Escorted Tours and Holidays in Panama

But head away from the Canal and you’ll find rugged highlands thick with rainforest, spectacular surf breaks and unspoilt Caribbean island chains where indigenous groups still paddle the waves in dugout canoes. The interior is defined by cloud forest and coffee plantations, home to an astonishing diversity of wildlife including more than 900 species of bird. At the southern tip of Panama is the notorious Darién Gap, the only break in the 19,000-mile-long Pan-American Highway, where the road peters out and thick jungle separates Central and South America.

Touring Highlights of Panama

• The Panama Canal changed the world when it opened in 1914, shaving some 8,000 miles off shipping routes between the Atlantic and Pacific, and it’s an absolute must-see.
• The air is cooler up in the highlands around Boquete, where you’ll find coffee plantations, hot springs and beautiful scenery. It’s also a birdwatching hotspot.
• Visiting the tropical San Blas islands, just off the Caribbean coast, is a real privilege. This hard-to-reach archipelago is home to the indigenous Kuna people, who still follow a deeply traditional way of life.
• The wealth generated by the Canal is reflected in the glittering skyscrapers of Panama City, Central America’s most cosmopolitan capital.
• The Bocas del Toro archipelago is a step back in time to the Caribbean as it was before mass market tourism, a set of sleepy islands fringed by brilliant white beaches.