A 21-day self-drive tour from Panama City: twice to the Caribbean, three times into the mountains and once to the Pacific, taking in El Valle, Santa Fé, Playa Jaguar, Santa Catalina, Coiba, Chiriquí, Boquete and Bocas del Toro.
Highlights
- El Valle de Antón and Santa Fé
- Playa Jaguar Rainforest Lodge
- Santa Catalina and Coiba Island in the Pacific
- Chiriquí highlands (coffee and cloud forest) and Bocas del Toro
Panama Self-Drive Tour Caribbean & Pacific – 21 Days
This 21-day self-drive tour takes you from Panama City twice to the Caribbean coast, three times into the mountains and once to the Pacific. You can also pair it with any of our guided tours around Panama City for an even deeper look at the country.
You pick up your rental car at your hotel and drive to El Valle de Antón, then on to the mountain village of Santa Fé. From there you head to the Caribbean coast and the Playa Jaguar Lodge, before cutting straight back to the Pacific at Santa Catalina, where you can take a boat trip out to Coiba Island. Next you drive into western Panama, to the province of Chiriquí, where you can visit a coffee plantation, hike in the cloud forest and tour an orchid farm with hundreds of species. In Boquete you can explore the cloud forest canopy on hanging bridges and drive up the highest mountain in Panama. Then you hand back your rental car and unwind in the nature paradise of Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean.
Type of trip: Self-drive tour
Duration: 21 days
Participants: 2-6
Highlights
- El Valle de Antón and Santa Fé
- Playa Jaguar Rainforest Lodge
- Santa Catalina and Coiba Island in the Pacific
- Chiriquí highlands (coffee and cloud forest)
- Bocas del Toro
Itinerary Overview
- Day 01 | Welcome to Panama!
- Day 02 | El Valle de Antón
- Day 03 | El Valle de Antón
- Day 04 | El Caño - Santa Fé
- Day 05 | Santa Fé
- Day 06 | Drive to Calovebora and Playa Jaguar Lodge
- Day 07 | Playa Jaguar Lodge
- Day 08 | Playa Jaguar Lodge
- Day 09 | Drive to Santa Catalina
- Day 10 | Excursion to Coiba Island
- Day 11 | Santa Catalina
- Day 12 | Santa Catalina
- Day 13 | Drive to the province of Chiriquí
- Day 14 | Sitio Barriles and a visit to a coffee plantation
- Day 15 | Hike in La Amistad National Park – orchid farm
- Day 16 | Over hanging bridges through the treetops
- Day 17 | Bocas del Toro
- Day 18 | Bocas del Toro
- Day 19 | Bocas del Toro
- Day 20 | Bocas del Toro and back to Panama City
- Day 21 | Departure from Panama
Detailed Itinerary
Day 01 | Welcome to Panama!
After your arrival at Panama’s international airport, you are welcomed by your driver and taken to your hotel.
Overnight in Panama City (B).
Day 02 | El Valle de Antón
In the morning you pick up your rental car and set off along the Pan-American Highway, the dream road that runs from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. You drive southwest for about 2½ hours, then turn off the highway roughly 4 km past the town of San Carlos and head up into the mountains to El Valle. El Valle de Antón sits in the largest inhabited volcanic crater in Central America, dormant for more than 12,000 years. On arrival you can browse the El Valle market, which is especially good on Sundays, and spend the afternoon at the El Macho waterfall or the Aguas Termales (hot springs).
Overnight in El Valle (B).
Day 03 | El Valle de Antón
In the morning you can hike up the India Dormida, the Cerro La Silla or the Cerro Gaital. These hikes take about 2-3 hours and reward you with a wonderful view from the top. Afterwards, head to the Piedra Pintada to see its pre-Columbian rock carvings. In the afternoon you can visit a breeding station for the endangered Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki), also known as the “Golden Frog of El Valle” – well worth the trip.
Alternatively, stroll through the local market or visit the butterfly house, the reptile exhibit with its snakes, or the local zoo.
Overnight in El Valle (B).
Day 04 | El Caño - Santa Fé
Today you continue to Santa Fé, a town set at a pleasant altitude in the central cordillera, north of the city of Santiago. On the way we recommend stopping at Natá de los Caballeros, founded in 1522 by Spanish conquistadors and one of the oldest European settlements on the American continent. You can also visit the El Caño archaeological site, where archaeologists have unearthed pre-Columbian noble graves and spectacular gold artefacts. A stop in the village of San Francisco de la Montaña is well worth it too: the church looks plain from outside but its interior is striking. Carved by indigenous craftsmen in the late Baroque style (known as Churrigueresque), the altars blend Catholic and indigenous elements and are unique in Panama.
Overnight in Santa Fé (B).
