CUSTOM TAILORED TRAVEL TO EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATIONS PANAMA CONTENT 02 Content 13 Cocle 03 About Isthmian Adventures 14 Azuero Peninsula 04 Our Naturalist & Interpretive Guides 15 Veraguas 05 Why Panamá? 16 Chiriquí 06 Destination Management 17 Bocas del Toro 07 Custom Travel 18 Multi-Day Programs 08 Family Travel 19 Travel Information 09 Cultural Interactions 20 Medical Information 10 Panama Canal & Surrounding Areas 21 Helpful Information 11 Darien 22 Get in Touch 12 Native Comarcas 2 www.Isthmianadventures.com ABOUT ISTHMIAN ADVENTURES About Us Welcome to Isthmian Adventures, a family-owned travel company that offers private, custom, and sustainable tours throughout the Isthmus of Panamá. When Mica and I opened our own trav- el company we decided that the words of Freeman Tilden would form the foundation pillars of Isthmian Adventures. We believe that responsible, sustainable, eco-tourism should protect the environment and local cultures while providing visitors with unique opportunities to learn about the commu- nity they visit, leaving behind as little of a carbon footprint as we can manage. Our Principals Build environmental and cultural awareness. “Through interpretation, Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts. understanding; Provide direct financial benefits for conservation. through understanding, Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people. appreciation; Raise sensitivity to Panama’s political, environmental, and through appreciation, social climate. protection.” Our Mission Educate though exposure and provide our guest with travel Freeman Tilden experiences that are both inspiring and memorable. Panama’s Tourism Authorithy ATP License Reg # 677-AV www.Isthmianadventures.com 3 Our Naturalist and Interpretive Guides Isthmian Adventures proudly employs some of the best nature and culture interpreters in the country. Our guides are not only experts in natural history but also in the rich history and culture of the Isthmus of Panama. Our Standards of Interpretation: With our tours we only employ local Certified Interpretive & Naturalist Guides (CING). Our guides have many years of experience, are fluent in English, speaking, reading, and writing. They have also completed a rigorous training program that includes not only knowledge (nature, history culture, politics, etc.), but also interpretation, meaning the ability to convey knowledge in a matter that is engaging and fitting for the audience. They must all complete a leadership course and annually renew their Wilderness First Aid (WFA) & CPR certifications. 4 www.Isthmianadventures.com Why Panamá? When one considers Panama, you immedi- ately think of the Panama Canal, which is an amazing engineering marvel, but Panama is so much more than just the most popular channel in the world. The Isthmus of Panama is the land bridge connecting the Americas, providing a cross- road for biodiversity, wildlife, and culture. Panama is the umbilical cord of the Amer- icas. And since the era of the conquest, people from all over the world have transit- ed through Panama, making the country a melting pot of history and cultures. www.Isthmianadventures.com 5 Destination Management The Isthmian Adventures family with more than 30 combined years of experience is a receptive Destinations Travel Management provider. We are a small company but proudly we have been successfully providing travel services in Panama to some of the Top tour operators in the world. Clients such as Thomson Family Adventures, University of New England & Classic Journeys are few examples of Top Tier Travel Companies relying on our expertise. 6 www.Isthmianadventures.com Custom Travel What inspires you? Whether it’s local cultures, natural history, sports, history or the Panama Canal, we have many years of experience creating the perfect vacation. We are proud of our ability to customize the ideal vacation, which we do with confidence because of our intimate knowledge of destinations in Panama; from the Highlands of the West to the untamable Darien, Caribbean white-sanded beaches to the salt & pepper volcanic beaches of the Pacific. Our sales and operations staff have personally been part of our tours many times. This helps tremendously with customizing your travel experience, and this expertise shines through the satisfaction of our clients. Let us create your next unforgettable Adventure in Panama for your clients. www.Isthmianadventures.com 7 FAMILY TRAVEL We live in a wonderful world, full of diversity, beauty, and adventure. Experiencing the world through travel is one of the greatest opportunities we can share with our children. Not all classrooms have four walls! Travel can be educational, bringing the kids out of their comfort zones and preparing them for a better future. What better way to learn about the world than to travel it. And vacationing with your family should be a great bonding experience, full of memories that can never be erased. We at Isthmian Adventures have been involved in Family Travel for over a decade. Our Panama Family Adventures are designed with children in mind, interweaving encounters with nature, adventure, diverse culture, rich history, and a lot of fun for the whole family. 