Romancing in the Gulf of Chiriqui

Take advantage of the COPA Stopover and explore one of Panama’s best kept secrets: The Gulf of Chiriqui.

Day 01: From Tocumen International Airport, take a flight to the capital of Chiriqui, David. From here, head to the small fishing town of Boca Chica, on the Gulf of Chiriqui. The natural beauty of this place is astounding, and still unknown. Check in to a charming boutique hotel and relax.

Day 02: The Gulf of Chiriqui is known for its amazing wildlife and stunning natural beauty. Certainly, a must is to explore part of this! Accompanied by a local captain, sail out and visit some of the islands, feel the warm tropical breeze and the sand between your toes. Go snorkeling, beach combing and enjoy a romantic picnic lunch.

Day 03: Enjoy a morning at leisure. In the afternoon sail slowly through the mangroves along the tranquil river as you observe a variety of birds and other present wildlife. This unique ecosystem is often under looked, but it’s a key environment for many species, whether they are under the ocean or soaring the skies. Finish off with a drink and appreciate the sunset.

Day 04: Unfortunately, your stay has come to an end. But hopefully, you’ll come back soon to discover more of what Panama has to offer. Check out, and head back to David for your flight back to Panama City.

Contact us for rates and more information. info@ecocircuitos.com

Adventure week Panama 2018

During the Adventure Week Panama this past May, the participants from different Continents discover why Panama became the Isthmus that changed the world and a paradise for the outdoor travelers.

The explorers discover a diverse destination filled with natural and cultural beauty and with an incredible history to share with the rest of the world.  Panama surprises the adventure travelers for the cosmopolitan capital,  the legends of Pirates and Conquistadores that fought for the treasures of the Americas, amazing close national parks and trails, good adventures, unique wildlife and a superb gastronomy.

Through kayak, trekking, amazing gastronomic fests, hikes with naturalist guides, snorkeling, boutique hotels and wildlife observation, Panama became the place where friends from around the world united for one week.  We all enjoyed this adventure and we hope to continue receiving new friends from the Adventure Travel Association.

Keep Exploring!!!!

Panama Reading List

You are planning your trip to Panama and it is exciting!  Below you will find some reading material that could help you plan your trip and do some research.  Some of our reading recommendations include books about birds, wildlife, history, culture and more.   Also if you would like to share some other books and articles with us, please feel free to send us an email at info@ecocircuitos.com

Moon Panama (Moon Handbooks)

William Friar

Moon Travel

Frommer’s Panama (Complete Guide)

Nicholas Gill

Frommer’s 

Panama: Puente Biologico

Stanely Heckadon

Instituto Smithsonian de Investigaciones Tropicales

Naturalists on the Isthmus of Panama (A hundred years of Natural History on the biological bridge of the Americas)

Stanley Heckadon-Moreno

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

A Bird-Finding Guide to Panama

George R. Angehr

Cornell University Press

The Birds of Panama

George R. Angehr & Robert Dean

Cornell University Press

A Guide to the Birds of Panama

Robert Ridgely

Princeton University Press

The Path Between the Seas

David McCullough

Simon and Schuster

A Day on Barro Colorado Island

Marina Wong / Jorge Ventocilla

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Reef Fish Identification – Baja to Panama

Paul Humann / Ned DeLoach

New World Publications

Central America: A Natural and Cultural History

Anthony G. Coates

Yale University Press

A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America and Southeast Mexico

Fiona A. Reid

Oxford University Press

A Neotropical Companion (An introduction to the animals, plants, & ecosystems of the New World tropics)

John Kricher

Princeton University Press

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adventure, Conservation and Education

EcoCircuitos is specialized in educational travel experiences. Our guides are experts in their field and provide in-depth insights and understandings from culture and history to biodiversity. These understandings foster authentic travel experiences as well as responsible encounters between travelers and nature, biodiversity and local people. Contact us and experience the real #Panama.

A visit to the Volcano Crater in El Valle

By Raffaele Capomolla

Have you heard about El Valle de Anton? There you will find the crater of a dormant volcano that once used to be the largest of Central America, and it’s located just a 2 hours drive from Panama City. It is a great place for hikers and birders, but also if you just want to escape from the hot and humid weather in the city – this picturesque valley is 600 m above the sea level and offers a cool and pleasant climate. You will find a lot of attractions in El Valle, such as hot springs, canopy zip lines, butterfly gardens, waterfalls, rock climbing and hikes for all abilities!

Ecocircuitos offers exciting tours to visit The Crater of El Valle de Anton; just contact sales@ecocircuitos.com if we can help you with more information just let us know.  Our guides will made the difference and will take you to the secret spots in this natural jewel.

 

Secret Tip: Do you want to try the best Cheese-empanadas of Panama? Well, so you should absolutely go to Quesos Chela! It’s just in the middle of the way to El Valle, it’s a MUST-Stop, trust me!

 

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

 

 

 

Hot Pick: SkyWalk in the Highlands

Paradise Getaway: Tavida Lodge

Going up the road on the edge of the volcanic crater of El Valle de Anton offers spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the coast line of Panama province. Following the windy steep mountain road surrounded by beautiful nature will eventually take you into the region of Posada La Vieja, with conic peaks rising up from lush forests. The Villa Tavida Lodge is located in the middle of those mountains in a private nature reserve, surrounded by beautiful gardens and a spectacular waterfall. You clearly entered a private little paradise here in this charming boutique hotel surrounded by beautiful gardens and spectacular views. Don’t miss out to try the delicious home-made dishes and organic products made out of a delicious local blueberry!

The Taste of Panama

Try our EcoCircuitos chocolate and have a pure taste of Panama! Our fine dark chocolate is harvested in the lush region of Bocas del Toro, where the fresh air of the rainforest and a light salty sea breeze give the cocoa fruits a special flavor. You can taste the old knowledge and traditional harvesting processes of the indigenous Ngoebe people, and their deep respect for the “brown gold”.

Oro Moreno

Cacao Farms

And you taste the passion and commitment of EcoCircuitos, who donate 100% of every bar of chocolate sold to their partner organization APTSO.org, the Organization for Sustainable Tourism in Panama. You taste passion for responsible tourism and its contribution to conservation and sustainable development. You taste respect and fairness combined with in-depth insights in the culture, the people and biodiversity of Panama. You taste responsible outdoor adventures that take place without endangering natural environments and their inhabitants. And you taste the happiness of indigenous people, whose education is supported by scholarships of APTSO.

This is the fine taste of fair and responsible circulations; of Panama`s beautiful environment and its inhabitants, cultures and travelers being in harmony and benefiting from each other.

If you want more, join the EcoCircuitos chocolate tour and become a witness of the traditional manufacturing processes and old Ngoebe cultures in Bocas del Toro!