THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Panama - page 112

Punta Patiño in the Darién and the birding expertise are likely to be worth the extra outlay,
but the inflated rates for a Panama Canal transit or Emberá village tour are harder to justify.
Aventuras Panamá No 32, C 63 Oeste 260 0044, aventuraspanama.com . Adventure is
the name of the game here, in particular kayaking and whitewater rafting down a variety of
rivers within a couple of hours of Panama City in Panama and Coclé provinces.
Barefoot Panama 6780 3010, barefootpanama.com . Well-regarded US-run organiza-
tion specializing in customized adventure and eco-tours to cater for all tastes, both single and
multi-day itineraries.
Ecocircuitos Albrook Plaza, 2nd Floor, No 31 314 0068, ecocircuitos.com . Actively in-
volved in promoting sustainable tourism and supporting several community-based projects,
this outfit offers a wide range of day- and multi-day excursions including sea kayaking,
jungle trekking and yoga retreats.
Emberá Tours 250 1165 or 6519 7121, emberatourspanama.com . Run by Garceth
Cunampio, an English-speaking Emberá guide who organizes excursions to villages up the
Chagres, as well as birdwatching trips to the Darién.
Expediciones Tropicales 317 1279, xtrop.com . Focusing on river and sea kayaking in
the canal area and in Guna Yala, the company has a high number of indigenous staff and
works closely with indigenous communities.
My Friend Mario 253 6500, myfriendmario.com . Popular local outfit from La Chor-
rera offering inexpensive day-trips for budget travellers - the Emberá village tour is particu-
larly good value.
Panama Exotic Adventures 314 3013, panamaexoticadventures.com . French-run or-
ganization (with Spanish and English also spoken), specializing in multi-day adventure trips
to the Darién (and Guna Yala).
Panamá Orgánica 6079 6825, panamaorganica.com . Small outfit offering customized
budget tours to hard-to-access areas such as the Darién and Guna Yala, working with local
communities and independent operators. Can also help arrange transport to Colombia and
day-trips from Panama City.
Sendero Panamá 6429 8163, senderopanama.com . Run by certified bilingual naturalist
guides, at the more expensive end of the market, this company offers a range of acclaimed
day-trip and multi-day adventures.
Whale Watching Panama 6758 7600, whalewatchingpanama.com . Offers pricey day-
trips from Panama City in small boats round Taboga (from $125) and the Islas Perlas ($200)
to spot humpback whales in the migration season (July-Oct). Sightings in the latter are al-
most guaranteed.
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