Panama Six Day Tour Islands & Forests Trip Highlights: Biodiversity: sloths, birds, turtles & monkeys Panama canal across the Panama landbridge Visit the Kuna & Embera Tribes White sands beaches and snorkeling Stay in the Cloud Forest Coffee plantation & honey tasting
Arrive in Panama City Typically, flights into Panama arrive early afternoon to evening. We will meet you at the airport and arrange transportation for you to get from the airport to the hotel in Panama City. If you arrive before dinner we will meet in the hotel lobby, and then we head out for dinner and drinks at our favorite restaurant in Panama City. After dinner we suggest getting a good nights rest for the adventure that awaits! If you are interested in arriving a day early and being on your own, resting up or exploring, we can help you find accommodations and transport into town.
Day One After breakfast at our hotel, we will head out of the city to visit with the Embera Wounaan indigenous people. They are traditionally nomadic people who make their homes along the river. Our day with them will allow us to ask questions about their lifestyle, observe traditional craftmaking, and learn about medicinal plants of the area. Lunch will be a variety of fresh fish or chicken, plantains and other local fruit made at the village. Our day with the Embera will also include a boat ride to and from the village that offers an opportunity to see the native birds, mammals and turtles of the area. We will return to Panama City for the evening.
Day Two After breakfast we will head to the Panama canal to observe one of the most amazing man-made structures in the world. For more than 100 years, the canal has been a vital conduit providing vital support to the world economy, a testament to American engineering and one of the signature public works of the 20th century. The new canal locks opened in 2016 and we will have an opporunity to see and discuss the success of the $3B project that was built by the Panama government to extend the life of the canal and expand the size of ships that it accepts. After lunch we will head out into the old sections of Panama City to see the historic buildings and lifestyles of the city. We will spend the night in Panama City.
Day Three Our day starts with a flight to the San Blas Islands - an archipelago of 365 islands of which 49 are inhabited. Our destination is the Yandup Island where the Guna (Kuna) people live and work. These indigenous people are famous for their beautiful molas (fabrics), having a long history in the mercantile trade in Central and South America. The islands also boast abundant sealife and white sands beaches, making it a wonderful place to rest and relax. We will stay here on Yandup Island overnight and enjoy local cuisine that includes seafood, coconut and fresh fruit.
Day Four After breakfast, we will explore some of the uninhabited islands where we can snorkel the pristine coral reefs and crystal clear blues of the ocean. While this area is known to the western world, thanks largely to the Kuna people (who control this area), development has unaffected the islands charm. You won t find giant hotels, overcrowded cruise ports or any other byproduct of over development here. The Kuna simply will not allow it. And that s a good thing. It means you can enjoy everything San Blas has to offer from world-class beaches to indigenous cultures without the crowds. We will spend a second night here on Yandup Island.
Day Five After a leisurely breakfast, we will head back to Panama City by plane then drive to Boquete in the westernmost province of Panama on the border with Costa Rica. Here we will have opportunities to hike to the Lost Waterfalls; the hike is approximately three hours and includes three waterfalls. The area is also famous for the coffee that is grown on the slopes of the volcano Baru. We will have a chance to visit one of the plantations and observe different growing techniques. Our accommodations will be one of the hotels in the cloud forest. Beautiful hanging bridges connect many of the trees and offer an opportunity to explore the area from above.
Day Six After waking to the sounds of the cloud forest, we will have the opportunity to choose from different activities for the day. For the thrill-seeker, rock climbing, zip lining, whitewater rafting, and horseback riding are some of the available action-packed adventures. If you are really looking to stretch your legs and bag a peak while in Panama, the mountains around Boquete offer opportunities for hiking, with a little planning we can ascend the Volcan Baru, a dormant volcano that is also the nation s highest point. For more leisurely-paced we can head to the Boquete bees where we can taste some honey and learn about the local bees and butterflies. Or visit a hot spring and petroglyph site. We will spend a second night in the cloud forest accommodations.
Day Seven - Departure After breakfast we will transfer back to Panama City for your return. If you prefer to have an extra day in Panama City we will arrange hotel accommodations and airport transport. Trip Cost: $3850 per person includes all meals, accommodations, transport, activities, tips and entrance fees does not include alcohol