A land of vivid colors, a curious mix of colonial vestiges, modern architectures, and languid Latin rhythms. Its inhabitants feel and describe it this way, although this Central American little state, discovered in 1501 by conquistadores Don Rodrigo de Bastiadas and Vasco Nunez de Balboa, is mainly known for the Canal, a marvel of modern engineering.
But the name “panamà,” in Amerindian, means abundance, very fitting for this rich and lush paradise of nature, which amazes for the wild beauty of the landscapes, the tangle of tropical forests, the extraordinary biodiversity, the charm of the lagoons and Caribbean beaches, the richness of sites of historical interest, and the modernity of a capital, Panama City, that never sleeps.
For this reason, the tour operator Ruta 40 invites you to take part in an exciting tour, which starts right in the capital, discovering both the dazzling skyscrapers and the Old Town, where the ruins of the first settlement dating back to 1519 survive, plundered by the pirate Henry Morgan, and the Casco Viejo, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then you cross the Canal aboard a characteristic transoceanic train, which goes from the Atlantic to the Pacific, reaching the historic port of Portobelo, from where the Spanish galleons loaded with gold set sail.
For the Parque Nacional Chagres, you then continue along the homonymous river aboard motorized canoes, in the heart of the rainforest, also discovering the Gatùn Dam, which gave life to the Canal. This is the area where the Panamanian ecosystem expresses itself in all its richness and spectacularity; the rainforest hosts a myriad of ecosystems and even those who wish to discover indigenous cultures can get to know the Emberà, who keep intact ancient customs and traditions.
