Off the Beaten Path: Excursions in Panama!

Panama is a beautiful country full of diverse landscapes, adventure, and amazing outdoor activities. Our excursions are designed to make the most out of all the exciting things Panama has to offer from tours of Panama City, to visiting the Panama Canal, to zip lining through the jungle. In addition, the excursions will take you to unique places and introduce you to parts of Panama most tourists will never have to opportunity to experience. Here are just a few of my favorite off the beaten path Panama excursions.

Coclé

The first excursion I went on in Panama was to Coclé, a region in the interior of the country just a few hours from Panama City. We boarded the bus bright and early and stopped for a delicious Panamanian breakfast before visiting Natá de los Caballeros (the oldest surviving town in Panama) to tour a nearby archaeological dig site. The next stop on our trip was a rice farm. I thought a rice farm sounded a bit boring, but it ended up being the best part of the day! The family that owned the farm invited us into their home for a delicious lunch before showing us around the rice fields. After learning a lot about rice (which is actually really interesting!) we headed back to their house where we relaxed in hammocks and played with some cute puppies. To end the day, we went horseback riding around the farm and enjoyed the countryside scenery.

Embera Village

One of the most incredible experiences of my life was visiting the Embera tribe on an excursion. After making our way down a bumpy dirt road, we climbed into handmade dugout canoes and headed into the jungle. We meandered our way upstream and finally made it to the Embera village, still untouched by the modern world. We toured the village, which consisted of about a dozen huts, and learned about the Embera culture through song and dance. For lunch, we had fresh fish and plantains cooked over a fire and served on a banana leaf. After spending the afternoon in the village, we climbed back into the canoes and began our journey out of the jungle and back to Panama City. It was such a unique and eye opening experience, we couldn't stop talking about it for weeks!

El Valle

El Valle is a popular mountain town located in an ancient volcanic crater about 2 hours from Panama City. We left early and stopped for some roadside breakfast before beginning our first activity of the day: horseback riding through the mountains. The scenery was absolutely amazing, and even though our horses had some attitude, we had a great time. The next stop on our trip was the El Valle Zoo where we got to hang out with some monkeys, sloths, and the endangered Panamanian Golden Frog. After lunch in town, we set off to the mountains where we hiked to a waterfall. Afterwards, we headed to our last stop of the day, the hot springs, where we relaxed after our hike and got to try some weird volcanic face masks. We enjoyed El Valle so much that we ended up going again a few months later!

Pedasí

Pedasí is a quaint town located on the Azuero Peninsula about 5 hours from Panama City. This excursion was 3 days/2 nights and was one of my favorites because of the wide variety of activities we did. We left Panama City super early Friday morning and headed to our first stop, the Ron Abuelo rum factory. We put on some hard hats and toured the factory. We got to learn about how rum is made and stored. Our next stop was a tuna farm. Your probably thinking “What?? A tuna farm??”. It's okay because those were my exact thoughts as well. Turns out tuna is really interesting! Afterwards we headed to our hostel in Pedasí and explored the town a little bit before having a delicious BBQ and heading to bed early. The next morning we set off for Isla Caña, an isolated beach popular with nesting sea turtles. Next, we headed to Playa Venao, a popular surfing destination in Panama. There was actually a surfing competition going on the day we were there, which was really cool! On our last day in Pedasí we took a 30 minute boat ride to Isla Iguana where we spent the morning and afternoon snorkeling in the crystal clear waters before heading back to Panama City.

 Written by: Lauren Stuart 

Students Reflect on their Amazonian Experience

“My time in Iquitos is one of the most significant periods in my life. I was not only challenged every day in Spanish conversation with my host family and locals (which allowed me to rapidly improve my skills), but also I encountered a variety of learning experiences, interactions, and activities that helped me solidify a new way of looking at the world. After my time in Iquitos, I feel like a citizen of the world and know I am competent enough to travel by myself for the rest of my life. I have to applaud the authenticity of the program. There was nothing fake or Americanized about this program. I stayed with a Peruvian family, worked with locals in a hospital and NGO, and visited several Amazonian communities. All of these opportunities allowed me to embrace the culture in its entirety while learning a great deal about my own. I certainly gained an awareness of many perspectives that cannot be found anywhere else and incorporated them into my own life. I can no longer view reality or humanity’s relationship with nature the same because of everything I learned. The combination of a traditional college class focused on the Amazon and its people followed by time in the basin itself allowed me to appreciate the trip as a whole because I could better grasp the processes behind the many things I saw. The trip was so influential that I am still not completely adjusted to being back in the States, and I wish I could spend more time in Latin America.”    David DeStephano (Summer 2015)

