Isla Iguana Extension

After breakfast at the hotel, the tour starts at the Panama Canal, a magnificent work of engineering, the greatest and most expensive human feat of the time. After 30/40 minutes of route, you will reach the Visitor Center of Miraflores Locks, from which you will be able to see closely the ships moving along the canal and the way it operates. You will then visit the Amador Causeway, which offers one of the city’s most spectacular panoramic views. Lunch will be served in one of the unsophisticated and typical restaurants of the Causeway Amador, where of course, the menu is the catch of the day. We will finish the Old Quarter of Panama City tour, the UNESCO World Heritage site of San Felipe.

After Breakfast, we will head to the pier on the Gatún River, near Buena Vista, to board a motorized canoe, which will take us to the community of Emberá Quera. We will pass through lush, green rainforest and hopefully spot its inhabitants, such as monkeys, butterflies, herons and turtles. Indian Chief of the community will greet us on our arrival and will explain the history of the Tribe. The Emberá are native people of the Darien jungle region, close to the Colombian border. They inhabit the shores of the river in small communities of “tambos”. We will end our tour with a visit to a monkey island, to see its incredible tree-dwellers. We will enjoy a traditional cuisine for lunch, accompanied by a local show of traditional music and dance.

Today, we will head to the domestic airport for a flight to Chitre.  On arrival, we will head to the Cubita Boutique Resort & Spa. After lunch, we will visit the San Isidro Farm, where Panama’s best rum is produced - Ron Abuelo. We will first visit the colonial house belonging to the distillery’s founder: Mr. José Varela. We will continue through the plantations and at the farms' mill. We will see the different stages of the rum production process, from the juice extraction, its fermentation to its distillation. We will then see the rum maturing process, which is done in small oak casks until it reaches different grades. Finally, there will be a rum-tasting, where you will be able to sense their scent, aroma and intensity of the different types of rum and enjoy a typical Panamanian lunch. 

Today, we will head out on a day trip to the Isla Iguana. We will head to Playa El Arenal, in the small town of Pedasí, where we will take a boat, to the Isla Iguana. The Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge was created to protect fifty hectares of sea and land territory in 1981. The island is the habitat of a vast colony of man‐of‐war, birds, crabs and iguanas. Five sea turtles species arrive to the shores to deposit their eggs and the white‐sand beaches, crystalline waters and sixteen hectares of barrier reef are perfect for divers and snorkelers. The reserve protects seventeen species of corals and 350 species of tropical fish. We will head out on a snorkelling excursion to see the magnificent sub aqua landscapes and its inhabitants, followed by some time to relax on the beach. We will then head back to Pedasí for lunch and the onward journey to your hotel.

Today, you will have a free morning and then after lunch, we will be picked up for a trip to Isla Cañas. This island is renowned for its visits of the Olive Ridley sea turtles to deposit their eggs. A sustainable tourism project is working on the island to protect these eggs, which were previously collected for commercialization meaning the species was becoming endangered. We will enjoy dinner on this island which is prepared by the local ladies. We will then head out on a horse-pulled carriage to see these magnificent animal laying their eggs and baby turtles coming out of their shells. The guide will show us how not to disturb these animals during this incredible activity.

After breakfast we will head back to Chitre for our flight to Panama City in time for your ongoing flight back home, or onto your next exciting destination!