Guided Darien Jungle Experience - 5 Days / 4 Nights

Itinerary

Day 1: Travel Day to La Palma

Stop At: La Palma, La Palma, Los Santos Province
This is a travel day. We will meet you at the Albrook bus terminal at 7:00am and will take the bus to La Palma, Darien. Upon arrival at the capital of the Darien province we will accompany you to the La Tuira hotel, where you will stay overnight to be ready for your jungle experience, starting the next day.
Duration: 12 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at the La Tuira hotel

Day 2: Visit Palma Darien and boat ride on the Sambu river to the La Chunga village

Stop At: Darien National Park, Province of Darien Panama
At 6:30am you will be picked up from your hotel by one of our staff. After an information session and after a tour of the community you will embark on a fast two-hour boat ride through the beautiful bay of San Miguel before reaching the mouth of the Sambu river. As you progress deeper into the flooded rainforest, the landscape will change as your boat weaves through thick mangrove trees. After two hours we arrive at the Embera village of La Chunga. On the way you will see traditional Embera huts built on stilts and probably some specimen of the local fauna such egrets, herons and, with a bit of luck, a caiman lying on the muddy riversides.

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Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at the Eco-Lodge La Chunga

Day 3: Hike in primary Rainforest

Stop At: Darien National Park, Province of Darien Panama
In the morning you will hike on one of the Corredor Biologico Bagre rainforest trails. This is an impressive journey under towering trees through a remarkable ecosystem with an incredible biodiversity: rare animal species such as the black-headed spider monkey (ateles fusciceps) can be spotted with a bit of luck. The beautifully colored poison darts frogs are often seen on the forest litter. Passing under the virescent canopy is like walking over hundreds of years of fallen leaves, billions of insects and more roots than God himself could map on a sunny afternoon. This place is so alive it makes the city seem barren, even with it's millions of people. Here life is at every level, in every direction, with more species that have ever been, and likely ever will be, classified.

After dinner back in La Chunga, if weather allows, we will venture out again, into the dark, trying
to spot some of the nocturnal species and listening to the jungle come alive.

Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at the Eco-Lodge La Chunga
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Day 4: Cultural Interaction with the Emberas

Stop At: Darien National Park, Province of Darien Panama
You will discover more aspects of the rich Embera culture. Your hosts will tell you about their history, their political organization and take you to their fields surrounding the village. You will enjoy their traditional music and dances. They will explain you how they make their beautiful and unique handicrafts: delicately weaved baskets and masks made with two kinds of palm fibers for the women, spectacular wooden sculptures made of hard cocobolo wood and wonderful small art pieces made of vegetable ivory (tagua) for the men.

If the weather allows it you will make a short night walk after dinner.

Duration: 1 day

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 5: Return from La Chunga Village to Panama City via Puerto Kimba

Stop At: Darien Province, Darien Province
After saying goodbye to your Embera hosts, you will leave early in the morning, following the many river turns in the middle of the thick mangrove. You will come back to Puerto Kimba where the public bus will transfer back to Panama City.
Note: Itineraries are not bound to specific hours of the day depending mainly on the tides
of the Pacific Coast communities in Darien.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.