Weekend Escape to Panama 3 day Stop Over

Panama City is the perfect Getaway for a short stopover and a weekend Escape. Pack light and escape to a 3-day Stop Over in Panama full of activities. Within 30 minutes from the international airport, you could be relaxing in a boutique hotel in the center of the colonial Casco Antiguo or a top-notch luxurious hotel in the Banking District, close to internationally known restaurants and Jazz Bars. Visit museums, parks, and historical areas all within the Panama City limits, and just slightly beyond these limits, adventure options are endless. Access national parks are known for hiking, birding, biking, kayaking, and cultural encounters or have a day relaxing on the Pacific Coastline or a surfing adventure. Take a train to an area once owned by pirates or transit the engineering masterpiece, the Panama Canal!

Pacific or Atlantic or maybe both?

There are different options if you love the ocean and water sports. You can go surfing in a close beach at the Pacific such as El Palmar and Rio Mar, learn Kite Surfing or go snorkeling in the Atlantic side close to Portobello. Another option is escaping to one of the beautiful islands on the Pearl Archipelago. If on season, the best spots for whale watching.

Panamanian Gastronomy

Panama’s local cuisine infused with fresh local produce, seafood, and other unique ingredients are competing against other great well known culinary destinations in Latin America.  Panama offers a wide choice of restaurants to suit everyone’s taste and budget. From great cuisine and international chefs to real Panamanian food experience.  You need to come and explore the flavors of this unique Central America destination.

International Film Festival (March 26 – April 11, 2020)

If you love cinema and Latin America this is the event for you. Come and experience the International Film Festival of Panama next year.   IFF Panama’s industry program links the experiences of members of the local film industry and that of representatives of the international industry who come to the event, in spaces that feed new possibilities for film production, marketing and distribution. IFF Panama provides tools to strengthen a sector of recognized impact.    Take advantage of the COPA Stopover and discover Panama and amazing Latin American films during the 9th International Film Festival of Panama.

Close National Park and unique biodiversity

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  Soberania National Park

Explore a tropical forest in the heart of Panama City on a tour through the Parque Natural Metropolitano and Ancon Hill. Watch for sloths, birds, monkeys, insects and tree frogs as you hike through the tropical rainforest, and learn the names for Panama’s native plants and animals. Take in sweeping views of the City from the lookout mirador, see flocks of birds erupt from the foliage and experience the tranquility of Panama City’s only wildlife refuge. You can join one of our rainforest adventures and discover why Panama is the Isthmus that changed the world.

Go as a local in Panama

If you want to experience the way of the locals, head to El Mercado del Marisco or stroll in Casco Viejo old colonial town where you will find beautiful shops, , and good restaurants. Our cuisine has received international recognition due to the new generation of young chefs that have raised the quality of our gastronomy by mixing hundreds of years of diversity. Book our gastronomy tour as we are the first tour operator offering this unique experience.

The Best Coffee in the World comes from Panama

Panamanian Geisha coffee set a historical record again, trading the pound at 1,299 dollars in the electronic auction The Best of Panama, which each year sells the best beans in the country.

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On this occasion the protagonists of the new brand was the Lamastus family, with its 100-pound lot Elida Geisha Green Tip Natural, acquired by Saza Coffee, in a bid that lasted six hours and ended up at midnight.

“It is a success for Panama and here we win all Panamanians, because we can proudly say that in our small country we grow the best coffee in the world, proven by international judges,” said the president of the Association of Special Coffee of Panama (SCAP) , Plinio Ruiz, when referring to the auction.

Experts from the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Colombia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates participated in the sale. Greece, Sweden, Ireland, Vietnam, Kuwait, and Spain.

The most expensive coffee in the world is from Panamá!

According to Rachel Peterson, a member of SCAP, the auction results exceeded all expectations concerning those of the previous year, when the best-selling lot achieved the figure of $ 803 per pound.

“For me, the Geisha of Panama is the best in the world, the cup of the Geisha of Panama is sweet and fantastic because it has many fruits,” said recently the American judge Mike Perry.

‘There are delicate flavors to describe, a lot of cocoa, flowers, bergamot, jasmine, it is a variety of combinations of profiles, a fruit salad and we do not rule out that this year’s prices may be higher than last year, because the quality of Panama’s coffee is superior, ‘said expert Vincent Wang during the international tasting last May.

Study Abroad in Panama

Despite its small size, Panama is one of the most biodiverse places in the world with more plant species than in all of Europe. Our academic tours gives you in-depth insights of the natural history and biodiversity of Panama by visiting tropical rainforests, cloud forests, wetlands, mangrove forests and volcanic mountain ranges.

