Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Boat Trips
River Trips
Partial canal transits through the Miraflores Locks are the best way to appreciate the
canal, and one of the highlights of any trip to Panama. Another great option is to watch
wildlife from a kayak on Lago Gatún. In the Darién, tours cruise up Río Mogué to an
Emberá village. In the Wekso sector of the Parque Internacional La Amistad, travelers
can explore indigenous villages heading upriver on motorized dugouts.
Ocean Trips
The 226km-long Archipiélago de San Blás is a thrill for ocean explorers. Run as an
autonomous region by the Kuna, it has hundreds of coconut-fringed islands and islets
surrounded by turquoise waters. Independent travelers can travel by small boat between
the islands, or charter sailboats through the area and even continue on to Colombia.
Hiking
Panama offers everything from dry tropical rainforests and highland cloud forests to hu-
mid jungles and blistery mountain peaks.
Starting near the capital on the shores of the canal, Parque Nacional Soberanía con-
tains a section of the historic Sendero Las Cruces. Closer to Panama City, Parque Natural
Metropolitano boasts a number of short but rewarding hikes in plush rainforest that liter-
ally skirts the edge of the capital.
Popular highland retreats include Boquete, El Valle (nestled into the extinct volcano
now known as Valle de Antón), and Santa Fé, surrounded by rivers, waterfalls and cloud
forests. All feature hikes in a pristine mountain setting.
Chiriquí is home to two of Panama's most famous hikes, namely Volcán Barú and
Sendero Los Quetzales in Parque Nacional Volcán Barú. While Los Quetzales is more
scenic in poor weather, ascents up Barú, which is Panama's highest peak, can offer views
of both oceans on a clear day.
Recommended remote destinations include the Las Nubes sector of the Parque Inter-
nacional La Amistad. With trails only accessible with a guide, it is as rugged and un-
chartered as Central America gets.
