| Travel Packages | Destination | Single | Double | Triple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canal & Rainforest experience Panama Expedition | Panama Canal / Gamboa Rainforest Chagres National Park / El Valle Mountain Town / San Blas | $1760 $1841 | $960 $1151 | $870 $1033 |
El Valle is one of the most special destinations in Panama. Only two hours away from Panama City, it is also a perfect weekend escape from Panama's lowland heat! El Valle is a fertile volcanic valley filled with bright flowers, square trees and golden frogs. Looking into El Valle it looks like a huge broccoli field – most of the houses are surrounded by trees that make for a green and unspoiled impression. The temperatures are moderate throughout the year and it cools down at night.
On the western slope of Volcan Baru, only 30 minutes away from the city of David, lies the small town of Volcan. It is located in theprovince of Chiriqui, at an altitude that varies between 4,000 and 5000 feet above the sea level. This area of Panama, blessed by nature, is famous for its year round perfect weather (between 60-80 F°) and the natural beauty of the territory, whose mountains resemble the Alps. On clear days, from the highest craters of the extinct, 12,000-feet high Volcan Baru, it is even possible to observe the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Tucked away in the mountains of Chiriqui and on the eastern slopes of Volcan Baru lays the small and charming mountain village of Boquete Panama. Known to produce some of the sweetest oranges and richest coffees in all of Panama, Boquete is quickly becoming a destination for travelers and retired folks alike. The healthy climate in Boquete has prompted many to believe it is the secret to longevity since many native Boqueteños have lived well on past their one-hundredth birthdays. Boquete's surrounding hills and slopes are primarily covered in shade-grown coffee plantations, providing a rich product recognized by international connoisseurs. Known for their sustainable farming practices, these farms are recognized the world over by conservationist and are home to an abundance of birds equal to those found in the cloud forests higher on the mountain. Coffee is primarily picked by the Guaymi Indians during the months of October through February. Coffee picking season is a festive time and colorfully clad Indian families come from various parts of the province to harvest the coffee cherries. Tours through some of the coffee fincas of Boquete can be arranged for those interested in seeing the origins of their morning brew or sighting a wide variety of bird life.
Portobelo, which means beautiful port, was discovered and named by Christopher Columbus in 1502. Its official name, San Felipe de Portobelo, was given in honor of King Phillip II of Spain. At the time of the Spanish colonies, it was accessible only by launch and was the port of entry and exit for all of South America. The merchandise was exchanged in the form of a 30 to 60 days-fair once a year, period in which the city suffered from constant pirates and buccaneers’attacks, including the famous Drake, Morgan and Hawkins. Due to this, Spain decided to change the trading route to a more secure one around Cape Horn in Chile.
Contadora Island is the fifth largest of the Pearl Islands and is located in the Pacific Ocean about 50 miles from Panama City. This island features fine hotels, restaurants, a dive shop and water activities such as diving, snorkeling and sports fishing. You may enjoy any of Contadora's 13 beautiful beaches which encircle the island, or take excursions to nearby islands, most of which are uninhabited, and find your own private beach for sunbathing and picnicking. Just across the way is Pacheca Island, roosting spot for magnificent frigate birds and an excellent spot for bird watching.
Today the National Park of Coiba in Panama is an unparalleled destination for discovering new species and one of the best diving sites in the Western Hemisphere. Located off the Pacific Coast in the province of Veraguas, it was once home to the Coiba Cacique Indians and was later conquered by the Spanish around 1560. The biggest island in Central America was a prisoner's island until 2004 much like Alcatraz was in the US, but it is now a gorgeous National Park. In 2005 it was also declared a UNESCO heritage site. After the prison was its pristine condition made it perfect for a preserve. Scarlet Macaw's can be found in large numbers and the island is still about 75% forested with mainly primary forests.