8 www.Isthmianadventures.com CULTURAL All our tours are expertly lead and our Certified Interpretative INTERACTIONS and Naturalist Guides make sure to include meaningful cultural interactions on our adventures. In Isthmian Adventures we believe in connecting the visitors with the resources. We believe that by interpreting the local culture to our visitors, we create an awareness, encouraging sustainable interactions between visitors and the host communities we visit. www.Isthmianadventures.com 9 PANAMÁ CANAL AND SURROUNDING AREAS A melting pot of culture and commerce Panamá City, the capital of Panamá, is a modern metropolis with an impressive skyline. Due to its rich history, Panamá City has received UNESCO World Heritage status for the areas of Panamá Viejo and Casco Antiguo. Aside from an impressive City and engineering marvels of the Panamá Canal, the canal watershed and its protected areas offer plenty opportunities for closse encounters with tropical nature. Masters of the River Old and Modern Wildside The Golden Route The Embera People Panamá City Tour Panamá Canal • A perfect opportunity to visit an • This full-day tour visits the • This excursion on Lake • This tour explores panama’s indigenous village in the midst highlights of Panamá City. First Gatun combines the thrill of history as a crossroad for goods of a wonderful natural setting thing, we head to the Mercado encountering wildlife in their and people since the creation that supports the harmony of de Mariscos. The earlier we natural habitats while passing in of the nation. their lifestyle and traditions. go, the more action there is to the shadows of the mammoth • We will explore Panamá’s We will be greeted with dancing see. The rest of the day will be cargo ships transiting the colonial cobblestone paths, and music. and learn about organized around what time we Panamá Canal. transit the transcontinental Emberá customs and their are guaranteed to see the big ships • To compliment we will visit railway following the route of relationship with nature and the in the locks of Miraflores. Time the Miraflores Visitors Center the 1,800’s 49ers and visit the challenges of staying true to their permitting; we will visit the Artisan (MVC). Here we will see cargo latest addition; the expanded ships transiting the original culture and traditions. Market for some shopping. locks of the Panamá Canal. 1914 Panamá Canal Locks. Panama Puente del Mundo, Corazon del Universo (Panama is the bridge of the world and the hearth of the Universe) - Simon Bolivar 10 www.Isthmianadventures.com DARIEN With a vast rainforest referred to as the Darién Gap that disconnects the Pan-American Highway, the province is home to one of the world’s richest and protected biomasses, Darién National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within its territory are communities of indigenous, clinging to their ancestral traditions. Bird-Watching Darien National Park The Wounan People of Darien World Heritage Site Puerto Lara • The Untamed Darien, Panama’s largest Darien National Park, a World Heritage Site, • The Wounaan people of Darien, province, a true land bridge for biodiversity and a Biosphere Reserve for Humanity since are relatively autonomous is no doubt the most bio-diverse region of the early 1980’s is located at southernmost native group in Panama. Central America, especially for Birds. end of the geological young land bridge Around 7,500 Wounaan people can be connecting South America and Central. found in the Darien Region coexisting • A coveted region by avid birdwatchers with nature and other groups in because of the proximity to South America This was the area of first contact and this untamed part of the isthmus. and its remoteness offers specialties such interchange between two major, previously Today communities such as Puerto Lara still as Bare-crowned Antbird, Spot-breasted isolated landmasses, reflecting in its survive on fishing, hunting, and subsistence Woodpecker, Gray-cheeked Nunlet, biodiversity and making this National Park one farming. Black-capped Donacobious, Rufous-tailed of the most important world heritage sites in Jacamar and of course the Harpy Eagle. Central America. The Legendary Darien jungle, a hotspot for biodiversity and a wilderness gap which separate the Americas. www.Isthmianadventures.com 11 NATIVE COMARCAS OF