Panama - Canopy Tower

Tour Code: PAN01

A 9-day birdwatching tour to the rainforests of Soberanía National Park, based at the famous Canopy Tower which offers the additional attraction of outstanding canopy birdwatching. We also offer a 5-night extension at El Valle.

9 days from
£3,695 (Inc flights)

Land only price from
£2,895

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Highlights

Summary

Panama offers some of the best birdwatching in Central America, harbouring nearly 1,000 bird species in an area only slightly larger than Ireland, and offering prime locations to witness spectacular spring and autumn migrations. On this holiday we’ll be based at the world-famous Canopy Tower within the Soberanía National Park which extends to the suburbs of Panama City and the Panama Canal. Comfortable canopy birdwatching from the tower is an undoubted highlight of this tour, but we’ll also explore the surrounding bird-rich rainforest in search of trogons, motmots, jacamars and puffbirds, plus Neotropical mammals, reptiles and much more!

Millions of birds flying through Panama on autumn migration
Watch Blue Cotinga & other canopy birds just metres from bedroom windows
Hummingbird feeders attract White-necked Jacobin & many more
Sloths, spider monkeys, howlers & Kinkajou among mammals possible
Night excursion to hear/see more than 8 species of owls, plus potoos
Optional visit to the Panama Canal
Led by expert local naturalists

Grading

A traditional lodge based birding tour with no strenuous walking involved, although some trails at El Valle are steep and can be slippery.

Panama forms the narrowest part of the Meso-American Isthmus, which is not only of huge historical importance linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by rail and canal, but also of considerable bio-geographical importance as the land bridge between North and South America. Panama offers some of the best birdwatching in Central America, harbouring nearly one thousand bird species in only 80,000 square kilometres and offering prime locations to witness the spectacular spring and autumn migrations. It also contains large tracks of avian-rich tropical rainforest, of which the Soberanía National Park extends right down to the suburbs of Panama City and the famous Panama Canal. Here we will spend an entire week residing in the canopy itself at the world famous Canopy Tower in the hands of expert ornithological guides. The Canopy Tower was built in 1965 by the United States Air Force to house a powerful radar used in the defense of the Panama Canal. By 1969, the site was jointly used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to control air traffic in the area, and by the Panama Canal Commission (PCC) as a communications tower. The FAA permit terminated on its own terms in June of 1979 and its function was deactivated, but the PCC continued to use a small area of the tower until 1995. In September of 1988, the radar tower received an important new assignment when it was reactivated as Site One in the Caribbean Basin Radar Network (CBRN). This network of radars was used by the United States government to detect airplanes suspected of carrying drugs from South America. The tower played this role until June of 1995 when it was closed and left vacant waiting for better days. In November of 1996, the radar tower and the Semaphore Hill site, consisting of approximately 35 acres of rainforest within Soberania National Park, was transferred to Panama in compliance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. The government of Panama, in turn, signed a long term concession contract with Divertimento Ecologico, S. A., a Panamanian corporation, to transform the site into a center for the observation of the neotropical rainforest. A fitting use for Panama, a peace loving country with no armed forces. The radar tower is now The Canopy Tower, an exclusive ecolodge offering its guests an extraordinary opportunity to appreciate the rich and diverse fauna and flora of Soberania National Park.

