Nature and Tropics
in Panama

Pacific coast and Darién forests

On the edge of the southeast, the Darién marks the end of the Pan-American Highway and the beginning of an almost impassable world. This wooded territory, between mangroves and dense tropical forest, is home to rare biodiversity and the Emberá communities, who maintain a close bond with their environment. Exploration is accompanied, often by pirogue, on the Río Chucunaque. Macaws, howler monkeys and the occasional jaguar lurk out of sight.

Tropical archipelagos: Coiba and Bocas del Toro

Off the Pacific coast, the island of Coiba preserves the traces of a former penal colony. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is a marine refuge and starting point for diving in the warm waters of the Gulf of Chiriquí, among manta rays, sharks and schools of multicolored fish. Further north, Bocas del Toro presents another tropical face: villages on stilts, mangrove-lined coves, secondary forests populated by sloths and colorful frogs. Afro-Caribbean culture adds a sonic and culinary dimension.

Chiriquí mountains and cloud forests

Inland, Boquete and the heights of Chiriquí offer a stark contrast. Here, cloud forests, high-altitude coffee plantations and the trails of the Barú volcano provide a cooler breath. It’s a different, slower pace, punctuated by suspension bridge crossings, patient ornithology (the quetzal nests in the region), and nights in accommodation integrated into the landscape.

Encounters and seasons

The best time for these itineraries is between January and April, when the dry season allows easier access to remote areas, without obliterating dense plant and animal life. These tours are not for those seeking to « do » a country, but for those willing to listen to it – through the wind in the foliage, the silence of the mangroves or the story told by an Emberá guide.