Panama & Colombia Tailormade - Canals, Coffee & Cultural Landscapes

Arrive in Panama City, where you will be met at the airport and transferred privately to your hotel in the historic centre. Panama's capital is a fascinating mixture of old and new, where colonial streets and historic churches sit beneath a modern skyline of glass towers.

After checking in, the remainder of the evening is free to relax following your journey.

Today we discover the remarkable history of Panama City, from its earliest Spanish foundations to its role as one of the world's great international cities. We begin at Panamá Viejo, the ruins of the original Spanish settlement founded in 1519 on the Pacific coast. The atmospheric remains recall the city's earliest colonial history before its destruction in the 17th century.

We continue along the Pacific waterfront to Casco Antiguo, the historic heart of modern Panama City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, elegant colonial buildings, churches and plazas occupy a network of atmospheric streets that today are home to restaurants, cafés, galleries and independent shops.

We then continue along the Amador Causeway, a man-made roadway extending into the Pacific and providing excellent views back towards Panama City's spectacular skyline.

Our final major visit is to the Miraflores Locks, where we can appreciate the extraordinary scale and engineering of the Panama Canal and, with luck, watch ocean-going vessels make their way through the locks. The Panama Canal remains one of the world's great maritime engineering achievements; its system of locks raises and lowers vessels between the different levels of the waterway.

Return to the hotel with the afternoon free to continue exploring the historic centre independently.

Today we exchange the city for the tropical forests and waterways surrounding the Panama Canal.

We travel to Soberanía National Park, an important area of tropical rainforest close to the capital. During a nature walk, we explore the forest and look for some of its remarkable bird and animal life. With luck, sightings may include monkeys, sloths and a variety of tropical birds.

We then continue to the port of Gamboa, where we board a boat for a cruise on Lake Gatún. The lake is an integral part of the Panama Canal system, and travelling across its waters provides a fascinating perspective on both the natural environment and the immense scale of the canal. Keep watch for wildlife along the shoreline, including monkeys, crocodiles, turtles, sloths and numerous bird species. We also visit Monkey Island, while passing close to vessels making their way through the canal.

Returning towards Panama City, we make a further visit to the Miraflores Locks and its visitor facilities.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Today offers a very different perspective on Panama as we travel into the rainforest to meet members of an Emberá community. We travel towards the Chagres River and board traditional dugout canoes for the journey through the surrounding rainforest. The river journey itself is part of the experience, taking us into a landscape of dense tropical vegetation and waterways before we reach the community. Our hosts introduce us to aspects of Emberá culture and daily life, including traditional music, crafts, food and customs. We have an opportunity to see locally made handicrafts and learn about traditional techniques that continue to be practised within the community. Lunch provides an opportunity to sample traditional dishes, with fish and plantain among the typical ingredients. There may also be an opportunity to experience the traditional use of jagua, a natural plant dye used for temporary body decoration.

In the afternoon, we return by canoe and vehicle to Panama City.

This is an important cultural encounter and should be approached as an opportunity to learn directly from the community and support its local tourism initiatives.

Leaving Panama City, we travel westwards along the Pan-American Highway, crossing the Panama Canal before continuing towards the mountains. En route, we stop at Quesos Chela, a much-loved local establishment where we can sample Panamanian specialities including cheese, empanadas, fresh fruit juices and chicheme, a traditional non-alcoholic corn and milk drink.

We then continue to Altos de Campana National Park, Panama's oldest national park. The park's forested mountains provide a striking contrast to the lowland tropical environment encountered earlier in the trip. At the Caja de Agua viewpoint, we enjoy expansive views towards the surrounding mountains and Pacific coastline before taking a short nature walk.

Our journey continues to a working pineapple plantation, where we learn about the cultivation and preparation of one of Panama's important agricultural products. From planting and cultivation through to harvesting and packing, the visit offers an insight into the journey from plantation to export market, followed by a tasting of freshly harvested pineapple. Return to Panama City in the late afternoon.

Today we leave Panama. After breakfast, private transfer to Panama City airport for your flight to Pereira. On arrival in Pereira, meet your Colombian guide and transfer into the surrounding coffee country. Pereira provides an ideal introduction to the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, where steep Andean slopes, coffee farms, small settlements and traditional architecture combine to create a distinctive living cultural landscape. UNESCO recognises the region for the way generations of coffee-growing families have adapted agriculture and community life to this challenging mountainous environment.

Our destination is Hacienda Venecia, a traditional working coffee finca surrounded by lush Andean countryside. Settle into the hacienda and enjoy dinner.

Today is devoted to two of Colombia's most celebrated agricultural products: coffee and cacao.

Our coffee experience begins with an introduction to the history, aromas and cultivation of Colombian coffee. We walk through the plantations and learn how coffee is grown and harvested, before discovering the processes that transform the green bean into the fragrant roasted coffee enjoyed around the world.

