A multi-day trek from the Pacific to the Caribbean along the historic cobblestones of the Camino Real, through the primary rainforest of the Chagres and Portobelo National Parks.
Highlights
- A unique trekking tour on the Camino Real
- Hiking through rivers and primary rainforest
- Experience fascinating colonial history
- Sustainable, with community tourism
4-Day Trek on the Camino Real
Hike the Camino Real from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Following the cobblestones of an old colonial trade route, the trail leads through the primary rainforest of the Chagres & Portobelo National Parks, where endless mule caravans once hauled roughly 200 tons of silver from Peru and Bolivia to the Portobelo trade fair each year. That wealth drew the most famous pirates and privateers of the day, Francis Drake among them.
The Camino Real is the forgotten forerunner of the Panama Canal, and today a diverse mix of Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean and mestizo communities lives along it, working toward a sustainable way of life and the protection of the surrounding rainforests.
Type of trip: Trekking and Camino Real
Duration: 4 days
Participants: 2-8
Highlights
- A unique trekking tour on the Camino Real
- Hiking through rivers and primary rainforest
- Experience fascinating history!
- Sustainable, with community tourism
Itinerary Overview
- Day 01 | Excursion to the Camino Real
- Day 02 | Hike along the Camino Real
- Day 03 | Through the heart of the Chagres and Portobelo National Parks
- Day 04 | Hike along the Cascajal River to Portobelo
Detailed Itinerary
Day 01 | Excursion to the Camino Real
Your hiking guide picks you up at your hotel in the morning. A day in the rainforest is an extraordinary thing: you soak up the wonderful evening and morning light, swim in the river, and truly switch off from the rush of the city and modern life.
Today and tomorrow you explore the Camino Real, the predecessor of the Panama Canal and the gold route the Spanish conquistadors used between the Pacific and the Atlantic. This morning you hike about two hours along it. The trail runs through hilly terrain, and as you go you learn more about its history: the Spanish conquistadors, the mule caravans, Francis Drake and other pirates. Again and again you come across well-preserved colonial cobblestones of the Camino Real.
You then reach the village of Quebrada Ancha, where you tuck into a delicious lunch and get to know the life and culture of the Panamanian campesinos. The village played an active part in the research on the Camino Real and helped reopen a stretch of it. Your visit supports a village project to build sustainable tourism. [3 km, 80 m ↑, 80 m ↓, walking time approx. 2 hrs]. The hike can be adapted to your fitness level.
Overnight in a tent in the village of Quebrada Ancha. (If you’d rather stay in a hotel, we can arrange transport and an overnight stay.) B/L/D
Day 02 | Hike along the Camino Real
Today you keep following the original course of the legendary Camino Real, which the Austrian Christian Strassnig rediscovered over many years of research.
You start with about an hour uphill to the crest of a ridge, where you pick up the route of the Camino Real and take in a magnificent panorama over Chagres National Park. Soon after, you reach a well-preserved section of the trail and pause at a small campesino hut. Carrying on along the ridge, you head downhill and follow the Mauro River to the village of Santa Librada, which also helped reopen the route. You have lunch in Santa Librada, then drive back to Panama City.
This day also has an alternative: a look at farming in the tropics. On a walk with a smallholder we meet all sorts of tropical plants, coffee included, and the hike ends with a coffee tasting. A walk to a nearby waterfall is possible too (2 hours).
[↑ 250 m, ↓ 150 m, 11 km, walking time 5-6 hrs]
Overnight in Panama City (B/L).
