Destination: Panama

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Exploring Indigenous Cultures

THREE WEEKS

This three-segment trip visits villages deep in rain forest or along island shores, and necessarily involves seeing some of the country’s dazzling wildlife.



Panama’s seven indigenous groups are scattered throughout the country. Out of Panama City, head to Changuinola, which serves as a transit point for reaching Naso (Teribe) villages in the area. You can take a boat from El Silencio to Wetso, a traditional village amid lush jungle. Closer to the Costa Rican border is Las Delicias, another Naso village, set amid waterfalls, rivers and rain forest.

To visit Ngöbe Buglé communities head out to Bastimentos. Bahía Honda lies near rain forest, caves and lovely swimming spots on Bastimentos; on the other side of the island is the Ngöbe Buglé village of Salt Creek. From Bocas, you can also arrange a boat trip out to Península Valiente, home of pristine white-sand beaches and several Ngöbe Buglé villages.

Fly back to Panama City, then to the idyllic islands of the Comarca de Kuna Yala which are governed by one of the most autonomous tribes in the Americas. To see traditional Kuna villages, visit Río Azúcar, Isla Tigre or Mulatupo Sasardí.

Eastern Panama Province and the Darién are the best places to see Emberá and Wounaan villages. Take a bus from the capital to Ipetí, where you’ll find an Emberá village and a traditional Kuna village a few kilometers away. Dine on fresh seafood and take guided walks through the jungle at Playa de Muerto, the only Emberá village on the Pacific coast. Boats from Garachiné access Playa de Muerto. A trip up the Río Sambú, best arranged in La Palma, provides opportunities to visit remote Emberá tribes.