A Cross Continental Hike on the Camino Real
8 days / 7 nights
Centuries before construction began on the Panama Railroad and Canal,
the 'path between the seas' was just that: a Spanish-built cobblestone
thoroughfare winding 50 miles across the Central American isthmus.
Beginning in the 1500s, mule trains laden with Incan gold followed
the Camino Real (King's Road) from the Pacific to the Caribbean to
meet galleons bound for Spain. Buccaneers, Sir Francis Drake and
Henry Morgan among them, conspired to 'relieve' them of their cargo.
Day 1 ARRIVE TO PANAMA
On arrival to Tocumen International Airport in Panama City you will
be greeted by a representative of Panama Boutique™ and transferred
to your hotel. Tonight you will meet with the Expedition Leader
and the rest of the trip participants.
Night at COUNTRY INN-PANAMA CANAL (no meals)
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Day 2 HISTORIC PANAMA CITY - EMBERA VILLAGE
Your morning begins with a thorough inspection of equipment for the hike on the
Camino Real. Afterwards, visit the ruins of Old Panama City, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site which holds historical relevance to the area that you will explore
in the upcoming days. Early afternoon drive to Madden Lake, where you board
motorized dug-out canoes en route to an Embera village to spend the night.
You are greeted by dances and sounds of the Embera people, who are proud to
share their culture and heritage with visitors. This is a good opportunity
to purchase fine handicrafts directly from the artists.
Night at EMBERA VILLAGE in screened tents. (B, L, D) |
Days 3 - 5
CHAGRES NATIONAL PARK - CAMINO REAL
You will continue the adventure on foot within Chagres National Park. The park
was created in 1985 to protect 320,000 acres of rainforests as part of Panama's
conservation strategy and to conserve the watershed which provides over 50%
of the fresh water needed for the operation of the Panama Canal, as well as
the drinking water for the two largest cities in the country. |
You
will see remnants of the Camino Real (King's Road) used by
the Spanish in the 1500s-1700s and vestiges of late 1800s manganese
mines, including railroad tracks and locomotives overtaken
by tropical vegetation.
Chagres National Park is also home to endangered species such as jaguars, mantled
howler monkeys and anteaters, as well as a bird sanctuary for more than 560 species,
including the Harpy Eagle -- the largest eagle in the world and Panama's national
bird. Most of this trek will take place through mature primary rainforest. You
cross the watershed divide of the Boqueron River as you head north toward the
Caribbean Sea.
3 nights in TENT CAMPS (B, L, D)
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Day 6 NOMBRE DE DIOS - PORTOBELO
After several days of trekking, today you reach Nombre de Dios, the original
terminus of the Camino Real on the Caribbean Sea. Most of the trade between
Spain and the Americas in the 1500s came through here until the town was sacked
and destroyed by Francis Drake in 1596. A short drive along the coast will
take you to Portobello for a tour of the Spanish forts and churches. Portobelo
was founded in 1597 to replace Nombre de Dios as the terminus of the Camino
Real.
Set on a deepwater bay deemed easier to defend from the ravages of pirates, Portobelo
was heavily fortified and for 150 years played host to the famous trade fairs,
when the Spanish treasure fleet came to collect the riches that traveled across
the isthmus on mule trains from Panama City and to leave merchandise brought
from Seville for distribution throughout the Americas. Unsurprisingly, the wealth
concentrated in the royal warehouses here was an irresistible target for the
pirates who scoured the Spanish Main.
Night in waterfront lodge in Portobelo (BLD) |
Day
7 BAY OF PORTOBELO - PANAMA CITY
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This
morning there will be opportunities to snorkel or dive
(optional) to look for Sir Francis Drake's lead coffin, which
is said
to have been dropped in the waters of the Bay of PortobeloIn the
afternoon you will drive to Colon to catch the train back to Panama
City. The Panama Railway was inaugurated in
1856 and was the first train to cross the continent from one
ocean to the other. It is one of the great train rides of the
world. The train follows a picturesque path across the Isthmus
of Panama. The line flanks the Panama Canal passing through
lush rainforests, cruising alongside the Canal’s locks,
through the historic Gaillard Cut and gliding over slender
causeways in Gatun Lake.
A farewell dinner by the Bay of Panama on the Pacific side is prepared for
this evening.
Night at the COUNTRY INN-PANAMA CANAL (BLD)
Day 8 RETURN HOME
Transfer out to the airport to fly home (B) |
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DEPARTURE DATES
2008
November 22 - 29
December 13 - 20
2009
February 28 - March 7
April 11 - 18
June 27 - July 4
October 24 - 31
2008 Price per person
in double occupancy:
$1300.00
Single Supplement:
$150
2009 Price per person
in double occupancy:
$1300.00
Single Supplement:
$150
To above prices, add 5% tax
Minimum 4 persons
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