5 Days / 4 Nights in Panama

Day 1: Panama City

Meet at Tocumen International Airport. Transfer to the hotel in Panama City. Check-in and free time.

Day 2: Anton Valley

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the tour to El Valle de Anton – Anton Valley at 08:00 AM.

Anton Valley gets its name from the stratovolcano “Caldera El Valle de Anton,” with a radius of 6 km, formed about 1.1–1.3 million years ago. Thousands of years ago, people settled here. Now the caldera houses the town of El Valle de Anton. Panama City and Panama Province are two completely different worlds. The bustling metropolitan life represents modern Panama. Traditional Panama is calm and quiet, cozy, unhurried, and very hospitable. The town is located in a volcanic crater. There are fewer than ten places on the planet where people have settled in a volcanic crater. One such place is in Panama. It has a unique climate, very mild and comfortable, almost like eternal spring. Throughout the year, the average temperature is 28 degrees Celsius, and the average night temperature is 20 degrees, with slight fluctuations between summer and winter.

El Valle de Anton has many attractions: the Central Market (a more colorful place is hard to find), where they sell vegetables, fruits, souvenirs, flowers, including orchids. It is especially crowded and interesting on Sundays when residents from nearby villages come with their goods. They make ceramics, sculptures, and utensils from local tree species, soapstone products, which are rare on the planet, found in two places: India and Panama. Here, local sweets made from coconut, semi-precious stones mined in the surrounding mountains, are sold.

The town’s population mainly descends from the indigenous Guaymi tribe. They lived here before the arrival of European conquerors. A peculiar symbol of the valley is the mountain “Sleeping Indian,” named after a girl whose legend is passed down from generation to generation. At the market, you can find many souvenirs depicting this mountain. Another attraction is the “Chorro del Macho” waterfall – the largest in the area, with water cascading from a height of 70 meters. Canopy trails are laid above the waterfall. Those who wish can climb to the first platform with instructors and descend on ropes. One of the flights, 130 meters wide, passes over the waterfall, and you’ll be stopped midway to take a souvenir photo. The view from above of the cloud forest is breathtaking. Downstream, there is a natural pool with running water where you can swim. In hot weather, this is especially pleasant. The water temperature is 26-28 degrees. During the tour, you will also visit the private zoo and botanical garden “El Nispero.”

Lunch is not included in the tour. The guide on-site will recommend restaurants. Canopy tour is available for an additional fee.

Day 3: Visit to San Lorenzo Fortress and Agua Clara Lock

At 08:00 AM, we head to the Caribbean coast. Crossing to the right side of the canal via the new bridge opened on August 2, 2019, we proceed to the San Lorenzo reserve, where, at the edge of the land, on a cliff, 25 meters above sea level, stands the majestic San Lorenzo fortress, built by the Spanish in 1596. It offers a magnificent view of the Caribbean Sea and the mouth of the Chagres River. Panama’s Caribbean coast, with its beautiful wild beaches, islands, and bays, holds the history of great conquests by conquistadors and daring pirate attacks. The names of Francis Drake, Henry Morgan, Edward Vernon, and other buccaneers are inextricably linked with the fortresses of San Lorenzo and Portobelo. To protect their treasures from the attacks of sea robbers, Spanish King Philip II ordered the construction of several fortresses on the Caribbean coast, most of which have survived to this day: San Lorenzo, San Jeronimo, Santiago de la Gloria, San Fernando, and San Fernandino. In 1980, all colonial buildings and fortresses of the 17th-18th centuries on Panama’s Caribbean coast were listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

During this tour, we will also visit the new “Agua Clara” lock on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal. The “Agua Clara” lock is a new lock that began operations on June 26, 2016. Large vessels called PANAMAX or NEOPANAMAX pass through it from the Caribbean Sea. It operates on the same principle as the old locks: lowering or raising ships 26 meters above sea level. This lock has three chambers. The visitor center is located on a cliff, offering a great view of ship movements. Telescopes are installed. You can see Lake Gatun and the ships waiting their turn to enter the canal. The visitor center shows a film about the lock’s construction. Sightseeing and return to Panama City by car. The journey takes about 2 hours. Arrival in Panama City. Lunch is not included. Recommendations from the guide on-site.

Day 4: Taboga Island

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the tour at 07:30 AM The famous Taboga Island is located in the eponymous district and is an archipelago in Panama Bay. Only 12 nautical miles separate the island from Panama City, and the ferry ride takes 30 minutes each way. The seaside offers endless entertainment. Scuba diving enthusiasts will find beautiful corals and mollusks here. The calm waters form a small pool – an ideal place for swimming or kayaking. Besides numerous beach activities, the island is perfect for hiking along narrow streets from colonial times. The island also has many restaurants offering food, ice cream, and drinks at reasonable prices. On the island, you’ll find homes of famous people who came here to escape the noisy metropolis. The colorful and ornate design of some homes will make the trip even more enjoyable.

Included:

• Round-trip ferry tickets. Free Wi-Fi on board.
• 1-hour historical tour with a guide in English or Spanish.
• Lunch: fish in garlic sauce or Creole-style chicken with coconut milk rice, salad, dessert, and one drink of choice (alcoholic or non-alcoholic).
• Beach lounger and umbrella.
• Shower and toilet.
• Mask and snorkel for diving. After returning from the island, transfer to the hotel.

 

Day 5: Panama City Sightseeing Tour

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the tour at 08:00 AM

Panama City, founded by conquistadors in the 16th century, was the first Spanish city and port on the Pacific coast. Today, there are two Panama Cities: Old Panama (Panama Viejo) and New Panama. In Old Panama, there are only ruins of 17th-century cathedrals, monasteries, and bridges. New Panama is a beautiful modern city, with a well-preserved Colonial part (Casco Antiguo), where many structures from that era remain. This part of New Panama is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is protected. A 6-hour city tour includes a visit to the Archaeological Park “Panama Viejo” and its museum. We will also visit the old and modern parts of the city. We will see the canal residential zone – the ex-zone where Americans involved in canal construction lived, and one of the most beautiful streets in the capital – Balboa Avenue, stretching along the Panama Bay coast. Casco Antiguo is a colorful city district with narrow streets, squares, and parks, where much of the country’s history, undergoing another revival and reconstruction, is preserved. We will visit the National Theater, one of the most expressive examples of neoclassicism in Panama. We will walk through France Square, visit the Church of San Jose and learn about the history of its unique Golden Altar, and see a remarkable nativity scene displayed at Christmas 2017. Bolivar Square features a monument to Liberator Simon Bolivar – a national hero of many Central and South American countries. Our route then leads to Cathedral Square, where the Cathedral, reopened after restoration in 2019, stands, along with the Panama Canal Museum and the Municipal Palace. Next, we will go to Amador Causeway – the most surprising area of Panama City, formerly three separate islands in the ocean: Naos, Perico, and Flamenco.

Lunch is not included in the tour. The guide on-site will recommend restaurants. After the tour, transfer to the airport. Departure further on the itinerary.

The program includes:

• Taxes
• Transfers Airport-Hotel-Airport
• Accommodation in a hotel of your choice for 4 nights, breakfast included
• Individual comfortable transport
• 8-hour tour to El Valle de Anton. Lunch not included
• Visit to San Lorenzo Fortress and Agua Clara Lock. Lunch not included
• One-day tour to Taboga Island. Lunch included
• 6-hour city sightseeing tour and to Archaeological Park “Panama Viejo”. Lunch not included
• Ticket to the Panama Canal
• Ticket to Archaeological Park “Panama Viejo”