11 DAYS/ 10 NIGHTS
PANAMA CITY – PANAMA CANAL – PORTOBELO – SAN LORENZO – GAMBOA – GATUN LAKE – CHAGRES NATIONAL PARK – EMBERA TRIBE – ANTON VALLEY – CHITRE – AZUEROS – ABUELO RUM DESTILLERY – HACIENDA PESE – IGUANA ISLAND – PLAYA BLANCA
DAY 1
Welcome to Panama! A fantastic 11 days trip awaits you. Up on arrival our driver will meet you at the airport.
We’ll take you to the hotel of your choice.
DAY 2. PANAMA CITY AND PANAMA CANAL
Breakfast.
City tour and Panama canal.
Panama City was founded in the XVI century by Spanish conquistadors. It was the first Spanish port on the Pacific. Now the capital has three towns: the “old town” (Panamá Viejo), the “colonial” town (Casco Antiguo, Spanish for Old Quarter) and the “new town” (Modern Panama). During today’s tour you will visit the Old Quarter, which represents a significant stage in the development of Spanish colonial style and the modern part of the city – the most developed city in all Central America.
The 6-hour city tour also includes visit to Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal Visitors Center. It is the perfect place to witness how the Panama Canal works. From the observation decks, visitors may watch the lock gates open and close as vessels begin or end their transit. Through the exhibitions, you can learn about the Panama Canal’s history, its impact on international trade, how it works, its close relationship with nature and the Canal Expansion. A 3D movie portrays the story of the waterway.
We will visit old and modern parts of the city, starting from the Former Canal Zone where the Americans lived during the construction of the Panama Canal, going through Amador Causeway, which is a long, winding road that connects three smaller islands: Naos, Perico, and Flamenco to the main land, stopping by Las Americas bridge and ending with the Balboa Avenue, one of the most beautiful streets of the city along the bay.
The historic quarter of Panama City, Casco Antiguo, declared World Heritage site by UNESCO, is a colorful neighborhood with colonial style avenues, parks, and squares. You will visit Herrera Square, St. Joseph church with its remarkable golden altar, ruins of Jesuits and St. Dominic convents, French Square and Paseo Esteban Huerta, National Theater, Bolivar Square with the gorgeous St. Francis church and Bolivar palace and least, but not by last, the Cathedral Square and the Cathedral itself. The tour in Casco is a panoramic walking tour with pleasant stops by chocolateries, coffee or gelato shops and off course souvenir shops and original brands boutiques.
Night at your hotel in Panama City
DAY 3
Breakfast box to go.
Early in the morning your driver and guide will pick you up and take you to Corozal train station in order to get on a train to the Caribbean side – the historical Transcontinental train. It leaves at 07:15 AM. For the following hour you will be traveling along the Panama Canal, as gold seekers did in their quest for wealth during the California Gold Rush in the middle of the XIX century. The railway line flanks the Panama Canal passing through lush rainforests, cruising alongside the locks, through the historic Gaillard Cut, and gliding over slender causeways in Gatun Lake.
The vehicle waits for the tourists at the railway station in Colon City.
Then, we will go to the right side of the Panama Canal heading towards the San Lorenzo National Park. The San Lorenzo Fort was built by the Spanish in 1596. Standing at the farthest point, 25 meters above the sea level, to get a clear view of the Chagres River and the Caribbean Sea, you can only wonder how many people admired the same view during these 400 years of history of the fort.
The Caribbean side of Panama with beautiful virgin beaches, islands and bays, will tell you about the history and the conquest of Portobelo. Once a destination for huge amounts of gold and riches extracted by the Spanish from the South America, Portobelo was subject to numerous raids and was highly coveted by notorious pirates such as Francis Drake, Henry Morgan, and Edward Vernon. Trying to save his treasures from the pirates, King Philipp II of Spain ordered a fortress to be built on the Caribbean coast. Some of these forts can be seen nowadays including San Lorenzo, San Geronimo, Santiago de la Gloria, San Fernando, and San Fernandin. In 1980, the ruins of the fortification, along with the nearby San Lorenzo Fort, were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
After visiting San Lorenzo fortress, we will go to Gamboa. It will take us approximately one hour. After the ride and before your next tour you will have time for lunch. Lunch is included.
After lunch you will tour the Chagres River and Gatun Lake by motor launch heading towards the Monkeys Island to see wildlife. Here you will find abundant fauna represented by tortoises, crocodiles, different birds, sloths, iguanas, and several kinds of monkeys such as capuchins, tamarins, and howler monkeys.