Awaken to a tropical chorus of motmots, toucans, and fruitcrows. Your bedroom is at treetop level, no more than 40 feet from the birds. In the cool Panamanian dawn you can feel Panama's great rainforest awakening around you. Blue Cotingas and Green Shrike-Vireos, birds normally glimpsed high in the tops of trees, perch right outside your Canopy Tower room. Up a flight of stairs in the dining room, a cup of coffee and rolls await you. Settle down at a table next to the window. Above the endless tropical forest of Soberania National Park, a ship glides through the Panama Canal. The hooting of a distant troupe of monkeys punctuates the birdcalls. You keep your field guide open on the table in front of you beside your rolls and fresh orange juice. In complete comfort, you greet the morning sun. Visiting in the second half of April we hope to combine our tours with the end of the spring migration and the beginning of the breeding season when birds are vocalizing more than in the dry season. The weather in April is still largely sunny, with daily tropical showers that help to reduce the mid-day heat. Although canopy birdwatching from the tower is an obvious highlight, the surrounding rainforest offers a variety of habitats and superb neotropical birdwatching including various trogons, motmots, jacamars, puffbirds, woodcreepers, manakins, antbirds and tanagers. The November tour should coincide with the incredible spectacle of the autumn hawk migration. Every year from the beginning of October till mid-November nearly 2 million Broad-winged Hawks, Swainson’s Hawks and Turkey Vultures fly south from North America and are funneled through Panama. Within this period, activity can vary from no birds recorded to a staggering half a million in just one day when the skies are filled with kettles of these birds riding the thermals! The Canopy Tower is indeed one of the locations used to count the migration, along with locations on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Climatic conditions will determine how many birds pass on a given day and on which side of the isthmus. We hope to be lucky enough to see this spectacular sight and to catch some of the other migrants passing through at this time of the year. November is at the end of the rainy season, but rains are mostly in mid-afternoon and rarely disturb birding completely. This is a great place to start birding the neotropics. Hundreds of species can be seen right from your window, most of them clearly illustrated in Panama's excellent bird guides. The Canopy Tower is also a great place for those with a general interest in exploring the tropical forest. Giant, iridescent Morpho Butterflies flash their blue wings at you as you ride up the twisting road up to the Tower. Howler Monkeys startle you with a sudden roar overhead. Each shrub, tree and flower seems to be different from the last, reflecting Soberania's extraordinary diversity. Come to the Canopy Tower with Naturetrek. Our client comments speak for themselves!

DETAILED INFORMATION

Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1

In flight to Panama City; Canopy Tower

Day 2

Semaphore Hill & Ammo Pond

Day 3

Pipeline Road

Day 4

Chagres River & Summit Gardens

Day 5

Plantation Road & Chagres River

Day 6

Cerro Azul and Costa de Este

Day 7

Canopy Tower

Day 8

In Flight

Day 9

Arrive UK

Download Full Itinerary

What's Included

What's Included?

Flights
Accommodation: The Canopy Tower is a converted former radar and look out tower. See full tour itinerary for detailed information on accommodation.
Food: Included in the tour price.

Reviews

We spent two weeks in Panama at two locations, the Canopy Tower and the Canopy Lodge. Our guides Alex and Danilo were superb and helped us see and identify a wide range of birds, mammals, plants and insects. Highlights that we saw were the many 3 and 2 toed Sloths, a silky anteater asleep in a low tree, a jaguarundi crossing our path, a glass frog, 16 different hummingbirds and many other highlights - but too many to mention. We have travelled with Naturetrek several times before and after Covid. We have always had an excellent wildlife experience with great knowledgeable guides and locations. Most importantly we have always felt safe. The Naturetrek team have always been there to support and help should we have had any question or issue.
P.L. Buckinghamshire, Nov 23
A group of 10 with 2 great and experienced local guides. We stayed at Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge over the 2-week trip venturing out to varying habitats from both centres using a variety of vehicles to suit the road/trail and weather conditions. The various birds birds and wildlife constantly changed with many new species each day. Dawn to dusk always something new. Great food relaxed atmosphere amongst like-minded souls who became friends. Brilliant brochure and related website. Informative with many trip reports from previous trips so you are able to assess what’s involved. Office staff friendly, helpful by phone or emails. Admin efficiently dealt with. A late change to first outward flight details promptly (over a weekend) communicated with revised tickets dispatched by post and email on first office day. All logistics worked seamlessly from customer perspective.
M.C. Lincolnshire, Apr 23
A great leader and a small group of five worked very well. The whole trip was excellent. The early morning sunrise at the top of the tower was brilliant.
J.T. Cheshire, Apr 19

