Panama: Jungle Adventure Trip
Looking to do a Panama: Jungle Adventure Trip?
We visited Panama in March 2020 and did a Panama: Jungle Adventure Trip. However, this blog post was updated in 2024.
The tour started with a ride on an Aerial Tram over the treetops to an Observation Tower.
From there, you can see the surrounding forest and some of Lake Gatun which is part of the Panama Canal.
Afterward, we got on a speedboat and explored Lake Gatun and Monkey Island.
Lastly, we visited a sloth sanctuary where they also had, butterflies and poisonous frogs.
Overall, if you like nature and animals this Panama jungle trip is definitely for you.
Everything You Need To Know About Doing A Panama Jungle Adventure Trip
First, let’s start with some of the main questions you may have about doing a Panama Jungle Adventure Trip.
How much of Panama is a jungle?
Panama is one of the most forested countries in Central America with over 60% of its surface being covered with forest.
Also, Panama is home to one of the most dangerous jungle areas in the world. The name of it is the Darien Gap.
The Darien Gap is located on the border of Panama and Colombia and is a remote and treacherous part of the jungle.
There are no roads or towns and the terrain is mountainous, full of dangerous wildlife, insects, and swamps.
Also, the Darien Gap is known for harboring different criminal, smuggling, and trafficking organizations, making it one of the most dangerous routes in the entire world.
But don’t worry we are not going anywhere near the Darien Gap!
🦄 I have written a whole blog post with tips for visiting the Caribbean:
7 Tips When Visiting Caribbean Countries
What wild animals are in the Panama jungle?
There is a ton of wildlife that is living in the Panama jungle.
Some of the animals you will see are monkeys such as tamarins, capuchins, spider monkeys, and howler monkeys.
Also, there are a few types of big cats such as cougars, jaguars, ocelots, etc.
There are different rodents, sloths, capybaras, tarantulas, snakes, opossums, porcupines, frogs, birds, butterflies, etc.
Are there crocodiles in Panama?
There are only two species of crocodiles that live in Panama. They are the American Crocodile and the a lot smaller Spectacled Caiman.
They usually live in the wetlands/swamp areas of Panama.
However, we did not see any crocodiles on our Panama jungle tour.
Are there sharks in Panama?
Yes, there are sharks in the Panamanian waters.
Some of the species you will find are Whale Sharks (not aggressive), Bull Sharks (aggressive), Great White Sharks (aggressive), Hammerhead Sharks (not aggressive), Nurse Sharks (not aggressive), etc.
Seeing sharks in the waters is common but the attacks on humans are rare.
👉 From Panama City: Gamboa Rainforest Guided Tour with Lunch – this tour is similar to the one we did. However, this one is a Jungle Tour from Panama City, not Playa Blanca where we were staying.
Panama: Jungle Adventure Trip
Let’s jump into the actual Panama Jungle Adventure Trip with the ride on the Aerial Tram.
Jungle/Aerial Tram
The first stop on our jungle trip was the Aerial Tram and a lovely ride to a bit of higher ground.
The tram is green in color and moves pretty slowly which allows you to look around and try to spot some animals.
We were able to spot a Howler Monkey (above) and a sloth chilling in the trees.
🎥 Check out the below videos to see our journey with the Aerial Tram, Panama:
Aerial Tram ride through the jungle in Panama going up
Aerial Tram ride through the jungle in Panama going down
Try and sit at the front of the tram as that will give you the best view.
Also, there is an audio guide that you can listen to as the tram ascends.
It gives you some pretty interesting information on the flora and fauna of the area.
The ride takes about 10 minutes and when you reach the top you will have to follow a path until you reach the Observation Tower.
Observation Tower
The Observation Tower is quite high and there is no elevator. There are no stairs, it is simply inclined.
Once we finally climbed to the top of the platform we saw the most stunning view above all the treetops.
The famous Panama Canal is located to the right where you can see a bunch of huge boats slowly making their way across (below).
Also, there was a small indigenous community close by, and they do welcome visitors however that wasn’t part of the tour.
👉 If you want to do a Panama City and Canal Tour, then check out this link: Panama City: Half Day City and Panama Canal Tour
Our tour guide gave us some interesting information about the area and we had a good amount of time to look around and enjoy the views.
We took what seemed like a bagagillion pictures and then we went down the Observation Tower and then back to the tram landing.
We boarded the tram and went all the way back down to where we started.
Overall, it was a unique experience as I have never been in a jungle especially this close to wild animals.
