Panama Eco-Adventure Family Vacation

Day 1: Panama Canal

Mid-morning, we’ll meet at our luxury resort about 30 minutes outside Panama City. The setting is sensational: right in the middle of Soberania National Park Rainforest on the banks of the Chagres River and the Panama Canal. We’ll walk right from our resort on an easy trail that leads us right down to the dock on the banks of the river, from where we sail across Gatun Lake, weaving among gigantic cargo and passenger ships. This lake is the part of the passage that crosses the Continental Divide from Gatun on the Atlantic to the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side. During this day, we’ll also catch a first glimpse of Panama’s wildlife such as green iguanas, crocodiles, whitefaced capuchin monkeys and osprey on the hunt for peacock bass. 

Day 2: Embera Village

After breakfast, it’s jungle adventure time as we climb into traditional piraguas (dugout canoes) and paddle up the Chagres River. It’s quiet and almost prehistoric the way the rainforest crowds the river like a tall wall of green on each bank. Ashore, our families meet up with the families of the Embera tribe, one of country’s seven remaining indigenous tribes. Our visit is fun…eye-opening…and a real cultural lesson. Their village sits right on the river where they’ll greet us and welcome us into thatched huts that stand on stilts (equally important protection from rainy season floods and jaguars). We’ll have lunch with them, get to see how they live and play, and learn about their traditions. 

Day 3: Baru Volcano Slopeside Walk

Our day starts with about a one-hour hop to David City, the capital of Chiriqui Province. We’re headed for the highland village of Boquete, but before we reach it our minicoach intersects one of our favorite paths. Everybody who wants to will join our guide for a fun uphill walk on the lower slopes of Baru Volcano. (Younger children or anyone who just prefers to take it easy can stay aboard the minicoach and head directly to our inn where we’ll meet you later.) Keep your eyes peeled for one of the world’s showiest birds, the long-tailed Resplendent Quetzal. In most of their habitats, quetzals are sighted only rarely. But here, the odds are good that you’ll see a male with his ruby, sapphire and emerald plumage. You’ve never seen anything like it—even at a zoo! We meander through cloud forests hung with vines and bromeliads. Part of the trail weaves through a waving bamboo forest. There are waterfalls and orchids, too – in short, just about everything you’d expect in this tropical countryside, all condensed neatly into an afternoon walk. 

Day 4: Boquete

By now, we’ve had good looks at the rainforest from rivers and footpaths. Today, we look up to the treetops. Entire species spend most if not all of their lives above the ground, living in the interlaced branches of the rainforest. Today, we get that bird’s-eye view from zip lines. These cables stretch from platform to platform in the canopy and, safely strapped in, we zip one by one along those lines. It’s almost like flying, one of those experiences none of you will ever stop talking about. (Not to worry: if it’s not your cup of tea, we’ll substitute a walk that keeps both of your feet firmly planted on the ground.) 

Day 5: Chiriqui Viejo or Esti Rivers

No water ride at a theme park will ever be the same after this day! We’ll divide up today according to your preference for the more gentle Esti River or the more adventurous Chiriqui Viejo River. We drive up to the put-in spot through dense rainforests with breathtaking views out over the volcano and the teak plantations in nearby Costa Rica. 

Day 6: Gulf of Chiriqui

Pack your swimsuit today, as we’ve planned an amazing day kayaking and snorkeling along the offshore islands in the Gulf of Chiriqui. The scenic gulf is host to more than 1500 islands and offers everyone the opportunity to explore and island-hop amid a diverse host of plants, animals and mammals. Bring your binoculars because the mangroves, coral reefs, white sand beaches, uninhabited islands and protected waters of Panama are teeming with wildlife. 

Day 7: Boquete - Panama City

After an early breakfast we take a short flight back to Panama City. We will part company at the domestic airport in time for most flights back to the US. Meals: B