Panama – A Self Drive Family Adventure

Welcome to Panama, The land with abundance of fish, butterflies and trees!

After migration procedures, our representative will meet you at the airport to assist with your transfer to your hotel.

Panama City

Panama’s iconic capital city and commercial center is like nowhere else in Central America, where big business and giant skyscrapers meet cobbled colonial streets and a mix of cultures formed by centuries of immigration and trade. It can seem chaotic at times, but there’s plenty of fun to be had, especially around the vibrant UNESCO-listed Old Town – Casco Viejo – where many of the best bars, restaurants and hotels are found.

Home to the country’s main airport and located on the Pacific Coast, within a couple of hours you could be lazing by the beach, exploring lush rainforests or sailing along the famous Panama Canal. Take a look at our hand-picked experiences to make to most of your time in this unique city.

Today you will be picked up at your hotel for a partial Panama Canal crossing, providing the opportunity to experience the Canal from a completely different- and unique perspective!

The Panama Canal Partial Transit offers you the opportunity to cruise through Pedro Miguel Locks and Miraflores Locks (two of the three lock sets of the Panama Canal), on a 250 passenger ferry. During low season from April through November the tour runs mostly on Fridays and Saturdays and during high season from December through March from Thursdays through Saturdays. The Panama Canal celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2014.

Optional Specialist Trip – may require an extra day in Panama City

Panama Canal behind the scenes

Pick up at your hotel in Panama City, for a short transfer to Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal. A specialized guide of the Panama Canal meets you there and introduces you to some of the most important and unique details of this marvel of engineering. You learn about the history and construction of the first set of locks and with a little luck you can watch massive vessels transit through the locks. This VIP experience includes access to areas restricted to the public, and weather permitting you to have the unique opportunity to get a much closer view of the locks and the operations.

Please note that the use of long pants and closed shoes is mandatory. A liability waiver needs to be signed, and the acceptance and planning of this special experience is subject to approval by the canal authorities.

On this day you receive your rented car vehicle for the rest of your trip! Let’s drive to Santa Fe

Lodging in a simple yet beautiful hotel, in a room with a view on the mountains, where you feel the tranquility of nature all around. Afternoon at leisure to explore the surroundings and the small town of Santa Fe. Late afternoon you enjoy a walk and a pop-up-dinner at a very special location!

This morning you’ll head towards the pristine Santa Fe National Park, where you’ll be surrounded by mountains. The drive is around 4 hours, crossing Los Santos and Herrera provinces, until you arrive in the famous Veraguas province. This evening, you’ll enjoy a special dinner and settle into your new surroundings.

Santa Fe National Park – Coffee Plantation Dinner

This lovely experience takes place on the outskirts of Santa Fe town, in a coffee plantation with breathtaking views of the National Park. You’ll take a short walk through the farm to see the coffee, plants and fruits grown here, before enjoying an authentic family-style dinner at the rancho, made with locally grown and fresh ingredients from the farm.

Coffee Mountain Inn

 This friendly, family-run inn is on the outskirts of Santa Fe town, surrounded by tropical gardens and with amazing views towards the National Park. Located in an historical coffee farming area, this award-winning property grows their own crop, which you may be lucky enough to try along with your delicious breakfast. Rooms are comfortable and tastefully decorated, providing a homely base from which to explore the region.

Rooms: Double Room – Mountain View Queen, Double Room –

Two Double Beds

After breakfast your local guide takes you out horseback riding. Afternoon at leisure.

Delight with this two to three hours horseback riding experience that will take you through the countryside in Santa Fe. The ride starts from the property to the town, then looping over Bulaba river on dirt roads across the farmlands of the pack. The landscapes across the activity will show you the broad nature of the park.

After breakfast you drive to Golfo de Chiriqul, where you stay at a family friendly oceanfront hotel. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure at the pool and on-site restaurant, or take an optional tour to discover the surroundings.

The Gulf of Chiriqul is one of the highlights of Panama’s Pacific Coast, encompassing 25 islands across both the Coiba National Park and Golfo de Chiriquf National Park. The area is home to a unique maritime ecosystem, with some 79 coral reefs in the surrounding waters, and snorkelers and divers can spot dolphins, sea turtles, starfish and even Humpback Wales throughout part of the year. The islands are home to a variety of animals and birds, as well as a good selection of luxury resorts for those looking to stay a while in this beautiful part of the world.