🎥 Some videos from the Observation Tower:
Jungle Viewpoint in Panama Part 1
Jungle Viewpoint in Panama Part 2
and
Jungle Viewpoint in Panama Part 3
Boat Ride in Gatun Lake
The next part of the trip involved a boat ride in Gatun Lake (technically part of the Panama Canal), where there were a bunch of small islands.
Is Gatun Lake man-made?
Yes, Gatun Lake is a big freshwater man-made lake located in the middle of the Panama Canal.
It was created between 1907 and 1913 and to this day serves an important role in the Panama Canal setup.
The lake was created after building the Gatun Dam across the Chagres River.
What is the purpose of Gatun Lake in Panama?
The purpose of Gatun Lake is to act as a water supply reservoir that is used to operate the intricate system of locks along the Panama Canal.
It provides hundreds of thousands of liters of water that are necessary to lift and lower the ships as they pass through.
Is Gatun Lake fresh or salt water?
Gatun Lake consists of fresh water.
Actually, the entire Panama Canal uses fresh water. It is fed by a system of lakes and rivers, some of which are natural and others man-made.
There is some salt water getting mixed in with the fresh water at the canal edges where the ships will enter the ocean.
However, the majority of the water (over 90%) in the Panama Canal is fresh water.
How deep is Gatun Lake in Panama?
The depth depends on a few factors such as the actual location in the lake itself as well as the amount of rainfall in the area at a given time.
Therefore, it ranges from 40 to 80 feet or 12 meters to 25 meters.
How does Gatun Lake not drain?
There are locks in place on both sides that protect Gatun Lake from draining into the oceans.
On the Pacific side, the locks are spread over a mile and are divided into three different chambers.
That way if one of the locks breaks, the other ones will still protect the lake from spilling out.
On the Pacific side, you will find the Pedro Miguel Locks and the Miraflores Locks with the Miraflores Lake located between them.
The Miraflores Locks are the ones you will visit when you go to Panama City.
On the Caribbean side, the locks are not designed to go down as gradually.
There are three chambers right beside each other that drop the ship over 80 feet directly from Gatun Lake to the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
These locks are called the Gatun Locks.
This map of the Panama Canal will help you visualize the layout.
Is Gatun Lake below sea level?
No, Gatun Lake is actually above sea level. The two oceans (Atlantic and Pacific) are not on the same sea level either.
Therefore, the canal transports ships from one sea level (one of the oceans) up to the level of Lake Gatun and then down the other side to the sea level of the other ocean.
We boarded the speedboat and quickly found ourselves in the middle of the Panama Canal.
There were so many huge tankers and shipping boats around us and our tiny vessel felt like an ant compared to them.
We even saw a Disney Cruise ship passing.
Lake Gatun is in the center of the Panama Canal, and the boats that we saw were halfway done with their journey between the two oceans.
The speed boat was safe, we had lifejackets on and the captain knew what he was doing.
🎥 Check out the below videos:
Panama Canal Speed Boat Ride Part 1
Panama Canal Speed Boat Ride Part 2
🦄 If you want to read more about the Panama Canal, check out this blog post:
Panama City And Canal Day Trip
Monkey Island
We finally reached the islands and were able to see two types of monkeys: Capuchin and Tamarin.
Also, we heard a Howler Monkey howl at our boat from one of the islands but did not come anywhere near us.
Where is Monkey Island in Panama?
Monkey Island is located in the middle of Lake Gatun, north of the Miraflores Locks.
There are actually a few small islands in the area (not one big island), covered in trees and vegetation, and of course monkeys!
The only way to get to them is via a small boat/speedboat.
Also, you cannot actually get off the boat as there are no docks or roads.
You can get as close as the water edge. There are no cages or facilities on any of the islands.
Therefore, the islands are completely untouched and natural.
What monkeys are on Monkey Island, Panama?
The species of monkeys that you will see on Monkey Island in Panama are capuchin, tamarin, and howler monkeys.
They are all wild monkeys but some are used to seeing tourists on boats and would come around to investigate.
The monkeys will even jump on the boat and look for food.
I find that the capuchin monkeys were braver while the tamarin ones got scared easily.
I was sooo excited, the tour guide had to keep reminding me to be quiet lol. I couldn’t help myself.
We went to 3 different islands (tiny ones) and tried to spot the monkeys in the trees.
One Capuchin jumped on our boat and stole someone’s grapes and then proceeded to eat them on the branch above us lol!
As I said, the tamarin monkeys were a bit timider and stayed farther away probably due to their tiny size. Super cute though!!!
I love seeing animals in their natural habitat!!