EcoCircuitos Panama  is an qualified, in-country partner for high schools, middle schools, and academic travel groups that want to provide a unique and authentic worldwide travel experience for their students.  Our office team and naturalist and history guides will work side-by-side with teachers, student leaders, high schools and universities to plan, organize, and lead student adventure programs through Panama.

EcoCircuitos Panama has been running Academic and Adventure travel since 2003 and we have the the experience, valuable relationships with the best partners in town.  We offer local knowledge and expertise on how to discover the Isthmus that changed the world.

Our Motto:  Adventure, Conservation and Education!

Video by Hannover College Indiana students on their trip to Panama with us in May, 2018

Tropical Fruits in Panama

I love tropical fruits.  Some fruits as the Guanabana has a bitter-sweet flavor and other fruits are so sweet such as a good Mango or mangosteen.

Some of my favorite fruits that you should try in Panama are:

1.  Guanábana:  Is a large fruit whci can be up to 42cm long and weight up to 4kg.  Th shape is ovoid and curde at the lower end with thin, shiny, dark green skin that is covered with thorns.  The inside flesh is delicious, white, juice and bitter-sweet.  One of my favorite tropical juices is the Guanabana and you can eat if fresh fruit, juice or as a sorbet.
2. Mango:  definitely one of my favoritefruites.  Is aromatic, sweet and tasty.  There are so many different varieties of mangos and in Panama you have many different options.   The most common way to eat it is as a whole fresh fruit.  The pulp however is used for chutney, jellies, and juices.
3. Mangosteen:  this is also a delicious tropical fruit.  Is round, fleshy with a diameter between 6 and 7cm and smoth skin.  The flesh is white and sweet and very juicy.  It is a very delicate flavor and is eaten fresh.  This fruit has a lot of vitamin C, B1 and B2 and is exellent source of potassium and calcium.
4. Tamarindo:  this small, round fruit mainly brown in color can be made into jellies, sauces and juices.  This fruietaids digestion and helps gastritis and gastroenterities.  My grandmother used to made tamarind balls with sugar as a candy when we were kids.  Amazingly delicious.

Discover this and more tropical fruits when travel with us.  Panama will surprise you for our diversity.  Contact us info@ecocircuitos.com

 

Boquete: A must-visit place in Panama

By Raffaelle Capamolla, intern

Have you already been to Boquete? If you are in Panama, this is a place you must visit! Boquete is the town, where Panama’s greatest coffee comes from. The many Coffee farmers produce and export one of the world’s best coffee. Of course, the small town is not a producer of big Volume, but definitely of great quality, such as the Geisha coffee.

river rafting in boquete

gone hiking

horseback riding in the highlands

Surrounded by the central mountain range and the Barú Volcano, it is also the place in Panama, where you’ll find cooler temperatures, compared to the rest of the country.  It is in fact an ideal place for people escaping the hot and humid weather in the lowlands.

You will even find fresh strawberries and savor many different types of honey! Boquete is just different to the rest of Panama. Nationals and Travelers from all around the world also come every year to assist to its main attraction, the Festival of Flowers and Coffee.

Not only the great fresh climate, the flowers, finest coffee, fruits and beautiful surrounding make this town unique, but especially the friendliness of the people living in this charming place. The people will let you feel at home and are very helpful!

If you plan to hike the Quetzal Trail and admire the resplendent Quetzal bird, or to hike to the top of Volcan Barú, Panama’s highest point, where you’ll have an amazing view over the pacific and the Atlantic Ocean, Boquete is a great hub to overnight. You can stay in Hotels, hostels, ecolodges, or even in a coffee farm. Imagine waking up to a cup of locally grown, roasted and ground coffee!

Boquete is a great spot for Adventurers from all ages: You practice do Zip Line, Biking, White Water Rafting, horse back riding, rock climbing, trekking, camping and much more! Of course Boquete is great for taking it easy too, and just let your traveling companions do the adventuring.

EcoCircuitos is your local expert when it comes to real experiences in Boquete. We’ve been exploring the area for many years, so whether coffee tours, guided hikings, birdwatching or tailor-made tours, we would love to organize an unforgettable trip for you!

Contact annie@ecocircuitos.com and visit our website http://www.ecocircuitos.com

 

 

 

Do you like Sloths?

