Panama City

Arrival to our Panama City Hotel

Panama Canal

First we’ll visit The Miraflores Visitor Center, where visitors have the opportunity to observe transiting vessels from a distance of only a few meters and learn first hand about the various operations of the Panama Canal, the history of its construction, its participation in the world markets, and the importance of its watershed.

Casco Viejo

Then we’ll tour around the modern city and then we’ll continue to the Casco Antiguo and enjoy walking along alleys and colonial buildings, ruins and streets of stone, and museums and antique churches, where three styles of construction are combined: Spanish, French, and Italian.

You’ll be picked up at the Hotel at 8AM and transferred to El Corotu on the shores of the Madden Lake, which is the main reservoir of drinking water for the cities of Panama and Colon, as well as a supplier of 40% of the water required for the operation of the Panama Canal. Here, we board a motorized piragua (dugout canoe) and travel up the Chagres River to an Embera indigenous village. The boat journey takes us through the rainforest of the 320,000-acre Chagres National Park, which is the largest of the National Parks protecting the Panama Canal Watershed. Once at the indigenous community, we’ll learn about Embera customs and their relationship with nature. There will be handcrafts available for sale and we’ll have a chance to be painted with the traditional jagua, a natural dye the Embera use to adorn their bodies. We will have lunch (fish & fried green plantain) prepared by the Emberas.

Santa Clara

Today we will leave for the Azuero Penisnula, which is located just north of the center of Panama along the Pacific coast of the country; but first we will make a stop at Playa Santa Clara, located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, where we will enjoy the sun and the breeze for a few hours, as well as enjoying delicious dishes. While at the beach, you can enjoy spending a pleasant time at the oceanfront ranches.

Chitre

Then we’ll continue our journey to Azuero. Overnigt at Chitre for the next 2 nights.

Chitre

The Cutarra Experience is an initiative to promote cultural tourism. From the Pre - Hispanic era in Panama the cutarra is manufactured by hand, which over the years became the footwear of the rural workers of the interior of the country, who originally used it for the daily work in the field. The experience includes making the cutarra for each participant and enjoying a delicious "Sancocho" (chicken soup), a typical dish.

Chitre

After this great experience, we’ll continue to a workshop of a craftsman of “Máscaras de Diablicos” (Devil masks). The Diablicos Sucios (The dirty devils) are typical characters who perform one of the most popular dances in the country. They appear during popular festivals, their dances and colorful costumes roam the streets, along with various dances.

Las Tablas

Today we’ll visit an artisan who makes the Panamanian Pollera, considered the most beautiful typical costume in the world. Today's lunch will be prepared by you with your hosts; Yes, you read that correctly, it will be quite an experience to help your hosts prepare a delicious typical Panamanian lunch!