Day 03 | Through the heart of the Chagres and Portobelo National Parks
After a hearty breakfast we set out on the next stage. Today we hike mostly through primary forest along the upper reaches of the Cascajal and Boquerón rivers. We walk beneath giant rainforest trees and pass numerous waterfalls. The Cerro Bruja (Witch Mountain), at 979 m, is the highest peak along the Camino Real, and we cross this fully rainforest-covered mountain at a saddle. In the afternoon we reach the camp on a farm, hemmed in by the dense green of the jungle. Beyond the scenery, the Camino Real gives a real sense of the cultures that live along it. Mestizos and Emberá people share the shores of Lake Alajuela, and at the end of our trek we encounter the rich heritage of the Afro-Caribbean population. – Overnight in a tent (B/L/D) [↑ 250 m, ↓ 200 m, walking time approx. 7-8 hrs]
Day 04 | Hike along the Cascajal River to Portobelo
Today we hike the final segment of the Camino Real toward the Caribbean, walking along the Cascajal River in the trail’s footsteps to Portobelo, its Caribbean end point. Columbus discovered the Bay of Portobelo on his fourth voyage. The town was founded in 1597 as the end of the Camino Real and the site of the famous Portobelo trade fairs, where the Spanish treasure fleet took on the riches of South America. Those treasures drew the English pirate Sir Francis Drake, who attacked Portobelo; he fell ill soon after and was buried at sea in a lead coffin somewhere off the bay. The town sits beautifully on a natural harbor, and to this day this UNESCO World Heritage site, with its many fortifications, the royal customs house and a museum, speaks to its former importance. We visit some of the Spanish colonial fortifications, built here to fend off pirates and other attackers.
In the late afternoon a bus picks us up and brings us back to Panama City in about 2 hours. – (B/L) [↑ 50 m, ↓ 150 m, walking time approx. 6-7 hrs]
Photos
Services & Hotels
Included services
- Accommodation in comfortable hotels, lodges or resorts of the 3, 4 and 5* category, see accommodation list
- Accommodation in tents in Quebrada Ancha
- All entrance fees included in the program
- Meals as per the program
- Private English-speaking tour guide on days 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15
- Private English-speaking tour guide on days 9, 10
Not included
- International flight to Panama
- Meals not listed in the detailed program
- Drinks
- Optional tips
- Other personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Optional excursions
Hotels
Quebrada Ancha / Camino Real, 1 night
Tent in the community house (with shower and WC)
Overnight in a tent or in simple huts in Quebrada Ancha on the Camino Real.
Rainforest camps, 2 nights
Tent or jungle hammock
Notes, Info & FAQ
What are the requirements for this trek?
- Frequent rain and muddy paths
- Numerous river crossings
- Uneven trails, with roots, branches and stones underfoot
- Elevation changes of up to 250 meters per day
- Good fitness and the ability to cope with rainforest conditions are required
- You should already have completed multi-day treks
Do I need a yellow fever vaccination, and which vaccinations do I generally need for Panama?
The standard vaccinations recommended in Germany 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.
Weather and climate
- Coastal areas, lowland rainforest and lowlands: 24 – 34 °C
What clothing and equipment do I need for this trip?
- Breathable, lightweight outdoor hiking clothing (e.g. Columbia) suited to the days; for higher elevations in Chiriquí you’ll want extra layers (the onion principle) such as a fleece and a rain- and windproof or rain jacket, which you’ll also need on the flight
- Comfortable ankle-high trekking boots with good tread
- Hiking poles (use them if you like; if you bring any, please pack only telescopic ones)
- Crocs (great for the beach and after the hike), or sandals; flip-flops are only so-so
- Sun hat, sunglasses, perhaps a cream or remedy for sunburn or sun allergy, camping towel
- Swimwear; you can swim in Bocas del Toro, on the Camino Real and in Portobelo
- Headlamp and a camping towel for the stay on the Camino Real
- Suitcase or travel bag for your main luggage
- Daypack for excursions and hikes (ideally a waterproof backpack or drybag, the only kind that keeps things dry in tropical rains)
- A foldable bag or light backpack for what you’ll need on days 4-7 (your main luggage stays at the hotel)
- First-aid kit and your regular personal medication, plus (blister) plasters
- Sunscreen (high factor, at least 30), insect repellent and ointment for insect bites
Top tips for equipment
- Waterproof daypack
- Ankle-high trekking boots
- Crocs for the stay at the camps
With your booking you receive detailed travel documents, including a full packing list.
Dates & Prices
Please send an inquiry at least one month before your intended travel date.
Prices
| Number of participants | Price p.p. |
|---|---|
| 2 participants | EUR 1140 |
| 3 participants | EUR 880 |
| 4 participants | EUR 780 |
| 5 participants | EUR 675 |