La Palma

This is a travel day. We will meet you at the Albrook bus terminal at 7:00am and will take the bus to La Palma, Darien. Upon arrival at the capital of the Darien province we will accompany you to the La Tuira hotel, where you will stay overnight to be ready for your jungle experience, starting the next day.

Darien National Park

At 6:30am you will be picked up from your hotel by one of our staff. After an information session and after a tour of the community you will embark on a fast two-hour boat ride through the beautiful bay of San Miguel before reaching the mouth of the Sambu river. As you progress deeper into the flooded rainforest, the landscape will change as your boat weaves through thick mangrove trees. After two hours we arrive at the Embera village of La Chunga. On the way you will see traditional Embera huts built on stilts and probably some specimen of the local fauna such egrets, herons and, with a bit of luck, a caiman lying on the muddy riversides. ​

Darien National Park

In the morning you will hike on one of the Corredor Biologico Bagre rainforest trails. This is an impressive journey under towering trees through a remarkable ecosystem with an incredible biodiversity: rare animal species such as the black-headed spider monkey (ateles fusciceps) can be spotted with a bit of luck. The beautifully colored poison darts frogs are often seen on the forest litter. Passing under the virescent canopy is like walking over hundreds of years of fallen leaves, billions of insects and more roots than God himself could map on a sunny afternoon. This place is so alive it makes the city seem barren, even with it's millions of people. Here life is at every level, in every direction, with more species that have ever been, and likely ever will be, classified. After dinner back in La Chunga, if weather allows, we will venture out again, into the dark, trying to spot some of the nocturnal species and listening to the jungle come alive.

Darien National Park

You will discover more aspects of the rich Embera culture. Your hosts will tell you about their history, their political organization and take you to their fields surrounding the village. You will enjoy their traditional music and dances. They will explain you how they make their beautiful and unique handicrafts: delicately weaved baskets and masks made with two kinds of palm fibers for the women, spectacular wooden sculptures made of hard cocobolo wood and wonderful small art pieces made of vegetable ivory (tagua) for the men. If the weather allows it you will make a short night walk after dinner.

Darien National Park

After breakfast we will venture out on a traditional Embera canoe and head up the Sambu river to go fishing. The Embera have been in this area for centuries and are still using the same way of hunting for their fish. You will be able to participate in their tradition and learn many interesting aspects about their way of survival in the jungle. If you are lucky you will spot alligators or crocodile lounging on the river banks amongst the many types of mangroves.Note: Itineraries are not bound to specific hours of the day depending mainly on the tides of the Pacific Coast communities in Darien.

Darien Province

After saying goodbye to your Embera hosts, you will leave early in the morning, following the many river turns in the middle of the thick mangrove. You will come back to Puerto Kimba where the public bus will transfer back to Panama City.