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Panama - Best of Panama Style of travel - Traveller Day 1 – UK to Panama City On arrival at Tocumen International Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Panama City. A welcome information kit will be provided for you. Overnight at the Country Inn & Suites Amador Day 2 – Boat tour along the Panama Canal An early morning briefing with your guide in the hotel before setting of on a 45 minute ride along the scenic Gamboa Road to the Soberania National Park. Here you have great chances to observe the unique ecology of the Canal watershed. Following this you are taken to Gatun Lake where you will board a boat to travel part of the canal and visit small islands to see the wildlife. Spectacled Caiman, Green Iguana and Two-toed sloth’s are among the species you can expect to see. Afterwards, you are taken to the domestic airport for your flight to David. From here it is a 45 minute trip to the mountainous town of Cerro Punta. Overnight at the Los Quetzales Lodge (BLD) Day 3 – La Amistad International Park Today you visit the Talamanca protected area, 7 miles from Cerro Punta. This area acts as a biological corridor between the Baru Volcano National Park and La Amistad International Park. It is one of the biological reserves of great ecological value and led UNESCO to declare this area a world heritage site in 1983. The Talamanca mountain chain divides the waters of the Pacific and the Caribbean. In terms of biodiversity, the area contains 180 endemic species of plants and is one of the last major refuges for endangered fauna such as the Ocelot, the Jaguar and the Tapir. The area is particularly rich in birds with about 600 different species. No other protected area in Central America has as much biodiversity. Later in the day you will be visiting one of Latin Americas finest orchid farms, Finca Dracula, with more than 2,000 different types of orchid from around the world. Overnight at the Los Quetzales Lodge (BL) Day 4 – Los Quetzales Trail After breakfast you will be met by your guide to begin one of the most beautiful walks in Central America. You will cross rivers and hike through old growth forests as you head up into the cloud forest. In the Baru National Park you travel through low mountain forest, pre-mountain rainforest and finally the cloud forest, allowing you the chance to observe the Quetzal and bell bird, a variety of humming birds, porcupines and Coati Mundi. A packed lunch is provided for the walk. You are then transferred to the beautiful town of Boquete. Overnight at the Panamonte Inn & Spa (BL) Day 5 – Finca Lerida Today you learn about the fascinating process involved in the growing and production of coffee. You will walk through the coffee fields of Finca Lerida and learn about the coffee plants and how the coffee beans are harvested. Then you will learn about the selection, drying, roasting and packaging processes. Of course there is also plenty of time to taste the produce! Overnight at the Panamonte Inn & Spa (BL) Day 6 – Panama City Tour Today we return to Panama City and take a historical and cultural tour. Visit Panama La Vieja, the first city established by the Spanish and then conquered by the Pirate Henry Morgan in 1671. We also visit Casco Antiguo, built in 1673, and walk around the French Plaza and surrounding monuments. The highlight of the day is one of the world’s most amazing engineering masterpieces, the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Locks. Here you can observe the canal as ships pass through. Overnight at the Country Inn & Suites Amador (BL) Day 7 – San Blas Islands An early morning departure from the hotel for a 35 minute flight to the San Blas Archipelago airstrip on Panama’s Atlantic Coast. You are then transferred by a motorised dugout canoe to the very rustic but charming San Blas lodge. Here you will have the opportunity to visit the Kuna Indian’s principal community. Enjoy beautiful beaches on nearby islands and fresh San Blas seafood. Overnight at the Dolphin Lodge (BLD) Day 8 – San Blas Islands A free day to relax on white sand beaches or in a hammock under the palms. You can rent snorkelling equipment to explore the beautiful reefs of the San Blas Overnight at the Dolphin Lodge (BLD) Day 9 – Embera Indigenous Encounter You have an early morning flight back to Panama City and are transferred to Chagres National Park to begin your visit to the Embera Community. Board a native dugout canoe to travel up the Chagres River and learn about the culture of the Embera Indians through their arts, their knowledge of local plants and their cultural dances and music which dates back centuries. Walk in the jungle, explore the waterfalls and learn about a magical culture all in one day! Overnight at the Country Inn & Suites Amador (BL) Day 10 – Panama Canal Partial Transit After your breakfast you will be taken to Flamenco Pier and board a bus to take you to the town of Gamboa, where you board the vessel. The boat travels the 13.7 kilometres of the Gaillard Cut on the way to Pedro Miguel Locks. On the way you will view the Centennial Bridge. Once in the Pedro Miguel Locks the boat is lowered 9 metres in one step. The boat then enters the Miraflores Lake and the final set of locks before the Pacific Ocean, the Miraflores Locks. Here the vessel is lowered 18 metres in two distinct steps and once in the Pacific Ocean the boat travels to the beautiful Flamenco Marina where your trip ends. Overnight at the Country Inn & Suites Amador (BL) Day 11 – El Valle Today begins with a 2 hour drive along the famous Pan-American Highway to the beautiful mountain town of Elle Valle de Anton. The town is in the crater of a dormant volcano, once the largest in Central America. El Valle has a variety of attractions such as Indian petroglyphs, hot springs, waterfalls, rock climbing and hikes for all abilities. On arrival you will visit the picturesque town market. Enjoy a picnic lunch from atop El Gaital. Overnight at the Country Inn & Suites Amador (BL) Day 12 – Historical Portobelo & the Transcontinental Railroad An early morning start takes you to the Railway Station to ride the train to the Atlantic side of Panama. On arrival you are met and begin your tour of Portobelo Fortress. During the 17th and 19th centuries, the Port of Portobelo served as a Spanish Fortress and was the victim of various pirate attacks, the most well known being by the notorious Henry Morgan. The small island of Drake where his remains are located is nearby. Visit the ruins of the colonial port, the customhouse where treasure and gold were stored and the Portobelo church. Return to Panama City. Overnight at the Country Inn & Suites Amador (BL) Day 13 – Depart Panama At the appropriate time you will be taken from the hotel to the International Airport for your departing flight via the USA back to the UK Day 14 – Arrive UK You arrive back in the UK early this morning. Key to inclusions: B - breakfast, L - lunch, D - dinner Top of page>> |
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