Beyond the Canal: Family Adventures in Panama

Active family travelers who venture beyond the deck of a cruise ship will discover that Panama has become the promised land of family adventures in the New World. Until recently, it has been overlooked as a small country run by an ousted, criminal dictator with little more tourist interest than the Panama Canal. Today, Panama has a stable democratic government, developing infrastructure, an extensive system of National Parks covering 29 percent of the country, Caribbean and Pacific beaches, and seven distinct, flourishing indigenous groups. Compared to Costa Rica and other countries in Central America, the only thing Panama has less of are tourists! Bordered by the Caribbean and the Pacific, the Isthmus of Panama is a land bridge uniting two continents. Over eons of time, flora and fauna have migrated between North and South America mixing and evolving in Panama. Traveling through diverse habitats from highland cloud forests to lowland rainforests, beaches and coral reefs, you and your kids will discover tremendous bio-diversity including many species of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Family adventures in Panama begin by zigzagging your way like a video game road race through the busy streets of Panama City. Within easy reach from home on many carriers, Panama City is an international cosmopolitan hub with a wide range of excellent hotels including the family-friendly Cesar Park with a pool and all-you-can-eat buffet. It's hard to believe that just minutes from the city lie thousands of acres of wild jungles. In Soberania National Park you will likely hear deep-throated roar of howler monkeys before you see them. You will also encounter troops of white-faced Cappuchin monkeys cavorting through the trees, the lethargic sloth, as well as colorful toucans, parrots, and tanagers flying from tree to tree in constant search of fruits and seeds. On easy walks through the rainforest with a trained naturalist guide, your children will witness first-hand all the things they have read about the rainforest at school: 1. Symbiosis. Aztec ants and wasps build their nests together in a symbiotic relationship in which the wasps attack the anteater trying to reach the ants, and the killer ants swarm any insect predators seeking the wasps. 2. Seed Dispersal. Seeds of the Black Palm are likened to "the M & M of the rainforest for the Paca," by naturalist guides trained to provoke a child's imagination. The Paca is a huge rodent that carries seeds through the forest and then buries them. Fortunately for the tree, the Paca forgets where he buried the grub and the seed eventually sprouts. 3. Adaptation: "Monkey vines" grow like coiling telephone cords from the canopy to forest floor so they have total flexibility to stretch out rather than break as trees sway in the wind. 4. Mixed flocks: Birds of different species join a "club" by performing a needed function. For example, some birds are foragers and others in the same flock act as sentinels, on the look out for danger. Why be a sentinel, you ask? Because, just when the forager is about to taste your favorite morsel, you call out a fake alarm and quickly get the goods when the forager is in a panic. The forager has plenty of time to eat, though, in between those moments when the "scouts" are tricking them with false alarms. 5. Natural remedies of the tropical forest: Want to try local insect repellent? Put your hand on an ant nest, let them crawl onto your skin, and squish them. Now smell. Folic acid. Best insect repellant around. A fun way to experience the Panama Canal is navigating by small boat among the freighters and cruise ships on Gatun Lake, which forms part of the system of locks connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. You can explore small islands teeming with wildlife, and kids will enjoy the abundant fishing opportunities. On the way back to your hotel, stop at the impressive Harpy Eagle exhibit in the Summit Botanical Gardens. You can't help but be excited watching the incredible video footage of a Harpy Eagle snatching a sloth right off a vine. Bigger than a grizzly paw, the powerful mechanism of a Harpy Eagle claw severs the spinal cord of its prey, instantly turning it into a meal. A world apart from the lowland rainforests of Panama is the Chiriqui highlands, gateway to some of the world's most spectacular cloud forests. The slopes of Volcan Baru (11,430 feet), Panama's highest point, and La Amistad Biosphere Reserve is home to the Resplendent Quetzal, the most beautiful bird of the Americas. Revered by the Mayans and modern ecotravelers alike, this is the best place in the world to see Quetzales where they congregate in wild avocado trees to display their colorful reds and greens. Hotel Los Quetzales is the perfect base to explore the cloud forests. Situated in a small agricultural village, the alpine-style lodge features a cozy lounge with fireplace, sauna, massage, and gourmet cuisine fresh from the garden. And there is a pizza parlor downstairs for the kids! The two self-contained cabins heated by wood stove, located a few miles from the main lodge inside the cloud forests of Amistad, are an incredible place for families to overnight in the forest. The smell of the Caribbean sea permeates the air as you travel from the highlands along a smooth paved road through central Panama, over the continental divide to catch a boat to the Caribbean island town of Bocas Del Toro. An island with a laid back attitude, Bocas is a small town surrounded by coral reefs. Like binoculars in the forest, a mask and a snorkel turn the ocean into an aquarium. The shallow, calm, crystal clear waters of Bocas provide the perfect conditions for kids to snorkel among the corals. "Snorkeling is better than any of my games at home, including Nintendo." The province of Bocas del Toro is inhabited by the indigenous Ngobe-Bugle culture and by English-speaking Afro-Caribbean immigrants. Locals make a living fishing and growing crops like plantain, manioc, and other tubers. Journeying through the islands you encounter local residents trading goods and commuting to school in dugout canoes. They prepare the freshest and most delicious seafood dishes piled high full of octopus, squid, mixed shellfish, lobster in a light coconut sauce, coconut rice, and fried plantain. Younger palates will appreciate simply prepared fried chicken or "fish and chips." A more popular alternative cultural experience in the Caribbean is a visit with the Kuna Indians in the San Blas Islands. Early morning daily flights from Panama City take you to San Blas, an ideal place to relax on the beach, snorkel over the nearby reefs, and hike on the mainland. Based from the upscale Kwadule Lodge, or the more native style Dolphin Lodge in Aligandi, you stroll among Kuna villages to learn more about their traditions and culture, including the colorful mola appliqué, (which is the technique in which indigenous images are cut out of a whole cloth and laid down onto another color cloth so the desired images pop out from behind). No matter where you travel in Panama, there is always time on an easy-going family itinerary to shop for souvenirs at covered artisan markets selling molas from Kuna Indians, Choco Indian baskets, tagua seed and cocobolo wood carvings, and many more native crafts. While kids take advantage of their last swim, parents can enjoy a cool one at pool side, while they reflect on the incredible and varied experiences of their adventure. Diverse ecosystems teeming with wildlife, authentic native cultural encounters, the convenience of easy access and comfortable lodging, all within an easy day's journey from home, combined with few tourists, make Panama an ideal destination for family travel. The word Panama means "abundance" in an old indigenous dialect. When it comes down to culture, nature, and adventure, the name says it all. Kurt Kutay designs and leads active nature and cultural explorations throughout the world, with his wife and ten year old son. Ivan Hoyos is a freelance, master naturalist guide, in Panama.