Across Panama Self-Drive $2090

On this two weeks itinerary you will cross Panama from East to West with stops at some of the most beautiful and secluded spots of the country. After 3 days in Panama City you will drive to towns and villages that could not be more diverse. The tranquil El Valle and Boquete with exuberant nature, Santiago with its rich cultural life in the heart of Panama as well as unspoiled beaches on the Azuero Peninsula and on Isla Boca Brava: this self-drive program lest you experience Panama and all its facets.

Day 1 Arrival in Panama City :
Upon arrival to Panama you will be met at the airport by our representative and transferred to your city hotel. Panama City is the capital and largest city in Panama. It is home to a diverse blend of cultures and a vast historical sector in the Old City, a district famous for its Spanish fortifications and several colonial buildings. Panama City is a location you will surely enjoy during your visit to this gorgeous country!
Overnight at the Country Inn & Suites Amador, breakfast included.

Day 2 City tour of Panama City & Miraflores Locks :
Your guide will meet you at your hotel from where on you will enjoy a tour of Panama City. You will visit Old Panama, the Casco Antiguo and enjoy a fascinating view on the skyline of modern Panama. The trip continues to the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal. From this point you will have a good look on the giant ships passing by. Free afternoon to spend in Panama City.
Overnight at the Country Inn & Suites Amador, breakfast included.

Day 3 Embera Indians :
Today you will go together with your guide into the heart of the Chagres National Park and visit an indigenous tribe whose way of life has been virtually unchanged for hundreds of years. You learn about their culture and take a peek into the daily life of an Indian village. You will also enjoy a typical lunch at the Indian tribe.
Overnight at the Country Inn & Suites Amador, breakfast included.

Day 4 Drive to El Valle de Anton :
At a time indicated by you, the rental car will be delivered to your hotel and after a short explanation about driving in Panama you are free to explore the country on your own. Drive to El Valle de Anton (approx. 2 hr drive) set in the midst of an extinct volcanic crater. Here you stay for two nights at charming family run guest house Park Eden with lush garden setting.
Overnight at the Park Eden, breakfast included.

Day 5 El Valle :
A free day to explore the El Valle area which is ringed by the lip of the former volcano. Here there are hiking, horse riding, biking and bird watching opportunities and plenty of flowering plants bloom in its "eternal spring" micro-climate. There are small scale local amusements including some natural thermal water, mud baths, petroglyphs and a waterfall plus the delights of must visit gourmet restaurant "Los Mandarinos".
Overnight at the Park Eden, breakfast included.

Day 6 Peninsula de Azuero :
Potter south-west down the Azuero Peninsula in Los Santos Province. This region is the folkloric heart of Panama. The locals have a passion for what they call, "cultura tipica". Here they stitch the national costume - brightly colored, multi-layered, ruffled skirts, "pollera" and make the myriad hued papier-mache masks worn at festivals. This is an arid cowboy ranching region edged by empty Pacific beaches. Stay for two nights on Playa Venado a 1.5km crescent of soft dark sand at the comfortable and attractively furnished Villa Marina.
Overnight at the Villa Marina, breakfast included.

Day 7 Playa Venado :
Day based at Playa Venado. Simply relax on the beach, find a good surfing spot or explore the local area. It is possible to visit either the Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge, an island off the coast at Pedasi where there is snorkeling, or Isla Canas Wildlife Preserve, a sandpit with mangroves and a key turtle nesting site.
Overnight at the Villa Marina, breakfast included.

Day 8 To Santiago :
Leisurely start from the coast and head in-land perhaps via Tonosi and Macaracas (saddle making work-shop) to Santiago, the region's bustling commercial hub. Perhaps make a small side trip north to visit the impressive, ornately decorated church at San Francisco de La Montana. Built in 1727 this pilgrimage site has elaborate carvings, and vibrantly colorful frescos which mix Catholic images with Indian folklore. You spend the night at Hotel La Hacienda just outside Santiago.
Overnight at the Hotel La Hacienda, breakfast included.

Day 9 To Boquete :
The drive from Santiago west towards David is a picturesque one with grazing horses and cattle in the fields; sparkling fields rice paddies, coffee plantations and numerous rivers heading down from the central Cordillera to the Pacific. Then head up into the cloud forest on the eastern slopes of Baru volcano to the growing mountain resort of Boquete. Here you stay for two nights at the delightful, old wooden Panamonte hotel with its attractive public areas and garden.
Overnight at the Panamonte Inn & Spa, superior room.

Day 10 Boquete :
Free day for to explore Boquete. We recommend a visit to one of the high quality local coffee estates to learn all about the process from cultivation to grinding. There are plenty of hiking, bird watching, white water rafting, zip line and hot springs offerings available locally, plus some extraordinary gardens which are open to the public.
Overnight at the Panamonte Inn & Spa, superior room.

Day 11 To the Volcan area :
Drive via David up to the western flanks of Baru Volcano. Here the scenery is most appealing. Perhaps stop off at Sitio Barrilles to admire the local petroglyphs and keen planting of the local family who live there. Then potter through remote rural villages where neighbors vie with each other as if in a "Panama in Bloom" competition. Pass racing stables and fields of brassicas to reach Cerro Punta and perhaps visit Finca Dracula orchid farm. The overnight is at a quirky 1970s time hotel, the Hotel Bambito.
Overnight at Hotel Bambito, breakfast and dinner included.

Day 12 To David then Boca Brava Pacific coast relaxation :
In the morning drive down to David where you will return your rental car. Then you will enjoy a private boat tour through the mangroves to Boca Brava Island in the Gulf of Chiriqui where you stay for three nights at the boutique Cala Mia hotel. This is a beautiful eco-lodge with just 11 cabanas. Boca Brava is one of 100 islands in the Archipelago of Chiriqui marine national park. The park contains many secluded white sand beaches. The forested islands are home to howler monkeys, ocelots, margays, jaguarondis, raccoons, ant-eaters, coyotes; in the bays and ocean there are leatherback and hawksbill turtles, dolphins, whales and a wide variety of other tropical fishes. You have the rest of the day free to relax in the hotel's infinity edge pool or at the beach.
Overnight at the hotel Cala Mia, breakfast included.

Day 13 Cala Mia Hotel :
Relax at Cala Mia, Boca Brava Island. Guests also have unlimited use of kayaks, wind surf, and snorkeling equipment. Optional excursions are also available locally to explore the archipelago (at extra cost).
Overnight at the hotel Cala Mia, breakfast included.

Day 14 Cala Mia Hotel :
Relaxing at Cala Mia, Boca Brava Island on the Pacific coast
Overnight at the hotel Cala Mia, breakfast included.

Day 15 Fly David to Panama City, depart Panama :
In the morning you will enjoy another boat ride back to David where you will be dropped off at the air-port to catch a morning flight to Panama City. You will be met on arrival and transferred to the international airport for your onwards afternoon or evening flight home.

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