Hotel Bocas del Mar

 This boutique hotel is located in the fishing village of Boca Chica, looking out over the estuary to the Pacific Ocean. The property has sixteen spacious bungalows set amongst tropical gardens, with two infinity pools, terraces and access to a private cove. With a relaxed bar and restaurant, as well as a range of activities to suit all ages, you’ll have everything you need for a charming stay beside the Golfo de Chiriqui.

Boca Chica is the perfect base to explore the region, locally known as the gateway to the Gulf of Chiriquf Marine National Park, with its many wild green islands, palm-tree-fringed beaches and an incredible variety of wildlife above and below the water. Tours can easily be arranged to explore this stunning area.

Rooms: Quadruple Room – Duplex with sea view ( 2 bedroom)

Today your captain takes you on a boat to discover some of the many islands of Golfo de Chiriqui, slowly navigating the area. You might spot dolphins and of course you will be able to discover the subaquatic works as well, snorkeling.

Golfo de Chiriqui – National Park Cruise

Sail through the stunning islands of Golfo de Chiriqui National Park, enjoying beautiful landscapes and spotting diverse wildlife along the way. During your 4-hour cruise you’ll visit deserted white-sand beaches and have the chance to snorkel over the coral reefs dotted around the islands. These waters are home to dolphins, sea turtles and sting rays, whilst humpback whales also migrate along this coast between July and October. With a little luck you’ll encounter some of these amazing animals.

Today, after breakfast, you are transferred to Boquete. After check-in at your hotel a local guide takes you on a zip-line experience, where you glide through the canopy and observe the rainforest from a birds-eye perspective. After lunch, continue with your eco-adventure, crossing hanging bridges surrounded by nature.

Boquete is a picturesque mountain town on the edge of the beautiful Baru Volcano National Park. With a cool climate and a welcoming small-town atmosphere, it makes a lovely break from the busy cities and the heat of the coast. The area is an outdoor-lover’s dream, with a variety of nature trails to explore, as well as opportunities for climbing, rafting and canopy tours. The rich, volcanic soil around the town results in some wonderful local produce to enjoy, including one of the world’s most sought-after coffees – Geisha.

INCLUDED EXPERIENCES

 Boquete – Canopy Adventure (Shared)

See a different perspective on the stunning landscapes around Boquete, as you take to the sky for a canopy tour through the treetops. You’ll be picked up by 4×4 and driven to the foothills of the Baru Volcano, before strapping in for your zipline ride. You’ll glide through the forest with rivers and waterfalls below you, and can even spot monkeys and perhaps even a resplendent quetzal in the trees.

The canopy tour is around 3km in length, split over a number of cables, and you’ll have full safety equipment along with trained guides. If you prefer something a little more sedate, you can also explore the trail of hanging bridges which leads through the canopy.

Boquete – Hanging bridges (Shared)

A marvelous opportunity to enjoy an elevated perspective of the biodiversity of Panama’s tropical cloud forest. This experience consists in 6 suspension bridges, that cover a 4.5-kilometer route through the treetops within the private forest reserve known as Rio Cristal, bordering La Amistad International Park. A local guide will introduce you to the lush flora and fauna of the area. The suspension bridges range from 70 to 135 meters long and reach heights from 10 to 75 meters above the ground. In addition, you will go along 6 trails that measure from 185 meters to 1.5 kilometers. Enjoy breathtaking views of rivers, waterfalls, and the towering Baru Volcano, a unique experience!

Isla Verde Hotel Boutique

 Isla Verde offers six open, bright and spacious roundhouses and six enchanting suites as well as a little casita. All lodging is situated in a lush tropical garden setting. Every unit is outfitted with bath and kitchen as well as hot and cold water along with cable television. Free wireless Internet is also available for their guests.

The area is great for outdoor activities, such as zipline tree trek, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, volcano hike, coffee tour and more. But you can also enjoy the nice climate and relax as never before in the gorgeous Boquete gardens.

Rooms: Quadruple Room – Cabana grande

Today, after breakfast, your local guide invites you to be part of an amazing adventure, mastering the rapids of a white water river, by raft. A light lunch on the river banks is included.

