The Metropolitan Nature Park is perhaps the only rainforest within a major capital city in Latin America. Despite its proximity to cosmopolitan Panama City, it boasts a great variety of flora and fauna. We will start our wildlife observations by searching for birds like parrots, toucans, antwrens, tanagers, and woodpeckers. We may also find other animals including agouties, tamarin monkeys, sloths, and coatis while we walk through the forest. In addition we will learn from our experienced naturalist guide about the intricate relationships existing between different plants and animals.

Today, we will travel outside Panama City for a journey back in time. We will spend the day with the Embera natives living in the rainforest. With over 320,000 acres the Chagres National Park is the largest protected area in the Panama Canal Watershed.

In the morning we will cruise along the forests of the Chagres River as we search for birds, including herons, toucans, kingfishers; among others. We will certainly enjoy the spectacular scenery. However, the real highlight of this tour is the great cultural exchange. Even though they are found close to Panama City, the Embera retain most of their ancestral traditions. We will learn about the local culture as our host answers all your questions. In addition, you will have an opportunity to buy some hand crafts created by the Embera, including wood and nut carvings, as well as gorgeous baskets with bright colors.

Note: Light traditional lunch included.

The bullion Conquistadors took from the Inca Empire in Peru had one main destination: Spain. The natural choice to do this passage from the Pacific coast of South America to the Atlantic Ocean was Panama. The increasing presence of Spanish galleons filled with gold and silver in Panamanian ports sparked the interest of many privateers, corsairs, and pirates who constantly raided these waters between the 16th and 17th centuries.

We will start our ocean-to-ocean passage by driving some 50 miles from the Pacific shores of Panama City to the shores of the Caribbean Sea. En route, we will stop to learn about the operation of the Panama Canal at the Gatun locks. We will then drive through the recently created San Lorenzo Forest Reserve with chances of spotting some wildlife along the way. The culminating point will be visiting the impressive Spanish Fort at San Lorenzo whose purpose was to protect the mouth of the Chagres River, gateway into Panama City.

Optionally, you may choose to return to Panama City via the first Trans-Continental Railroad in the world, with some of the most beautiful sights of the Panama Canal and the rainforests nearby.

With only 48,287 acres the Soberania National Park contains an outstanding biodiversity including most of the 500 different bird species recorded for the Canal watershed. No wonder the Panama Audubon Society has set world record bird counts here. Besides birds, we can find a great assortment of mammals, insects, as well as tropical plants.

After an early stroll through the national park, we will board our boat for an aquatic sightseeing tour of the rainforests of the Panama Canal. Along the way we will not only see different vessels transiting the Canal, but a variety of fauna, including chances to see howler, capuchin, and tamarin monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, turtles, and even the elusive capybara.

Note: Snacks and soft drinks offered.