“The journey into Amazonia was breathtaking.  Everywhere I turned, I learned something new: a new perspective, a new language, and by the end of the trip, a new outlook.  My internship was working in a very poor community with the Organization Infant.  Infant’s main goal was to show the importance of the rights of children.  Every day I talked, read, did arts and crafts, and taught gymnastics to the children.  These children taught me more about life than any other experience I have ever had.  I left this trip knowing in my heart that I had made a difference, and that’s truly what matters to me.”   Angela Stein   (Summer 2015)

 

 “Going on this trip was the most rewarding experience of my life. I became more self-assured, confident and decisive. I learned about what I wanted and didn't want in my life; I matured significantly; and I took on responsibilities I previously thought I was incapable of handling. I learned a lot of my own value and developed strong ties with locals. My host family was warm and inviting. They said that I their house was also my as soon as I arrived. I felt embraced by a warm culture from the moment I got there, and personal challenges aside, I would do it all over again.” Stephanie Strickland  (Summer 2015)

“This cultural immersion program was a major stepping stone for my personal growth. I was looking for a program where I could experience something to remember for a life time and something completely extraordinary, and Journey into Amazonia was definitely it. I had the unique experience of living with a wonderful family, working for a program that highly impacted the community, and traveling into the Amazon rainforest with amazing people while studying the culture and language of the Amazon. My internship taught me so much by working hand in hand with communities in need and by giving me an opportunity to offer my help. The excursions were greatly structured and offered the students so much exposure of the genuine culture of the Amazon. Studying the beautiful plants and animals helped me gain a stronger connection to the Earth and gave me a stronger drive to protect it. I was honored to be able to have these experiences. They are ones that cannot be found elsewhere. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this program; this experience was one of a kind and has had a strong positive impact on my view of life.”  (Dora Fish, Summer 2015)

                       

"The Service and Learning Journey to Amazonia was an unforgettable experience. I learned so much about the culture and the indigenous cosmovisions. Camping in the primary forest and learning about the importance of the medicinal plants was extremely fascinating.  Living with a host family was fantastic. They were very kind and accommodating. The food they prepared was always delicious. I was always comfortable and I felt at home. It was also great for constantly improving my Spanish. I'm positive I will return to the amazon to learn more and to visit the life-long friends that I met there.  It's difficult to encompass all of the feelings I have about my time in Iquitos. It was overwhelmingly different but beautiful. I am so thankful for this experience!" Shannon Morris (Summer 2015)

"My time in Amazonia was the most influential experience I could have hoped for. From the first day I arrived in Iquitos till the very last day of the program, I was always enriched by the culture. Amazonia allowed me to open my eyes to real world problems that are occurring not only in Peru, but all around the world. Amazonia also allowed me to open my heart; it taught me how to help others in the most effective way possible. From this program, I truly felt as though I was a part of positive change. Not only did I gain knowledge of people and our environment, I also learned a lot about myself. My time in Amazonia made me more confident and caring. It also allowed me to narrow what I would like to focus on in my academic future.” Malia Byrtus (Summer 2015)

 

    

“I always knew that there was a different way of life out there, but after experiencing it first hand, my views are forever changed. Being in Peru taught me to not take for granted any of the things we have in the US, especially my car; although, the motokars there are most fun transportation ever! Also, the family bonds run so deep in the Amazonian culture that it made me reconsider my family relationships/values and make changes. Even teaching English at UNAP has made me become a better student this semester at FSU. The people of Amazonia have very few possessions, but the love and wisdom they give you makes you feel like the richest person in the world. And even though I am not fluent in Spanish and that was the most difficult aspect of my trip, I would go back to Iquitos in a heartbeat.”  Jennifer Law (Summer 2015)

“My time in Iquitos was nothing short of life-changing. During my month there, through intensive cultural immersion, I was shown a vastly different reality than my own- which resulted in me gaining an entirely new perspective. This program gives you the tools you need to make the most of your experience, to truly immerse yourself in the culture and interact with the locals, who are incredibly warm-hearted and generous people. I made life-long friendships and connections while I was in Peru, and I would go back in an instant.”  Shauna N. Gillooly   (Summer 2015)

Please visit http://fla.st/20CaZy7 for more information.