THE HIGHLANDS OF PANAMA!

Tour Cost: $4,250

Single Supplement: $600

Tour Capacity: 10 People

This comfortable tour offers a chance to see the amazing variety of birdlife at the higher elevations of Panama’s coffee-producing region while enjoying cooler temperatures, fine-dining and spacious accommodations.

The tour will begin in Panama’s second largest city of David. Upon arrival we will take a short, 40-minute drive to our first highlands lodge. This amazing hotel/coffee plantation offers full 5-star dining (all meals will be included with your payment), a coffee shop, and tours of its coffee operations. Additionally, a series of birding trails wind their way through old-growth forest perched above the lodge grounds. Resplendent Quetzal and Three-wattled Bellbird both nest on this property and our days here will be spent drinking exceptional coffee, relaxing among the lush gardens of the highlands and walking the trail system looking for highland specialties.

During our daily walks, we will seek out warblers, tanagers, woodpeckers, woodcreepers, Foliage-gleaners, chlorophonia, wrens, wood quail and many other species. Outside of the forests, we will pick up the many edge species along with a multitude of hummingbird species that defend flowering bushes throughout the manicured property. The beauty of this place cannot be overstated. Following dinners, you can choose to head to your room or plan to relax at the pub located on the top of the hill, where you can enjoy a roaring fireplace and a diverse selection of drinks.

After three days of birding at our first lodge, we will be transported to our second highlands lodge outside of the town of Volcan. The approximately 3-hour drive will traverse breathtaking scenery as we drive to the opposite side of the mountains and then to the top of Mount Totumas. The ride to the top of the mountain will be an experience you will NEVER forget! Please be prepared for an exhilarating truck ride. Here we will find our lodge, which is the highest altitude lodge in the entire country.

The lodge sits at perhaps the most breathtaking location on earth (my opinion). Around our lodge, feeders attract many new species of hummingbirds (up to 16 species) and it is entirely possible to sit and watch their antics all day. Upon our arrival, we will do a tour of the grounds and visit the hummingbird stations prior to lunch. After lunch, we will walk a fantastic trail that leads us to some of the most mature forest of the trip. Because of the elevation, we will find many of the same species as our last lodge but will add high-altitude specialties such as Silvery-throated Jay, Volcano Hummingbird, Highland Tinamou, Prong-billed Barbet, Streak-breasted Treehunter (my favorite), and Golden-bellied Flycatcher.

After three full days of exploring the trail system at this lodge and enjoying magnificent views and delicious meals, we will head say “goodbye” to the highlands of Panama and head back to the airport for our return flights home.

The collection of birds and memories accumulated on this tour will not soon fade and you will find yourself recounting the tour time and again.