A visit to the San Blas Islands in the Comarca of Kuna Yala is a win-win combination! Travelers can experience a living Indian culture in a tropical island paradise. You will experience the extraordinary beauty and peace on white sand Caribbean islands and at the same time live with and learn from the Kuna people.| Complete Panama | $145 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Transportation, guide and lunch. | Length: All Day |
Arrival at the Old Compound of Casco Viejo, where the city was built after the destruction of Old Panama. We will visit the San Jose Church with it's golden altar, The Bovedas (jail of the Spanish era), the Cathedral, The National Theater and the Presidential Palace (if possible). Continue to several residential areas and Balboa Avenue making a brief stop at the Statue of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the discoverer of the Pacific Ocean. Then we will visit Old Panama Ruins founded in 1519 by the Spaniards an destroy in 1671 by English Pirate Henry Morgan. Visit the Art craft building followed by a typical lunch. In the afternoon, you will visit Miraflores Locks at the Pacific side of the Canal, visit the Museum, a guide will explain the operation of the Canal and visit the Administration Building. |
| Total Canal Transit | $234 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Transportation, breakfast, lunch, open bar(national drinks) and guide | Length: 8 hours |
Leave from Amador (Pacific Terminal) and begin your once in a lifetime journey through the Panama Canal. Enter Miraflores Locks that will raise you to a level of 56 feet above sea level into Miraflores Lake, then continue to Pedro Miguel Locks, the second level which will bring you up to 85 feet. From here, navigate through the engineering marvel of Gaillard Cut, the narrowest part of the Panama Canal. Continue to Gatun Lake one of the largest man-made lakes in the world where Barro Colorado Natural Monument Island is located. Arrive at Madden Lake on the Atlantic side to see one of the largest earth dam in the world. Enter Gatun Locks where you will descend in a two-step process to arrive at Cristobal by 5.30pm approximately and return to the departure point in Amador, transfer by our guide to the hotel. |
| Shopping in Free Zone | $93 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Transportation and guide | Length: 8 hours |
This tour will take you to Panamanian Duty Free Center located in the City of Colon, on the Atlantic side, 49 miles from Panama City. The Free Zone was founded in 1953 with the purpose of exporting goods to Caribbean and Latin America Destinations. Visitors will find a variety of electronic equipment, jewelry, perfumes, clothing, linen, furniture, rugs, etc. |
| Eco Historical Portobello | $153 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Transportation, guide and lunch | Length: 8 hours |
The City of Portobelo is located on the Atlantic Coast in a large and beautiful Bay which had capacity for as many as one hundred galleons. The City was once surrounded by fortifications formed by the Castles of San Felipe, San Fernando, Santiago of the Glory and San Jeronimo. These castles were demolished by the English pirates Henry Morgan and Vernon in 1688 and 1740, and were rebuilt in 1760. Portobelo was once a very important part of the defense, and commercial systems for the Spanish Empire in America. |
| Eco Historical Portobello | $186 |
|---|---|
| Included: Train and bus transport, guide, entree fees and lunch | Length: 8 hours |
Departure to Colon by train at 7.15am. Portobelo is located on the Atlantic Coast in a large and beautiful Bay which had capacity for as many as one hundred galleons. The City was once surrounded by fortifications formed by the Castles of San Felipe, San Fernando, Santiago of the Glory and San Jeronimo. These castles were demolished by the English pirates Henry Morgan and Vernon in 1688 and 1740, and were rebuilt in 1760. Portobelo was once a very important part of the defense, and commercial systems for the Spanish Empire in America. |
| The Chagres Challenge | $200 |
|---|---|
| Includes: All mentioned transportation, horses,rafts and gear, guides and meals. Our guides are trained in white-water navigation skills, first-aid and CPR (Cardio-Pulmonar Resuscitation) Who can go?: Any person from twelve to seventy years old, in good health able to horse-back ride or if not, ready to walk for about an hour and half through an irregular and muddy path. Minors must travel with a responsible adult. | Length: 8 hours |
