A day trip from Panama City with a boat ride across Gatún Lake to an Emberá village in the rainforest, where you get to know the culture and way of life of this Indigenous people.
Highlights
- Visit an Emberá village in the rainforest
- Get to know Emberá culture and way of life
- Boat ride across Gatún Lake
- Rainforest loop trail with medicinal plants
Emberá Excursion
Spend a day with the Emberá in their rainforest village. We drive to Gatún Lake, board a boat, and head out to the village to meet this Indigenous people of Panama and get to know their culture and way of life. The Emberá have lived in the rainforest for thousands of years, and only in recent decades has that life begun to change. Even so, they hold on to their traditions and gladly share them with the visitors who come to see them.
Type of trip: Day excursion
Duration: 6 hours
Participants: 2-16
Highlights
- Visit an Emberá village in the rainforest
- Get to know Emberá culture and way of life
- Loop trail through the rainforest
Itinerary
We meet you at your hotel in the morning (important: bring the clothing, shoes, and other gear described in the FAQ). From Panama City we drive through Soberanía National Park to a boat landing on Gatún Lake, where the Emberá are already waiting to take us by boat to their village.
A warm welcome with music greets us in the village, and we walk to the Emberá community house. There they tell us about their life in the rainforest, their culture, traditions, and way of life. The Emberá are one of seven Indigenous peoples of Panama and live mainly in the rainforests of the Darién, in the far east of the country, and we hear straight from them how this village came to settle on the Panama Canal. Their craftsmanship is remarkable: the colorful baskets, masks, and plates of natural fiber, woven by the women in painstaking handwork, are famously so tight that not a drop of water gets through. The men carve pieces from tropical wood and from the seeds of a palm (tagua), also known as vegetable ivory.
We then walk through the village and follow a small trail into the rainforest, where the Emberá point out the plants growing along it. Afterwards we sit down to a traditional Emberá lunch of freshly caught fish from the lake and plantains from the village fields. Refreshed and full of wonderful impressions, we return by boat to the landing.
We drive on to Hotel Gamboa for a break, with a coffee on the terrace and a view over the Chagres River and Gatún Lake. A lovely day with the Emberá comes to a close, and we set off on the roughly 45-minute drive back to Panama City.
Services
Included services
- Travel in air-conditioned vehicles
- English-speaking guide
- Visit and guided tour of the Emberá village
- Lunch with the Emberá and drinks
Not included
- Tips
Notes, Info & FAQ
Do I need a yellow fever vaccination, and which vaccinations do I generally need for Panama?
The standard vaccinations are enough to keep you protected. The tales of malaria and yellow fever epidemics go back to the building of the Panama Canal from 1881 and are long behind us. Panama’s last locally acquired case of yellow fever was recorded in 1972. More information on health, tropical diseases, and vaccinations here.
Weather and clothing
Wear light, comfortable summer clothing (shorts and a short-sleeved shirt). Panama’s rainy season runs from mid-April to mid-December. The heaviest downpours come at the end of it, in October and November, so through mid-December we’d bring along an umbrella or rain jacket. From December to April it rarely rains, and around midday the temperature climbs to about 34 degrees Celsius, so be sure to pack sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses.
Currency
The country’s official currency is the Panamanian balboa, but in practice the US dollar is what circulates.
Dates & Prices
This excursion runs any day of the week, and we ask that you book in good time. In the booking form, please give your date and the name of your hotel. If you’re arriving from the port of Amador, please add the name of your ship and its port times.
Prices
| Participants | Price p.p. |
|---|---|
| 2 participants | EUR 175 |
| 3 participants | EUR 140 |
| 4 participants | EUR 125 |
| 5 participants | EUR 115 |
| 6-16 participants | EUR 105 |
Discount for children: USD 30 up to age 6, USD 15 up to age 11. You’re welcome to pay in cash in US dollars on the day of the tour in Panama, or to transfer the amount in advance in EUR.