An amazing 7 hours experience full of adrenaline and consisting in one of the most thrilling activities in the Boquete area and Panama, a journey through Rio Chiriqui Viejo with classic rapids class II and II, besides a stunning jungle scenery and unique wildlife. While in the expedition enjoy a delicious traditional meal in the river shores.

After breakfast, before you travel onwards to the Caribbean coast, you make a stop a local farm where you are introduced to local produce, taste gourmet honey, and see lots of colorful butterflies.

Later, you drop off your rented car in Almirante, and then continue to Bocas del Toro!

Boat: Almirante – Isla Pastores Average travel time: 30 minutes

An idyllic group of Caribbean islands surrounded by turquoise seas near to the Costa Rican border, Boca del Toro province is undoubtedly one of Panama’s highlights. Here the taxis are all boats, and the gentle pace of life makes a perfect ending to any vacation. Across the six larger islands and countless smaller islets there are dense forests filled with native wildlife, and centuries-old communities still maintaining their traditions, whilst the water is great for swimming and snorkelling.

Boquete – Farm Walk, Gourmet Honey tasting and butterfly Garden

Enjoy an immersive nature experience combining a farm walk, butterfly garden, and gourmet honey tasting. On a guided tour of the farm, you’ll learn about bees and observe both traditional and stingless hives (Meliponini). Continue to the butterfly house, home to around 40 species, where you can see every stage of their life cycle-from eggs to dazzling adults.

Finish with a gourmet honey tasting, featuring raw, biodiverse honeys sourced from wild plants, along with unique infusions of herbs and spices. Sample a variety of rare honeys and discover their flavors, benefits, and traditional uses, including stingless bee honey, honey vinegar, and liqueur.

Central Hotel Bocas del Toro, located on Pastores Island in the Panamanian Caribbean, is a peaceful destination surrounded by clear waters, diverse flora and fauna, and a calm atmosphere. It is accessible by a 25-minute boat ride from Colon Island or 12 minutes from Almirante Port, offering a private and tranquil setting within the archipelago. The hotel features architecture that blends with its natural surroundings, waterfront and seaview accommodations, and a combination of Panamanian, Asian, and Spanish cuisine. With personalized service and attention to detail, guests can enjoy an experience connected to the nature and cultural heritage of Bocas del Toro, dating back to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1502.

Rooms: Quadruple Room – Sardis

Quadruple Room – Sardis

The Sardis accommodation, whose name means ‘Joy’ or ‘Happiness’, offers views of the jungle, mangroves and the sea. It has a shared terrace with armchairs near the lounge bar and the Central House. Its decor combines wood and natural elements, with details that reflect the essence of the property.

You may wish to us this day just to relax after your adventures so far but there is plenty to keep you occupied from the hotel itself including off shore snorkelling and stand up paddle boarding

After breakfast your captain takes you to Bocas del Toro Airport, where you and your family take a domestic flight to Panama city. Transfer to your hotel and check-in. In the afternoon you go out for yet another adventure, enjoying a sunset kayak tour in the bay of Panama.

Impressive and thrilling, the Panama Canal entrance is the door to one of the most highly traveled waterways in the world. The striking engineering of the Canal is able to handle more than 12,000 ships per year. Through out the day and night massive ocean going cruises, container ships, yachts and watercrafts of all kinds arrive from different continents.

The Bridge of the Americas is another incredible manmade wonder of this trip. With 1,700 m in length and 120 m high it was the first permanent structure to link North America and South America across the Panama Canal. Paddling in front of the Panama Canal from stable, efficient sea kayaks accompanied by professional guides this venture provides an atypical perspective of Panama’s best sites.

As the sun drops below the horizon, soothing sunset colors of this coastal paddle are enchanting. Bird watching and relaxing on a remote beach urrounded by tropical forest gives a good sense of nature’s handiwork on Pacific coasts. Along the shore common species include soaring magnificent frigates, gliding brown pelicans, darting flocks of parrots and various wading migratory shore birds. Sunset sea kayaking the entrance of the Panama Canal is a half day escapade among the world’s most astonishing man made structures and nature’s equally amazing environments.

Your adventure has come to the end. You will be transferred to the International Airport for your flight back home. We hope you enjoyed your time in Panama!