Birdwatching trip to Panama. A wonderful country. friendly people and a superb number of birds and mammals. Visit made all the better by having two excellent guides whose ability to find and recognise birds by their call, then locate and capture them in the telescope for all to see was outstanding. From the first day of booking to the final flight home everything went smoothly and efficiently. Absolutely faultless.
C.B. Lancashire, Nov 18

Canopy Tower is a very charming place to stay. Very good staff, nice places to relax, good food. Its an ideal holiday for couples like us, one of us (Simon) is a very keen birdwatcher and I like to see wild places but am also happy staying back in the lodge relaxing and reading. The trip to Miraflores locks was very enjoyable. Everyone in our group wanted to go there so its good that time is set aside for that visit.
S. & S. B - Oxfordshire, Nov 18

Canopy Tower was a delightful idea. The living area on the third floor was especially well done and the bedroom comfortable. The views from the roof were spectacular. Birding of passing migrants was excellent. Excellent management, excellent in field snacks, other food good. Service efficient. Panama is obviously a great birding country.
J.K. Yorkshire

The staff at Canopy Tower and Lodge were very helpful, and the guides at both places very skilled. For me the highlight of the trip was a clear and close sighting of a Pheasant Cuckoo - a very difficult bird not often seen.
P.B. West Yorkshire

...the holiday was superb: well-organised, friendly, knowledgeable and communicative guides, clean and comfortable accommodation, first-class cuisine. A holiday I shall be glad to strongly recommend to anyone with an interest in birding. Well done, and many thanks.
K.E. Norfolk

Both leaders were excellent, but I would like to particularly mention Danilo, our local guide for the El Valle extension... He knows the birds back to front (as well as their English names) and was a very pleasant individual to spend time with. His ability to locate and pin-point birds in the dense forest undergrowth was nothing short of astounding.
D.S. Co. Antrim

The trip was most enjoyable, the group worked together very well, I think a good time was had by all. Staff and catering at the Lodge were excellent. The local guide would take some beating...knowledgeable, courteous, always helpful and always with a smile.
C.R. Gwynedd

I had a week at the Canopy Tower, mostly birding, but we also saw several mammals, reptiles and butterflies galore. We went out each day the various sites, although the day started with a little birding on the observation deck of the Tower. This was an excellent place to view the rainforest surrounding the Tower. A very unspoilt area with the Panama Canal in sight from the deck. We also had the opportunity to visit the museum at the Miraflores Lock on the Canal, which was very interesting. The guide we had throughout the holiday was Alexis Sanchez who proved to be an exceptional guide. Not only did he find numerous birds for us, but he knew all their calls and could even replicate them himself. I have never known a guide do this so successfully before. Not only did he find all the animals but he looked after our needs in the field, providing lunches and cold drinks which were essential in the hot weather we experienced, The food at the Tower was excellent and drinks were available throughout the day, free of charge. This was important to ensure we stayed hydrated! The staff were all very friendly and the facilities were all very good, too. I have no complaints about this holiday whatsoever.
R.I. Surrey

I visited the Canopy Tower in Panama, birdwatching the rain forest along the pipeline road. Its a unique experience staying in the tower and starting the day watching birds in the forest canopy at eye level. Coffee is provided for first light to get you going then buffet breakfast. When you have had your fill of the birds in the canopy you can head down the hummingbird feeders at the entrance giving fantastic close views. Our guide Alexis Sanchez was always close at hand to help with identification and bird song. It was a first class holiday and i would recommend it to everyone as its not all about birds but mammals butterfly's and flowers as well.
P.H. Tyne and Wear

We stayed in a former US radar station just outside Panama City, which made for a unique eco lodge. The viewing platform gave panoramic views across the rainforest. Although not deluxe, the lodge was comfortable, and the staff were welcoming and helpful. Food was excellent. The wildlife guide was particularly knowledgeable, helping us amass an extensive list of birds and other creatures. The weather held up well until the final afternoon when it showed us what it was truly like to be in a rainforest!
J.G. Wiltshire