Return to your hotel in Panama City.
For the evening we will be happy to recommend a nice restaurant to complete your day tasting local or international cuisine. Panama City has a lot of very good restaurants, located in modern city or in the old quarter, on rooftops, or with ocean view. As it is considered a crossroad of the Americas, it is definitely a crossroad of flavors.
DAY 4
Breakfast.
Today you will visit an Embera tribe village. This tour will get you out of the XXI century comfort zone and will make you look differently at the magic of life. You will learn about the pre-Columbian history of Panama, the origin of the Embera tribe, their customs and traditions. They make incredibly beautiful and sophisticated baskets, tagua nut carvings, necklaces, bracelets, etc.
Refresh your mind and body in cool and crystal clean waters of a tropical waterfall, dance with the Indians their ancient dances, try delicious local food, feel the fresh air on your face and get totally renewed at the Chagres National Park.
After visiting Chagres National Park we will take you to the mountain area, where Valle de Anton is located, in a valley that used to be thousands of years ago a volcano crater.
Night at a hotel of your choice.
For this tour, we recommend sports shoes that cannot get wet. Depending on the time of year, sometimes to reach the waterfall it is necessary to cross the jungle and go through a small river. Water can go up to the knee.
Day 5
Breakfast.
It is a picturesque town located on 750 m above the sea level; it has its microclimate that makes everything here so spectacular.
One of Anton Valley’s favorite tourist attractions is the legendary Sleeping Indian Girl, a mountain that is shaped like a sleeping girl. Beautiful views, fresh air, abundant flora and fauna – visiting this place is a must do in Panama.
You will visit Central handicrafts, fruits & veggies, and flowers market, Cerro La Cruz, El Nispero Botanical Garden & Zoo, the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, the Orchids Garden, the Chorro del Macho Waterfall. For additional fee, you can swim in a natural freshwater pool, or discover a 4-section zip line at the Chorro del Macho Waterfall.
Night at Valle de Anton, at a hotel of your choice.
DAY 6
Breakfast.
Transfer to Chitre, Azueros Península.
Today you are moving to the region we call “the crib of panamanian culture”. And it is, indeed, the place where local songs and dances, food, art and handcrafts, architecture and festivities can be enjoyed in their more traditional way. From Arena clay pots to colorful devil masks for Corpus Christy processions, from fine handmade lace made for on of the most beautiful dresses in the World – the Panamanian pollera, to delicious tamales made of fresh corn and meet in traditional salsa, Azueros – is a place to be to feel Panama! The best Panamanian rum is produced here, 30 minutes from Chitre, at Hacienda San Isidro – the oldest and more famous distillery in Panama. It is the place we are going today, up on arrival to Azueros.
During the tour you will be introduced to Varela Hermanos history and will find out how rum is elaborated, also you will visit the cellars, where the rum ages and mature in oak barrels. Tasting of different age rums of Abuelo trademark and lunch is included. “Abuelo” rum has a lot of international medals and prices. It is considered the best Panamanian rum.
Night at the hotel of your choice.
DAY 7
Breakfast.
Today you will have an easy day at Iguana island – a jewel among Panamanian islands on the pacific side. White sand, crystal clear water of an incredible turquoise color, enigmatic iguanas laying on the sand under the tropical sun, amazing frigate birds – what can be better! It is a piece of paradise on Earth. On the way to the island, it is possible to see dolphins or even whales on whale season, which runs from July to October.
Lunch box and refreshing nonalcoholic drinks are included.
Return to your hotel.
DAY 8
Breakfast.
Transfer from Chitre to Playa Blanca resorts area.
On the way to your beach resort we will make a stop at a very interesting place named Nata de Los Caballeros. Founded by the Spanish in 1520, full name of this historical city is Nata de Los Caballeros, where Nata is commemorating local cacique Anata and “Los Caballeros” — 100 Spanish knights quartered in the city. The town is the third oldest surviving town in Panama. It is home to a church which claims to be the oldest one in the Americas. It is thought that the church, known as the Basilica Menor Santiago Apostól de Natá, was built over several decades after the Spanish arrived.
Arrival to the beach hotel of your choice.
DAY 9-10
Relax and enjoy the best pacific coast beach in Panama. Playa Blanca region is known as dry belt of Panama. The ocean here is mostly quite and warm all over the year. That is why the best panama beach resort are located here. Whatever hotel you’ve choice.
DAY 11
Transfer to Tocumen International Airport.
