Pacific Jewelry - 12 days

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Welcome to Panama

  Upon your arrival at Tocumen International Airport, you will be greeted by a French-speaking representative and given your travel documents, then transferred to the hotel.

• day 2

  Gastronomic tour in the Casco Antiguo

  Departure in the late morning with your private French-speaking guide for the colonial district. On this route, you will enjoy the best combination of Panamanian gastronomy, rich in flavors. Your gastronomic itinerary begins in one of the oldest restaurants in the country, a true local institution located at the entrance of the district, on the very popular Avenida Central. Continue your journey through the freshly renovated Casco Antiguo, known for its bars, restaurants, and picturesque alleys. Taste chocolate, beer, and national rum. Your guide will then take you through every corner of the district, which will no longer hold any secrets for you. Around the Plaza de Francia, you will admire the view of the modern city and the Bridge of the Americas, with a raspao (local ice) in hand. Aperitif at the popular fish market, where you will savor a delicious ceviche, a must in Panama. In the early evening, return with your driver to your hotel.

• day 3

  Chiriqui Golf

  Private transfer from your hotel to Albrook National Airport. Flight Panama-David, pick up your rental car at David airport. Drive to the hotel. Arrival and transfer by vehicle with private driver to your hotel.

• day 4

  Ile Games and Bolaños

  In the early morning, transfer by lancha (boat) with your local guide to the Bolaños and Gamez islands. Bolaños Island is an uninhabited island with many white sand beaches. This island is covered with forests and has no less than 5 white sand beaches. It is also possible to take walks through the forest and observe green iguanas. Every part of the island is a real treasure.

• day 5

  Santa Catalina

  Route to Santa Catalina. Check-in at the hotel. Veraguas, the largest province of Panama, is characterized by the richness of its agricultural lands, its mountains, and its history. The west of Panama is a very rich region, with pronounced biological diversity, where a mountain range called "EL MONTUOSO" rises. Veraguas is also known for the largest island in the American Pacific, called Coiba Island (used as a penitentiary center between 1919 and 2004).

• day 6

  Visit to Coiba National Park

  You will leave by boat early in the morning with a local coordinator (allow about 1h30/2h00 of navigation). After your registration with the authorities, the rest of the day will be free to enjoy the beach or to discover the local fauna and flora. Depending on the itinerary and weather conditions, you may visit the most impressive islands of the national park (Granito de Oro, Rancheria), of which Coiba is the largest island in the central Pacific. Isla Coiba is part of the national park of the same name, covering an area of 270,125 hectares. Due to its geographical location and size, this island was used as a penitentiary center between 1919 and 2004. Picnic included, then return to the mainland in the early afternoon.

• day 7

  Santa Catalina - Free day

  Free day to enjoy the place or organize excursions. Optional activities and excursions: - Visit to Isla Coiba National Park. - Snorkeling. - Diving.

• day 8

  Pedasi

  Road to Pedasi. Check-in at the hotel. Pedasi is part of the southern part of the Azuero Peninsula, in the province of Los Santos. This region, famous for its carnival, is considered the cradle of Panamanian traditions (music, dance, folk tales, etc.). Pedasi offers you spectacular Pacific landscapes, with sites for practicing water sports, among which fishing and surfing are the most famous in Los Santos.

• day 9

  Visit to Isla Iguana National Park

  Early departure for Pedasi beach where you will board a small boat to Isla Iguana, a marine refuge located 8 km from the coast. The island is famous for its two white sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, mangroves, and coral reefs. You will spot dolphins, small (harmless) sharks, turtles, as well as whales that migrate from cold waters to the Pacific coast of Panama, where the warmer temperatures allow them to give birth to their young (between July and October). The captain and the guide are trained in responsible whale watching and explain many interesting facts about these animals. With a bit of luck, you will observe these giants of the sea. After whale watching, you will have the opportunity to explore the coral reefs with your guide, then relax on one of the paradise beaches. Walk on the island. Picnic lunch included.

• day 10

  Pedasi - free day

  Optional activities and excursions: Visit to a pottery and craft workshop in Chitré Visit to the Pollera Museum in Los Santos. Visit to Iguana National Park. Pottery and crafts. Tasting at the Seco and rum distillery (the national alcohol) in Pesé (between January and April). Visit to Sarigua Desert National Park. Whale and turtle watching (July-December). Snorkeling Surfing Fishing Visit to Isla Cañas Visit to Venao Beach Visit to Toro Beach Visit to Los Destiladeros Beach Visit to El Arenal Beach

• day 11

  Return to Panama City

  Return route to Panama City. Rest of the day free.

• day 12

  Panama Canal

  Departure to the Panama Canal, "the 8th wonder of the world." Visit the Miraflores locks with your private Spanish-speaking driver, from where you can follow the technical operations from a platform, as well as visit the museum recounting the history of the Canal. THE PANAMA CANAL: Started in 1881 by the Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps, its construction caused a great many deaths. The work resumed in 1904 under American administration. More than 75,000 men participated. The first ship crossed on August 15, 1914. In the afternoon, private transfer to the international airport for your return flight to Europe.