Day 05 | Santa Fé
The region around Santa Fé is full of waterfalls and mountains. Use the day to explore the countryside. A short hike leads up the Cerro Tute, where only near the summit do you need to use your hands. Alternatively, visit one of the waterfalls or get a feel for the region’s farming.
Overnight in Santa Fé.
Day 06 | Drive to Calovebora and Playa Jaguar Lodge
Today you continue to the Playa Jaguar Lodge on the Caribbean. The road to the village of Calovebora is only a few years old (just the fourth road link between the Pacific and the Caribbean) and so is still in good shape. It drops steeply down to the coast, though, so you’ll need to take it slow and allow around two hours for the short distance. On the way you can pull over at the Golondrina waterfall, right beside the road. You park in Calovebora and carry on to the Playa Jaguar Lodge by boat, taking in an untouched stretch of coast along the way.
The Playa Jaguar Lodge protects a 300-hectare private rainforest reserve, safeguarding the rainforest of the Caribbean coast for the future.
Overnight at the Playa Jaguar Lodge (B).
Day 07 | Playa Jaguar Lodge
Today you can relax on the nearby beach (Playa Jaguar), take a boat trip along the untouched coast, or hike into the rainforest around the lodge. There are hikes of various lengths, from short 1-2 hour walks to a longer trek to a waterfall in the rainforest.
Overnight at the Playa Jaguar Lodge (B).
Day 08 | Playa Jaguar Lodge
Today there’s more to do. Another memorable boat trip runs to a remote village reachable only by boat along the coast, or there’s a 4-day hike across the central cordillera. The village sits at a river mouth and is home to small-scale farmers and the indigenous Ngäbe people. Still untouched by tourism, it offers a glimpse of the easy pace of a community cut off from the world.
Overnight at the Playa Jaguar Lodge (B).
Day 09 | Drive to Santa Catalina
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast in the morning. Then you take the boat back to Calovebora and drive on to Santa Catalina, the next stop on your journey.
Overnight in Santa Catalina (B).
Day 10 | Excursion to Coiba Island
Today you can take a boat trip into Coiba National Park. Coiba Island is straight out of Robinson Crusoe, its white sandy beaches lapped by turquoise water and shaded by palms. The park’s waters teem with large fish species and offer excellent snorkeling and diving.
A large area around Coiba Island is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and, together with the national park, protects the coral reefs of the Pacific. These reefs shelter countless marine creatures and form part of a protected marine corridor that stretches all the way to the Galápagos. The boat trip out takes about 2 hours. On the island you’ll find white coral-sand beaches and, with a little luck, can watch sea turtles while snorkeling. In the afternoon you return by boat to Santa Catalina.
Overnight in Santa Catalina (B).
Day 11 | Santa Catalina
Today you can head out on another diving or snorkeling excursion. Or give surfing a go: Santa Catalina’s beach is a favourite with surfers for its waves.
Alternatively, take a walk on the beach, relax in the pool with a view of the surrounding cliffs, or simply do nothing at all and laze in a hammock.
Overnight in Santa Catalina (B).
Day 12 | Santa Catalina
Today is yours again to spend as you like.
Overnight in Santa Catalina (B).
Day 13 | Drive to the province of Chiriquí
After a relaxed breakfast it’s time to say goodbye to Santa Catalina and the picturesque Pacific and continue into the province of Chiriquí. This province in the far west of Panama borders Costa Rica and is home to the majestic Volcán Barú, the country’s highest mountain at an imposing 3,475 meters. In clear weather its summit gives a breathtaking view of both oceans. The volcanic ash makes the soil exceptionally fertile, and a wide range of crops such as coffee, oranges and tobacco thrive in the rain and cloud forests around the volcano.
Overnight in Volcán/Bambito (B).
Day 14 | Sitio Barriles and a visit to a coffee plantation
In the morning you can visit the Barriles archaeological site. At this unassuming spot, stone statues and ceramic fragments were excavated in the 1940s, the work of pre-Columbian cultures dating to between 500 and 800 AD.
In the afternoon, a visit to the Janson Coffee Farm is well worth it. The tour gives you a fascinating look at how coffee is grown and produced, along with plenty of facts about this much-loved bean. The ideal climate here produces coffee that ranks among the best in the world. The standout is the famous, highly prized Geisha variety, whose mild, tea-like flavour has made it especially popular in Asia. To finish, you get to sample some of the delicious coffees yourself at a tasting.
Overnight in Volcán/Bambito (B, L).