 

 

http://www.ecocircuitos.com

 

 

Inauguration of the amplification of Causeway

By Raffaele Capomolla

Last Saturday the President of the Republic of Panama Juan Carlos Varela inaugurated the amplification of the “Calzada de Amador” or also called “Causeway”, which has been constructed to increase the touristic potential in this iconic area. The Causeway counts with playgrounds, sports fields, resting places, hotels and restaurants. Walking through Causeway also allows you to enjoy a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean, Bridge of Americas, Panama City’s skyline and also the breathtaking giant boats entering the canal.

The Causeway has been constructed in 1903 using the Rocks which were excavated from the construction of the Panama Canal and is today the second longest boardwalk in the City. Historically the Causeway has a great importance, as it dates back to the colonial time of the Spanish; the treasures that were brought from Peru by the Conquistadores were landed using the four islands. Then, from 1915 until World War II, the Causeway was used by the United States as a military base and powerful defense system. It was only in 1996 when the Country of Panama became the proprietary of the Causeway and all the Panamanians finally had complete access to the area.

Come and discover this and much more beautiful sights in Panama!

 

A day in the Tropical Rainforest

By Raffaele Capomolla

Yesterday the EcoCircuitos team had the great pleasure to offer a morning rainforest tour to a group of travelers from Australia.  This group has been exploring different sights of Panama and yesterday  they have a wonderful day in the Rainforest.  We want to share with you some of the pictures of this trip.   Our guests enjoyed a delicious lunch with a stunning view over the rainforest and having some very beautiful Hummingbirds to bear company.

Our guests enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Rainforest Discovery Center, an environmental facility that focus on birds habitats.  They learn about the efforts in Panama to support conservation throughout the tourism industry.   The place offers stunning views over the rainforest and having some very beautiful Hummingbirds to bear company and to practice Photography.

Our naturalist guide Kenny Weeks was explaining the group about how Panama is the Isthmus that changes the world by becoming a bridge between continents and offering different interpretations of the tropical rainforest.

As  Tony Coates  mention in an interview “All the animals of South America would be unique marsupials, like in Australia, very different to today because they would never have been invaded and overtaken by all the species that colonized from North America. The Caribbean and the East Pacific would be one ocean with similar species; today they are very different with corals reefs abundant in the Caribbean but without large supplies of commercial fish, whereas the Pacific has few small coral reefs and large important commercial fisheries. Humans from Asia might not have reached South America via the Bering Land Bridge from the north so different kinds of humans might have arrived, say, from Polynesia. Columbus might have sailed on to Asia! The Ice Age would have been different and Europe’s ports might freeze every winter like the Saint Laurence seaway does. El Niño and climates in other parts of the world might have been different in ways that we still do not fully understand.”

After lunch the group went for a nice hike through the trails surrounding the Rainforest Discovery Center at the core of the Soberania National park, more precisely the Pipeline Road called ‘Camino del oleoducto’, and went up to the top of the tower which has an incredible view over the tree tops. With a little bit of luck, you can see Monkeys, Sloths and beautiful birds in this amazing National Park.

For more information on this tour and others please click here

Birdwatching: Hummingbirds

Panama’s birds are not shy.  Depending on the season, location and luck you can expect to see many different species in one day.   Of all the vast variety of bird species in Panama, the hummingbirds are of our favorite.  There are more than three hundred species of hummingbirds in Panama constituting the family Trochilidae, many of which have romantic names, such as the green-crowned brilliant, the purple-throated mountain gem and some other with more beautiful names.   The fiery-throated hummingbird, for example is a glossy green, shimmering iridescent at close range, with a dark blue tail, violet-blue chest, glittering coppery orange throat, and brilliant blue crown set off by velvety black on the sides and back of the head.  Some males take their glamorous plumage one step further and are bedecked with long streamer tails and iridescent mustaches, beards and visors.

These little, high-speed animals are so named because of the hum made by the beat of their wings; at up to one hundred beats per second, the hummingbird’s wings move so rapidly that they are often undetectable by the naked eye.  Hummingbirds are often seen hovering next to flowers, from which they extract nectar and insects with their long, hollow, and extensile tongues forked at the tip.  Alone among birds, they can generate power on both the forward and backward wing strokes, a distinction that allows them to fly backwards.

Hummingbirds are loners and they bond with the opposite sex only for the few seconds it takes to mate.  Many, such as the fiery-throated hummingbird, are violently territorial.  With luck, you might witness an impressive aerial fight between males defending their territories.   Come to Panama for birdwatching this season!  Contact us for more information at info@ecocircuitos.com

 

 

 

Quotes for the week

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes. – Marcel Proust

One’s destination is is never a place, but rather a new way of seeing things.  – Henry Miller