The Chagres River is virtually unknown in its run through the Chagres National Park due mainly to the lack of access roads, the protection against settlers. In it's path, the river is characterized by alternating currents and ponds. It is considered as level II, although there are few rapids level III, in the international scale of white water classification. As a result of the dense tropical forest that covers the basin of the river, sedimentation is minimum; therefore, clear water can be expected very often. The flora is typical of the tropical rainforest, with more than three hundred species per hectares. It is easy to spot several samples of the fauna, such as otters, iguanas, monkeys, hawks, tucans, and plenty of fish. The Chagres Challenge begins by picking up guests in Panama city at 5:00 A.M., to take them on a FWD vehicle to a remote village called San Cristobal, beyond the mountain town of Cerro Azul. After a light breakfast, around 8:00 A.M. the tour proceeds with a hike, for about hour and half, on a narrow trail that takes us deeper into the jungle until reaching an afluent of the Chagres, called Piedras River. At aproximatelly 11:00 A.M., we will start an exciting five hour rafting tour in the Chagres virgin jungle, all the way to Madden Lake, reaching it around 4:30 P.M. We will have a fine meal somewhere along Chagres River. We will raft by several rainforest tribes conformed by the Embera. Close to Madden Lake, the rafts would be towed by an outboard motorboat, for about half an hour, to the nearest road. Finally, our guests will be taken back to the original pick up site around 7:00 P.M. |
| The Canopy Tour | $140 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Transportation, guides and gear, and full lunch. | Length: 8 hours |
The Canopy Tour, located around the spectacular waterfall "El Macho" in El Valle de Anton, offers canopy and jungle life from a perspective previously available only to select few researchers and photographers. This is accomplished by modifying techniques originally used by spelunkers (cavers) and canyon reppelers to provide a safe and enjoyable passage above the forest floor for family members of all ages. El Valle de Anton, is a picturescal little town situated 700 meters above sea level in the crater of a gigantic extinct volcano. In fact, it is the second largest inhabited extinct volcano in the world. It is famous for its handicrafts, its strange land formations and its waterfalls. The Canopy Tour helps preserve the private forest reserve of "Refugio Ecologico" where the Macho Waterfall is located and which is administered by Grupo Natura. We will hike through a nature trail for about one hour learning about the wonders of a tropical rainforest and pointing out flora and fauna typical of the place. Our hike will end where The Canopy Tour starts. After a briefing on the gear and safety guidelines, guests will traverse from tree to tree and platform to platform using pulleys on horizontal traverse cables, as they sail through the treetops, over the trails far below, and around the spectacular waterfall "Chorro Macho". Expert guides assist guests in this exciting journey through the different layers of the virgin rainforests and as they rappel back down to the forest floor. Around noon, a typical Panamanian lunch will be served. Then we could visit the public market (on Sundays), Nispero Zoo, or any other place that the group wishes before returning back to Panama City around 3:00 p.m. We should be back around 6:00 p.m. |
| Embera Community | $179 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Land and water transportation, lunch, drinks and guide. | Length: 7 hours |
Is a demonstrative village of the indigenous Embera culture, established at the mouth of the Chagres River. The Natural Bridge is nature's art. It has been used since the Spanish Conquerors time to cross over the river. The Cruces Trail, the main traffic way between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans crosses the Natural Bridge. We will reach the natural Bridge and after a brief historical explanation, we will embark in native dugout canoes. The tribe will welcome us with their dances. We will hike some trails, where the guides will identify plant species used by the Indians for medical purposes. Lunch will be given in the village and the tourist will be able to buy their beautiful handicrafts. |
| Anton Valley | $167 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Transportation, guide, lunch, entrance to waterfalls, entrance to El Nispero Zoo. | Length: 8 hours |
A cool and picturesque country resort, only 120 kilometers from Panama City we find El Valle de Anton. It was originally the crater of a giant volcano which became a lake, then a swamp and then a fertile plain. Indigenous people who were the first inhabitants left curious rock drawings or "petroglyphs" that can be seen on the outskirts of the village in La Pintada neighborhood. El Valle has developed a prosperous industry for flowers and ornamental plants, making the small town a center for orchids. This town is well known for its Sunday market where you can observe the plants and all handicrafts of the area. There is much to see in El Valle where fauna and flora are abundant including trees with square trunks. It is a good area for foothill birds. We depart from Panama City on the Panamerican Highway towards Western Panama. Approximately two hours and a half later we reach El Valle. We visit the Sunday market, visit the petroglyphs and El Macho Waterfall. After lunch we go to the Nispero Zoo before starting our way back to Panama City. |