Later, we turn our attention to cacao. During a hands-on chocolate workshop, we learn where cacao comes from, how it grows and what a fresh cacao bean tastes like. We then roast and grind our own beans and follow the transformation from cacao to chocolate. The experience concludes with the opportunity to create our own chocolate bar to enjoy or take home.

The remainder of the day is free to relax and enjoy the hacienda and its beautiful surroundings.

Note -The coffee and cacao workshops may be shared with other guests at the Hacienda

Today we explore another of the Coffee Region's botanical treasures with a visit to Finca La Romelia, a family-run orchid farm. A guided walk takes us through the plantation and forest before we visit the nursery and historic main house.

The finca is home to an extensive collection of orchids, together with bonsai and hummingbirds, providing an opportunity to appreciate the remarkable botanical diversity of the region. There is time to enjoy the surrounding views before lunch at the finca. Return to Hacienda Venecia in the afternoon.

Today we leave the coffee finca and travel deeper into the mountains towards Salamina, one of the most attractive traditional towns of Colombia's coffee region.

En route, where operating days permit, we visit a traditional trapiche, a small-scale sugar-cane mill. Here we learn how sugar cane is transformed into panela, an unrefined cane sugar that is an important part of Colombian rural life. We see the production process and meet local farmers before tasting some of the finished product. The trapiche visit operates only on Saturdays and Sundays. If the timing does not coincide with our itinerary, the visit will be replaced by additional time exploring Salamina, with the possibility of incorporating the trapiche experience on another suitable day.

Continue to Salamina and settle into our hotel.

Today we venture into the spectacular Andean countryside surrounding Salamina. Travel by traditional Willys Jeep or 4x4 through rolling farmland and into the mountains, stopping at viewpoints along the way.

We continue to the village of San Félix, where there is time to enjoy a traditional local snack before continuing towards the Samaria Valley. Here we encounter one of Colombia's most remarkable natural sights: forests of towering wax palms, the country's national tree. Rising dramatically above the surrounding Andean landscape, these slender palms create a surreal and unforgettable setting.

For those who wish to walk further, an approximately one-hour hike takes us into the palm forest. The terrain and altitude make this the more demanding option, while a shorter walk of around 500 metres provides access to an impressive viewpoint and is suitable for travellers seeking a gentler experience. Enjoy a traditional lunch surrounded by the mountain scenery before returning to Salamina.

Today we travel through the spectacular Andean mountains towards Termales del Ruiz. The journey is scenic, with increasingly dramatic mountain landscapes as we climb towards the thermal region. On arrival, there is time to relax and enjoy the hotel's natural hot springs and surrounding grounds. Several gentle trails provide opportunities to appreciate the mountain environment, or you can simply unwind in the warm thermal waters. After several active days exploring the Coffee Region, this provides a welcome opportunity to slow the pace and enjoy the surroundings.

We leave the highlands behind and descend through the Andes towards the warmer Magdalena River Valley. The landscape changes dramatically as we lose altitude, moving from cool mountain environments towards the tropical lowlands. Depending on local conditions and timing, there may be opportunities to stop at Murillo and Armero en route. Our destination is Honda, a historic river town whose fortunes were closely connected to the Magdalena River, once Colombia's principal transportation artery. Honda's atmospheric centre is characterised by cobbled streets, colourful colonial buildings, old bridges and quiet plazas. Arrive at our hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

This morning, we explore historic Honda on foot. Our walking tour takes us across the historic Puente Navarro, one of the town's best-known landmarks, before continuing through the atmospheric old streets and market areas. We visit the Museo del Río Magdalena, which explores the importance of the river to Colombia's history and development. The walk continues through Honda's colonial centre, with its preserved architecture and historic Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario. Later we leave Honda and travel towards Bogotá, climbing once again into the Andes. Arrive in Colombia's capital and check into our hotel.

Our final full day introduces us to the many different faces of Bogotá. We begin at the lively Paloquemao Market, where colourful displays of tropical fruit, vegetables and other produce provide an insight into everyday Colombian life.

We then climb Monserrate by cable car, rising above the city to enjoy spectacular views across the vast Bogotá plateau and surrounding mountains.

Returning to the historic centre, we explore La Candelaria, Bogotá's atmospheric old quarter, with its colourful colonial buildings, churches and narrow streets.

We continue through Plaza de Bolívar, surrounded by some of the city's most important historic and governmental buildings, before visiting the historic Iglesia de San Francisco.

Our final major visit is the renowned Gold Museum, home to an extraordinary collection of pre-Columbian gold and other artefacts. The museum provides a fascinating insight into the craftsmanship, symbolism and cultures of the indigenous societies that flourished in Colombia long before European arrival.

Return to the hotel after a full day of exploration.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer privately to Bogotá International Airport for your onward flight. Yourr journey through the canals, rainforests, mountains, coffee country and historic towns of Panama and Colombia comes to an end.

END OF TOUR

Note – Please let us know should you wish to extend your Colombian journey further to the Caribbean or Pacific Coasts for relaxation or further adventure.