Premium Panama Monkey Island tour 2023? To get to San Blas you’ve got four options. You can fly from Panama straight into the San Blas Islands, take a sailing boat from Cartagena, take a speedboat from Capurganá, or take the bus from Panama City. Most backpackers travelling between Colombia and Panama choose one of these options. For a good reason: Travelling over the land border, known as the ‘Darien Gap’, can be very dangerous . This is a popular drug trafficking route out of Colombia to Panama and is not safe (plus it’s just untamed jungle the whole way!). See even more information at San Blas Islands.
I know, there are so many incredible historical sites in Mexico so it’s hard to choose which one to visit. However, Chichen Itza is the only one which is one of the 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO site, so it’s a safe choice! The Chichen Itza, Valladolid and Cenote Tour is the highest rated tour on Get Your Guide and it’s also very affordable. This full-day tour will bring you to Chichen Itza where you’ll have time to explore and take photos of the beautiful pyramid. The next stop will be at Cenote Hubiku for a refreshing swim, before a buffet meal. The last stop will be the charming colonial city of Valladolid.
For fans of surfing, beaches like El Borrego, Matanchen Bay, Los Cocos, and Las Islitas are ideal for surfing, especially during the summer when the waves reach great heights. At the famous Ramadas (small restaurants) located at the edge of the beach you can find instructors and rent surfboards. Do not miss this opportunity!
Another very popular island to visit is Saboga Island. Located 35 miles from Panama City the island is easily reached by ferry with the company Ferry Las Perlas. There are only a couple of hotels on the island and the island is home to 10 beautiful beaches. Saboga Island is great to visit for a day trip but if you want to spend a few nights I’d recommend staying at the island below and visiting from there. The ferry to the island leaves from the Trump Tower and costs $98 USD return for adults. Contadora Island is located right next to Saboga Island and is home to many great hotels and restaurants (which makes it more popular for overnight trips.) From Contadora you can easily take a ferry to Saboga Island but stay in nicer hotels and enjoy the beaches on the island too. The ferry to Contadora Island leaves from the same place and costs the same for a return trip.
Explore rowing on a kayak the beautiful Chagres River before it merges at the Gatun lake where the huge vessels and boats transit from Ocean to Ocean. The Chagres river is the main tributary of water of the Canal. A quite waterway, enjoying the sound of the wild life of this dense tropical forest. You might get the opportunity to see a sloth in a tree, a colorful bird peacefully living in the jungle or at the top the water plants, caimans, turtles among many others species of the local fauna. After a short hike to the small port used by the Embera indigenous at Gamboa, the tour last about 1 hour and 20 minutes (in the kayak) always accompanied by our bilingual guide and probably also by an Embera guide from the area who knows the place better than anyone. Read more details at https://taotravel365.tours/.
At Tao Travel 365 we strongly believe in eco-friendly travel and strive to support the environment as well as the local population where we conduct our tours. Read more on our philosophies in About Us. In line with our eco-friendly travel philosophy we only offer tours in exotic locations, away from mass-tourism and the immense carbon footprint. We are nature enthusiasts and enjoy breathing clean air, swimming in unpolluted waters and observing healthy wildlife in its original setting. We have greatly enjoyed all the adventures we are offering and are excited to share them with you.
One of Panama’s top surf destinations is Santa Catalina, on the Pacific Coast. This small but growing town has a laid-back surfer feeling about it. Small guesthouses and hotels, and funky restaurants, force you to slow down and relax. If you aren’t here to surf, great snorkeling and scuba diving spots are nearby, and horseback tours through the surrounding countryside are good options for those not interested in getting wet. One of Santa Catalina’s main draws is Isla Coiba. This lush island, now Coiba National Park, is almost untouched and is considered a biodiversity hot spot, with close to 200 bird species, crocodiles, turtles, and snakes. The scuba diving here is very popular due to the enormous whale sharks that frequent the area. These gentle giants are curious creatures and enjoy interacting with divers. Tours to Isla Coiba can be arranged in Santa Catalina. One of the most fun things to do near Boquete is visiting the local swimming hole at Los Cangilones. Set at a lower elevation than Boquete, the climate here is much warmer, and on hot days you’ll find a fun scene, complete with music, barbecues, food vendors, and Panamanians from far and wide splashing and jumping off the gorge edges into the crystal-clear, warm waters below. In this unique geological place, the river narrows into a gorge before opening up again in a shallow pool at the bottom. Daring adults and older kids jump off the edges into the slowly moving waters and then float down to the bottom, climb out, and do it all over again. Youngsters and visitors who are looking for something a little milder can wade into the shallow waters where the gorge opens up. The walls vary in height, so it depends on how brave you are and how high you want to go. This is very much a family destination.