Day 15 | Hike in La Amistad National Park – orchid farm
A fascinating morning hike awaits you through the impressive cloud forests of the “La Amistad” biosphere reserve (“Friendship” in Spanish), a cross-border protected area of 400,000 hectares spanning Panama and Costa Rica. The park has two trails: the first takes about 1 hour and is fairly well maintained (walking time approx. 1 hour, +50 m / -50 m); the second is barely maintained and runs through a landscape of scattered fallen trees, suitable only for experienced hikers (walking time approx. 2 hours, +150 m / -150 m). Either way, the trail leads you through the misty mountain cloud forests of the national park, and with a little luck you might even glimpse the quetzal, the legendary sacred bird of the Aztecs and Maya.
Afterwards, Finca Dracula is well worth a visit, an orchid farm with an astonishing collection of more than 1,500 different orchid species. From there you continue to the other side of Volcán Barú and drive to Boquete.
Overnight in Boquete (B).
Day 16 | Over hanging bridges through the treetops
This morning you see the cloud forest from a very special angle: a trail of hanging bridges carries you through the treetops, with the canopy’s wonderland right at eye level. The rest of the day is yours. You could take a zipline tour through the treetops, go for a hike, or explore the picturesque town of Boquete.
There are two ways to reach the summit of Volcán Barú:
- Drive to the summit: the trip starts early, at 4:00 a.m., heading up by off-road vehicle. At the top, with a little luck, you can enjoy the stunning view of both oceans at once during sunrise. You’re back at the hotel by around 10:00 a.m. with the rest of the day free, perhaps for the planned walk through the treetops.
- Alternatively, you can climb Volcán Barú on foot, setting off at midnight. The route covers 28 km with 1,700 meters of ascent and 1,700 meters of descent, and takes about 10-12 hours.
Overnight in Boquete (B).
Day 17 | Bocas del Toro
After breakfast you head on to the Caribbean island paradise of Bocas del Toro. Once there, the rest of the day is yours.
The people of the archipelago are mainly of Afro-Caribbean descent, which only deepens the Caribbean feel. People of indigenous origin live here too, together forming a harmonious rainbow society. You can simply relax, soak up the sun, the beach and the sea, and lose yourself in the vibrant Caribbean atmosphere. If you’d rather stay active, there’s a wide choice of excursions out to the surrounding islands, with great spots for swimming, snorkeling, diving and more. The big draw here is the magnificent coral reefs just offshore: with nothing more than a mask and snorkel you can explore a remarkable underwater world. Dedicated diving trips can be arranged (please let us know when booking).
Overnight in Bocas del Toro (B).
Day 18 | Bocas del Toro
Today you have all the time in the world to unwind, and the perfect place to do it: Bocas del Toro is a dreamlike Caribbean island world, its natural treasures protected by Bastimentos National Park. The park is also home to one of the few breeding grounds for sea turtles, which come ashore to lay their eggs from May to October.
You can spend today on an excursion through the islands of Bocas del Toro. First you head to Dolphin Bay, where with a little luck you can watch dolphins, then on to the Cayos Zapatilla, an idyllic beach where the Caribbean waves do the rest. At midday you reach Cayo Coral, a reef perfect for hours of snorkeling, with a restaurant right over the water for anyone who’d rather sip a wonderful piña colada.
Overnight in Bocas del Toro (B).
Day 19 | Bocas del Toro
Today is yours again to spend as you like.
Overnight in Bocas del Toro (B).
Day 20 | Bocas del Toro and back to Panama City
Your day in Bocas del Toro is free. In the afternoon you fly back to Panama City on a short, one-hour domestic flight.
Overnight in Panama City (B).
Day 21 | Departure from Panama
Today is free, so you can spend the time on a stroll through the city or some souvenir shopping. Or hike up the Cerro Ancon, Panama City’s local mountain (walking time approx. 2 hours in total); the rainforest-covered summit offers a wonderful panorama of the old town and the Panama Canal.
