Arrival in Panama. Our trip officially begins at 5 p.m. at our hotel in Panama City. We will have group introductions, a trip orientation, and then go out for a welcome dinner. Whenever you arrive, you will be met at the airport by one of our Panamanian representatives and transferred to our hotel. Panama City is quite safe and if you get here early, it's an interesting city to walk around.

Overnight Hotel in Panama City (D)

Today we see the world famous Panama Canal! We'll visit the canal's Miraflores Locks and learn how locks work and watch ships rise (or descend) over 40 feet as they transit through it. The Canal is still vital to world trade today and indeed, without it there isn't world commerce as we know it.

Afterwards, we’ll continue on to Santa Catalina along the InterAmerican Highway, with lunch and stretch breaks along the way. The total transit time is 5 hours. Once there we'll have some time to explore Santa Catalina. Although it is known as one of the best spots to surf and dive in Panama, it's off the beaten track for most travelers and thus a little more laid back than many places of comparable natural beauty. Located right on the Pacific Ocean with beautiful black sand beaches, it's a great place to launch our adventure. Its proximity to Coiba National Marine Park that is the main draw. Often referred to as "Panama's Galapagos", it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The island's tropical forest is home to 150 bird species, including 21 endemic species and rare birds such as the Crested Eagle and the Scarlet Macaw, which have all but disappeared from the rest of Panama. The marine life is equally rich, including dolphins, barracudas, and various species of eels, sharks, rays, and sea turtles.

Overnight Santa Catalina hotel (B, L, D)

We'll set off in the early morning for this island paradise with a local boat captain. During our 90-minute ride we'll keep an eye out for pelicans and brown-footed boobies flying by. We'll register at the ANAM (the government agency that protects this area) Ranger Station and tour the Natural History Museum. After a thorough paddle and safety talk, we'll take a short paddle (less than a mile) to the secluded bay of Playa Machete, where we'll set up our base camp for the trip. After lunch, you can take a swim, lounge in a hammock, or enjoy a snorkel right from our own beach with the potential to see rays, sharks, turtles, and puffer fish. Our camp is often visited by capuchin monkeys, tiger herons, kingfishers, and hummingbirds. We'll finish the day with a tasty meal, a beach-side fire, and gazing at the brilliant night sky.

Overnight camping Coiba Island (B, L, D)

After a hearty breakfast, we'll get ready to paddle about 1.5 miles east to Isla Pepita where various sea life await! We'll have a beach lunch and a snorkel circumnavigating the island, where we'll see a variety of marine life, which may include sea turtles, white tip reef sharks, and a wide variety of tropical fish. If you don't want to snorkel, you can enjoy the beach and swim in its aquamarine bay. After a rest, we'll get back into the kayaks and pass by the ANAM ranger station, where we'll stop in be to have a fresh water shower before heading back to our secluded home on Playa Machete. Appetizers, dinner, and more stargazing await you in the evening before the sound of the waves rock you to sleep.

Overnight camping Coiba Island (B, L, D)

Surrounded by golden finger coral, 'Granito de Oro' (little grain of gold) is on every visitors list! We'll have coffee and breakfast and then pack our kayaks and paddle 2.5 miles to Granito de Oro, enjoying the shores of Isla Coiba along the way, keeping our eyes out for the many sea turtles that call Coiba home! We'll land on a small white sandy beach and have a short swim or snorkel before lunch and the opportunity to circumnavigate the island and see a variety of sea life. After our snorkel we'll relax on the beach before we kayak back along the ranger station, again enjoying our fresh showers before heading back to our beach. This is island life! Spending the days outdoors, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, relaxing - far away from cellphones and the latest news.

Overnight camping Coiba Island (B, L, D)

Just west around the corner we'll kayak 1 mile past the northern-most tip of Coiba Island and land on a beach in beautiful Bahia Rosario! We'll get our gear ready and swim and/or snorkel along the coast of the island to the point where barracuda, trigger, and parrot fish abide. After our snorkel, we'll enjoy lunch and relaxation on the beach before paddling back to the bay we now call home. Are we ready for it to be our last night on the island?

Overnight camping Coiba Island (B, L, D)

After coffee and breakfast, we'll pack up our gear and base camp and paddle back to the ANAM station to drop off our kayaks. A local boat captain from Santa Catalina will pick us up and take us to Mango Beach, where we'll take a 1.5-mile hike and experience the tropical moist forest of Coiba with its strangler vines, ceiba trees, and various bird species. After our short hike, we'll make our way by boat to Afuera Canales or Playa Rancharia for our final lunch and swim in our beautiful marine park. With a 90-minute boat ride back to Santa Catalina, we'll return to our hotel, where hot showers and beds await us, and the sounds of parrots will greet us. We'll celebrate our tropical adventure with a delicious meal at a local restaurant, sharing memories and stories of the time we've spent together.

Overnight Santa Catalina hotel. (B, L, D)

Today we drive back to the capital city. There is free time to explore the city on foot before our farewell dinner. We'll share one final delicious dinner in Panama City at a nearby restaurant.

Overnight Panama City hotel. (B, L, D)

This morning we bid a fond farewell to this country we have come to know and are transferred to the International Airport for our flight home or on to other adventures.