🎥 Here are some monkey videos:
Capuchin Monkey in Panama Part 1
Capuchin Monkey in Panama Part 2
Tamarin and Capuchin Monkeys in Panama
Lunch At The Gamboa Rainforest Resort
It was time for some food so we stopped at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort which is the famous Panama jungle resort.
We had a buffet lunch included in the jungle tour and the food was soooo tasty.
The mashed potatoes were to die for and so were the desserts.
We had plenty of time to eat and even looked around a bit.
The view from the terrace was lovely as the hotel was in the middle of the jungle.
If you are interested in staying in this lovely resort, check out the link below.
Gamboa Rainforest Resort – Panama Jungle Resort
- Gamboa Rainforest Resort is located in the middle of the jungle – within Soberania National Park
- Offers stunning views of the River Chagres
- Located about 30 mins away from Panama City
- Also, a 5 min drive to Panama Canal
👉 Check availability for your dates: Gamboa Rainforest Resort
🦄 Panama Related Posts:
7 Things To Know Before Going To Panama
11 Best Panama City, Panama Hotels & Places To Stay
Are There Alligators In Panama City, Panama?
13 Best Things To Do In Playa Blanca, Panama
5 Best Hotels In Playa Blanca, Panama
Gamboa Sloth Sanctuary
Now, onto another favorite of mine – sloths. I mean who doesn’t love sloths, right?
Are there sloths in Panama?
Yes, there are sloths in Panama, as well as all of Central America.
Panama’s jungles are home to the Brown Throated Sloth and the Two-Toed Sloth. You can spot them in the wild.
Also, in Panama, you will find the endangered pygmy Three-Toed Sloth.
However, it is unlikely for you to see one of them in the jungle as their numbers have been declining for years.
Where to see sloths in Panama?
If you explore the Panamanian jungle, you can spot one in the wild. However, you can also visit the Gamboa Sloth Sanctuary.
We stopped by the Gamboa Sloth Sanctuary and saw a few sloths that were being cared for by the staff.
They are there due to injuries or illness and then once healed, they get released.
You cannot hold the sloths in their care as they are trying to rehabilitate them and reintroduce them back to the wild.
However, some of them are permanent residents because they are not able to survive on their own due to different reasons.
They were all chilling in their enclosures but we did see a few moving around.
One of them was being fed by a staff member and it was so cute (video Part 1 below)!!
After seeing the monkeys, I had no voice left but I was still super excited.
There is also a gift shop inside where you can get anything sloth-related – mugs, shirts, hats, etc.
🎥 Sloth Sanctuary Panama Part 1
Sloth Sanctuary Panama Part 2
and
Sloth Sanctuary Panama Part 3
👉 If you want to do a Panama City and Canal Tour, then check out this link: Panama City: Half Day City and Panama Canal Tour
Butterflies/Frogs
In the Gamboa Sloth Sanctuary, there was an area where they had butterflies flying around and saw some pretty cool ones.
Panama has many butterfly species – over 1,000 different types.
One of them is the butterfly you see above and below which is blue on the inside and the outside looks like a tree bark with eyes lol.
The name of it is Blue Morpho Butterfly due to its different sides.
A lovely garden surrounded the entire building, where they had some beautiful flowers such as orchids.
Also, we saw some small, tropical, poisonous frogs living in an enclosure.
🎥 Here is a video of them: Tropical Frogs in Panama
👉 From Panama City: Gamboa Rainforest Guided Tour with Lunch – this tour is similar to the one we did. However, this one is a Jungle Tour from Panama City, not Playa Blanca where we were staying.
The all-inclusive resort that we stayed in was called Royal Decameron Panama All Inclusive Plus and we liked it.
It was located in an area called Playa Blanca, not too far from Panama City (about an hour and 45 min drive one way or only over 100 km).
🦄 If you want to read my full review of the resort and our experience there, check out this blog post: What To Expect From An All-Inclusive Resort In Panama
Royal Decameron Panama All Inclusive Plus
Royal Decameron Panama All Inclusive Plus was a lovely resort and we had a great experience overall.
- The food in the resort was great
- This resort is large and spread out
- Fitness, huge buffet, a la cart restaurants, pools
- The area is close if you want to do a day trip to Panama City and Canal as well as this Panama: Jungle Adventure Trip
👉 Check availability for your dates: Royal Decameron Panama All Inclusive Plus
Conclusion: Panama Jungle Adventure Trip
Overall, we both loved this Panama: Jungle Adventure Trip and I highly recommend it.
We saw monkeys, sloths, butterflies, and frogs.
Also, the jungle and the whole area were lovely. The food was great as well.
