? A harness, an ultra-resistant steel cable and gravity are the only elements necessary to suspend and propel the “fearless rider” in this incredible “adrenaline rush”.

Night at Valle Escondido Resort and Spa – Deluxe Room (B)

Day 7: Boquete Wildlife Hike

The Los Quetzales trail unites the two communities of Boquete and Cerro Punta, and is one of Panama’s most visited and popular hikes. Cerro Punta resides on the western slope of Baru Volcano, whereas Boquete is situated on the volcano’s eastern side. The trail cuts through some of the province’s most pristine, protected forest, offering spectacular views of the surrounding valley.

The hike begins with a relatively flat section as it heads to the lookout ledge (mirador), which is approximately 35-50 minutes from the ranger station; just prior to reaching the mirador trail there is a short, modestly steep section.

Then the trail continues to descend, offering some stunning views of the valley below. There are some very steep sections along the way, cutting through the dense jungle and rock face. At some point, as the trail nears Boquete, the trail runs into the Caldera River, which will run alongside the trail right to its very end.

Night at Valle Escondido Resort and Spa – Deluxe Room (BL)

Day 8: La Amistad National Park

On this wonderful tour, we have the opportunity to walk around different trails of the Park; sounds of numerous insects, birds, and frogs but it is difficult to see them because of the ferns, tree ferns and epiphytes that crowd the lower and middle strata of the forest. Water drips from spongy mosses that cover tree trunks, from bromeliads that attach themselves to every cranny on the trees, and from flower petals perched high in the canopy of the forest. It is a magical world that tells of its ancient wisdom in a whisper to the heart.

During the afternoon after lunch you will fill your eyes with hundreds of beautiful orchid species at Finca Dracula, on our way back we will make a stop at the bottom of Barú Volcano to know more about its history, how the Volcano shaped our valley and the life of our people and learn about the beautiful legend of Nuba and Noncomala.

Night at Valle Escondido Resort and Spa – Deluxe Room (BL)

Day 9: Panama City and Miraflores Locks

Panama City is a vibrant, cosmopolitan and beautiful city, Capital of the Republic of Panama, and located at the Pacific side of the American Continent. Built in 1519 by Pedro Arias Davila, a Spanish Governor, it has been considered as one of the most important cities of the Americas.  During this tour, participants will have the opportunity to visit the most interesting places of the city, like:

Casco Antiguo: The oldest sector of modern Panama City, founded in 1673, it is known as the Casco Viejo. This beautiful little area has several attractions that travelers shouldn’t miss and can easily cover in a walking tour of a few hours. A monument to the French entrepreneurs who began the Panama Canal stands at the bayside end of the Casco Viejo. There is also an adjacent art museum in the converted strong house, known as Las Bovedas, once used for storing gold. Other points of interest are the famed flat arch or Santo Domingo Church, the beautiful gold- plated altar of the San Jose Church, the Panama Canal Museum, the National Theater, the National Cathedral, the Presidential Palace and other numerous colonial churches and monuments.

Participants will have the opportunity to do a walking tour at the Casco Viejo section, walking by monuments such as the Plaza Bolivar, the San Francisco de Asis Church, Bolivar Palace and the National Theater; “Las Bovedas Promenade”, with one of the most spectacular views of Panama City.

Miraflores Locks/ Panama Canal: This classic experience brings you to the very best that Panama has to offer: The Panama Canal. Participants will be able to witness the magnificent Miraflores Locks and most probably, its operation. An expert canal guide will take us back in time to be part of it. What a wonderful way to experience this magnificent architectural masterpiece and to have a breathtaking view of the 8th wonder of the World. This tour will also include a visit to the Miraflores Locks Exhibits.

Night at Hotel Le Meridien – Deluxe Room

Day 10: Depart Panama

Today you will be picked up from the hotel lobby approximately 3.5 hours prior to your scheduled departure flight for the private transfer to Tocumen International Airport.