The rest of the day is yours. In the afternoon your driver picks you up and takes you to the international airport. (B)
Photos
Services & Hotels
Included services
- Accommodation in comfortable hotels, lodges or resorts of the 3, 4 and 5* category, see accommodation list
- Rental car with fully comprehensive insurance (excess max. USD 500)
- Meals as per the program
- English-speaking guide on days 2, 3, 4 and 5
- English-speaking excursions on day 8 (boat trip on the Panama Canal)
- Domestic flight Bocas del Toro - Panama
Not included
- International flight to Panama
- Excursions and entrance fees during the self-drive tour and in Bocas del Toro
- Meals not listed in the detailed program
- Drinks
- Optional tips
- Other personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Optional excursions
Hotels
Panama City, 2 nights
Classic/Comfort: Plaza Paitilla Inn, 4* / Tryp Panama Centro, 4*
Luxury: Central Hotel Panama, 5* / Hilton Panamá, 5* / Waldorf Astoria Panama, 5*
El Valle de Antón, 2 nights
Classic/Comfort: Hotel Campestre, 3* / Golden Frog Inn, 3*
Luxury: Los Mandarinos Boutique Hotel, 5*
Santa Fé, 2 nights
Classic/Comfort: Coffee Mountain Inn, 3* / La Qhia Eco Retreat, 2*
Calovebora, 3 nights
Playa Jaguar Rainforest Lodge, 3*
Santa Catalina, 4 nights
Classic/Comfort: Villa Coco, 3* / Vista Coiba Villas, 3-4* / Hotel Santa Catalina, 4*
Volcán / Bambito, 2 nights
Classic/Comfort: Hotel Bambito, 4* / Hotel Dos Ríos, 3*
Boquete, 2 nights
Classic/Comfort: The Inn at Palo Alto, 3* / Boquete Garden Inn, 3* / Hotel La Ladera, 3*
Luxury: Hotel Panamonte, 4-5* / Valle Escondido Resort Golf & SPA, 4-5* / Finca Lerida, 4-5*
Bocas del Toro, 3 nights
Classic/Comfort: Ataraxia Guesthouse, 3* / Villa Fabienne & Benoit, 3* / Bambuda Lodge, 3* / Palmar Beach Lodge, 3* / Playa Tortuga Hotel & Beach Resort, 3-4*
Luxury: Red Frog Beach Resort, 4-5* / Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge, 4-5*
Notes, Info & FAQ
What are the requirements for this trip?
On this round trip you’ll do:
- 3-4 walks of about 2 hours each
- 2-3 hikes of 2-3 hours each (shorter hikes are possible on request)
- Elevation changes of up to 250 meters
Boat trips (lakes, rivers and sea): on top of this, you travel one day by dugout canoe, on 8-9 further days by boat, and once by ship on the Panama Canal.
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 well protected. The tales of malaria and yellow fever epidemics go back to the building of the Panama Canal from 1881 onwards and were overcome long ago. The last locally acquired case of yellow fever in Panama was recorded in 1972.
You can find more information on health, tropical diseases and vaccinations here.
Weather and climate in the various regions (daily lows and highs)
- Coastal areas, lowland rainforest and lowlands: 24 – 34 °C
- Boquete, 1,000 meters above sea level: 15 – 25 °C
- Cerro Punta / La Amistad National Park, 1,900 meters above sea level: 8 – 20 °C
- Summit region of Volcán Barú, 3,475 meters above sea level: 0 – 10 °C
What clothing and equipment do I need for this trip?
- Breathable, lightweight outdoor or summer clothing for the excursions; for the higher elevations in Chiriquí you’ll want extra layers (think onion principle): a fleece, plus a windproof, waterproof jacket or rain jacket, which you’ll also need on the flight
- Comfortable trekking boots with good, non-slip tread
- Crocs or sandals; flip-flops are only of limited use
- Sun hat, sunglasses, perhaps a cream or remedy for sunburn or sun allergy, a camping towel
- Swimwear; you can swim in Bocas del Toro, on the Camino Real and in Portobelo
- A suitcase or travel bag for your main luggage
- A daypack for excursions (ideally a waterproof backpack or drybag, the only kind that keeps things dry in tropical rain or on boat trips)
- A foldable bag or light backpack for the luggage you’ll need on days 6 and 7 (your main luggage stays at the hotel)
- A first-aid kit and your regular personal medication, plus (blister) plasters
- Sunscreen (high factor, at least 30), insect repellent and ointment for bites
Top tips for equipment
- Waterproof daypack
- Sports or trekking shoes with good tread
- Crocs for the beach
With your booking you receive detailed travel documents, including a matching packing list.
General country and travel information for Panama
Follow this link to read detailed country and travel information for Panama.
Dates & Prices
As a local travel agency based in Panama, we can run this trip for you at any time, every week of the year, rather than on just a handful of fixed dates like many operators in Germany.
We’re also happy to add extra nights and activities in and around Panama City on request. Just take a look at our excursions and round-trip programs.
Prices
| Number of participants | SUV Regular | SUV Large | Kia Carnival (6-7 seats) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 participants | EUR 2760 | EUR 3040 | EUR 2990 |
| 3 participants | EUR 2420 | EUR 2590 | EUR 2560 |
| 3 participants (triple room) | EUR 2260 | EUR 2420 | EUR 2375 |
| 4 participants | EUR 2240 | EUR 2380 | EUR 2350 |
| 5 participants | - | EUR 2240 | EUR 2220 |
| 6 participants | - | - | EUR 2140 |
- Prices per person in a double room.
- The price can vary depending on the hotels booked in each destination.
- Single room supplement: EUR 1660
- For 3 and 5 participants, the single room supplement is payable once if one person is in a single room.
- For trips over Christmas, Easter and national holidays (3-10 November) there is a holiday surcharge of EUR 200 per person.
