Panama

Panama City & Panama Canal

Panama City is much more than just a fantastic place to see the Panama Canal. It is a mix of modern skyscrapers, culture, coastline and a UNESCO Heritage old city and ruins of the original Spanish colony.

The capital is situated on the Pacific Ocean and we suggest spending time here on arrival – at least one full day to explore the city and a day learning about and visiting one of the key visitor centres along the Panama Canal. This 82 km waterway is one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. The Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduces the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

San Blas Islands

Panama has some stunning island paradises including the San Blas Islands, an archipelago off Panama’s Caribbean coast. The islands are a wilderness of sandy coral islands enclosed by turquoise sea.

San Blas is an independent indigenous territory within the Republic of Panama. The Kuna people (or Guna) are one of the best preserved indigenous tribes in all the Americas and a key part of this unique visit.

You will explore only a few of the many hundreds of islands and islets of the archipelago. The lodges are all run by a local Kuna family and all only have a few bungalows, so you will enjoy a high degree of privacy on your island. The meals served on San Blas traditionally feature fresh local seafood from fish, prawns, lobster to squids and mussels – you will find everything on your plate. This beach paradise destination is perfect for travellers want a unique beach holiday experience.

Bocas del Toro

The Bocas del Toro province of Panama is on the Caribbean coast bordering Costa Rica. The tropical jungle, beaches and marine reserves make this area one of the most popular destinations in Panama.

An island just off the coast, Bocas del Toro offers tracks through the jungle and visits to indigenous communities as well as the first ever Marine National Reserve in the country – Islas Bastamientos National Marine Park. The park encompasses forests, mangroves and coastline and protects monkeys, sloths, turtles, caimans, crocodiles and many more reptiles and amphibians.

Nature – Jungle & Coast

Nature lovers should explore the rainforest, jungles and endless coastline of Panama. Base yourself for a few days in Boquete, David or the small surfing village of Santa Catalina and see the natural wonders of the country. Cloud forests, black sand beaches metres away from lush jungle and wildlife abound in many corners of the country.

There are two UNESCO listed National Parks in Panama with very distinct geography and climates. The Amistad National Park, which covers areas of both Costa Rica and Panama, is in the north east of the country and is the home land of multiple indigenous groups. The wildlife includes five kinds of big cats – pumas, ocelots, margay, jaguars and jaguarundis. There are also over 600 species of birds.

The remote Coiba National Park and Special Marine Protection Area is a region off the Pacific west coast of Panama and includes 38 smaller islands in the Gulf of Chiriqui. It is the last refuge for many threatened animals like the crested eagle. The island was formerly a penal colony but the prison was officially closed in 2004. The area provides protection to humpback whales, pilot whales, killer whales, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, marlins and more. In total there are over 760 species of marine fishes and 33 species of sharks in the area. For travellers interested in diving or exploring Coiba, we can add on 2 or 3 days in Santa Catalina to one of the itineraries below.