| The Gold Route | $246 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Ground transportation, lunch, snacks and soft drinks, specialized guide, boat trip around the Bay of Portobelo and information literature. | Length: 8 hours |
Leaving Panama City at 8:00 a.m., we will travel along the route used during the colonial period to transport gold and other riches from South America to Spain across the isthmus. Our journey begins in the ruins of Old Panama, capital of Castilla de Oro and the center of operations for the great South America conquest, which was founded in 1619 and destroyed by the famous pirate, Henry Morgan, in 1671. We will walk along the ruins of "Cruces" trail the most important in colonial America, built with cobble stones and surrounded by tropical rainforest. At noon we will arrive at the small town of Portobelo, where we will enjoy a delicious West Indies-Style lunch. We will cruise along Portobelo Bay, like the famous pirates who attacked the city to sack the treasures waiting to be sent to Spain. Then we will visit the ruins of the city. Founded in 1597, this used to be the most important port in the Caribbean. You will admire more than 10 castles and fortresses dating back to the 16th. Century. Arrival in Panama City is estimated at 5:00 p.m. |
| Barro Colorado Natural Monument | $167 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Ground Transportation, boat tour through the canal and Gatun lake, snacks and soft drinks, lunch, specialized guide, rainforest hike, wetland exploration, information literature and conservation fee. | Length: 8 hours |
Our adventure begins at 6.30a.m. with a car trip through tropical rainforest to the small town of Gamboa, where a boat trip awaits us. We will cruise along Gatun Lake and the Panama Canal to the Gigante Peninsula and to the Barro Colorado Natural Monument (BCNM), which has been administered by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute since 1946, and is considered the best protected and studied tropical rainforest in the world. Here, we will hike along an interpretative trail through one of the most complex and diverse ecosystems, to observe a large amount of animal and plant species. Finally we will begin our return journey, cruising bays and channels covered by the forest. We will see birds and other animals without having to leave the boat. Arrival in Panama City is estimated at 3.00p.m. |
| Fishing in Gatun Lake | $234 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Ground transportation, boat, captain, fishing equipment, bait, snacks and soft drinks, and boat trip along part of the Panama Canal. | Length: 6 hours |
Leaving Panama City at 6:30 a.m; enjoy the beauty and the fish in Gatun Lake, one of the largest artificial lakes of the world. Catches include large-mouth bass, carps, and other excellent fighters and good taste fishes. At the same time, we will navigate through part of the Panama Canal, admiring birds and other animal species without leaving the boat. |
| City Tour | $87 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Air conditioned transportation and guide | Length: 4 hours |
We visit Old Panama Ruins and the Handicraft Market. Afterwards we drive through the Banking Area and the most modern part of the City. We visit Colonial Panama with all it's tourist areas of interest, such as the French Plaza and the Golden Altar Church. |
| The Panama Canal | $73 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Air conditioned transportation and guide | Length: 4 hours |
Visit the greatest engineering masterpiece of this century, considered the Eight Wonder of the World. We will visit the Canal Zone, the Administration Building, the Governors house, Ancon Hill from where you will have an excellent view of the City and the Canal, The America's Bridge , known also as the Bridge of the World, Heart of the Universe, since it is the only land bridge that unites America. From the mirador you can see the Amador Coastway, Contractor´s Hill and Gaillard Cut, the narrowest part of the Canal. Of course, Miraflores Locks, where you will be able to watch a ship transiting. |
| Shopping in Panama City | $53 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Air conditioned transportation and counseling | Length: 4 hours |
Panama has the characteristic of having the best commercial area, where you can obtain merchandise from all over the world with excellent prices. We will visit Los Pueblos mall or Albrook Mall. |
| Partial Canal Transit | $174 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Air conditioned transportation and counseling | Length: 5 hours |
Panama has the characteristic of having the best commercial area, where you can obtain merchandise from all over the world with excellent prices. We will visit Los Pueblos mall or Albrook Mall. |
| Summit Botanical Garden | $106 |
|---|---|
| Includes: Air conditioned transportation and guide | Length: 4 hours |
Panama has the characteristic of having the best commercial area, where you can obtain merchandise from all over the world with excellent prices. We will visit Los Pueblos mall or Albrook Mall.
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