Monkey Island and Embera Village

The Monkey Island and Embera Village tour is a notable option for visitors during their stay in Panama. The journey begins with a morning pickup, leading to Gamboa, where travelers pass the well-known Culebra Cut in the Panama Canal and the Chagres River.

Soberania National Park is recognized as an excellent location for bird watching in Panama, with the Audubon Society reporting over 500 species in this area within a single day. This national park also offers opportunities for wildlife observation, including sloths, monkeys, coatis, and various other animals.

The next destination on the tour is Monkey Island, where participants will board a boat to navigate the Panama Canal and explore Gatun Lake. Travelers will see large vessels passing nearby as they transit through the canal. The islands visited are the remnants of mountains submerged when Lake Gatun was created. The tour features three types of monkeys: howler monkeys, known for their loud calls, white-faced Capuchin monkeys, and Geoffrey’s tamarin monkeys, with the latter two sometimes approaching the boat in search of food.

The final stop on the tour is an authentic indigenous village inhabited by the Embera tribe, located along the Chagres River. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the tribe’s community, history, music, dance, and art. A short walk along trails in the area provides insight into native plants and their medicinal uses. There is a lunch stop on the return to the city, but meals are not included.