Our local guide was excellent, finding, calling and identifying birds and ensuring everyone saw them...very professional. The Canopy Tower staff were friendly, courteous and helpful. The group was a happy, friendly and sociable one.
J.R. West Midlands

The trip was excellent - 245 bird species, 10 mammals and 11 reptiles. This was principally down to our guide Alex (Alexis) who was superb. He is an excellent birder - sightings, sounds and general identification. He combined these exceptional skills with a gentle and very pleasant character and took care to be inclusive of all the group members. The Canopy Tower is comfortable and clean, the food was superb and the birding from the tower was excellent. We were provided with tea, coffee and nibbles at 6am on the balcony and watched as the sun rose, before breakfast at 7.30am.
M.D. Bristol

I liked being in the same place for the whole 8 days. I felt I was really starting to get to grips with the bird identification by knowing what to look for and where.
R.F. Lothian

The local guide, field trips and general organisation were very good. I wish to make a return visit sometime in the future.
R.T. Devon

A really lovely place - comfortable, cosy, a great natural history library and the food was really delicious. I hated leaving. I was delighted with the number of mammals that we saw really well. It is an amazing place. The staff in the Canopy Tower were helpful and friendly, and everything was spotless. It was great not having to travel too far every day to see terrific new birds. The sites were close but with diverse birds and other wildlife. The bird guide was terrific - very knowledgeable about all aspects of natural history, good with people and a wonderful mimic of local bird calls. He made sure that we all saw the bird if at all possible. He was calm and relaxed, not rushing us, yet he was so enthusiastic and excited when we got a new bird or mammal. I really enjoyed this holiday. Thanks.
F.K. Dublin

Our guide, Alexis, was excellent. He met us at the Tower and explained everything to us. He was available to answer any questions. He was with us at the Lodge as well and provided brilliant guiding throughout. We also had Daniello with us on two days out from the Lodge, who was also an excellent bird guide. All the staff at both locations were excellent and very welcoming and friendly throughout. This was the first time we’ve been on a fully guided holiday and we enjoyed it a lot. The birding was amazing and the guides also allowed time to look at mammals and reptiles.
J.S. County Durham

Our guide, Alexis Sanchez was friendly and helpful and worked hard all tour to help us see the birds. The Canopy Tower is a very special place and I am very happy I visited it.
P.H. Tyne and Wear

I chose the holiday because it stayed in one place for a week but still gave lots of variety which it delivered in spades. The accommodation was much better than I had thought it would be. I was hoping the guiding would be good and I wasn't disappointed - Alexis was excellent.
A.H. London

Superb accommodation at both Canopy and Lodge, rooms and food excellent, guides good.
R.R. Antrim

Couldn't fault Alexis Sanchez. Brilliant at finding the birds, knowing their calls and replicating all the calls, not just a few. That is really impressive. He also organised everything food wise and drink wise. An exceptional guide.
R.I. Surrey

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Extensions

El Valle (Canopy Lodge)

Every aspect of Canopy Lodge, from the food and accommodation to the staff, service and birding, is outstanding. The lodge lies in close proximity to a series of top birding sites, and is surrounded by bird tables laden with fruit, hummingbird feeders and lush, tropical forest. The habitat and the birds complement the week at the Canopy Tower perfectly. This extension comes highly recommended!

5 days from £1,495

View Details

Dates & Prices

2024

Departures Availability Cost

Sun 3rd Nov – Mon 11th Nov FULL £3,695

Flights:

Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.

Flights are included in the tour cost

Regional Departures:

On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.

Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051

Land only cost:

The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.

£2,895

Tour Leader:

Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary

Alexis Sanchez

Tour Leader: Alexis Sanchez

Sat 23rd Nov – Sun 1st Dec FULL £3,695

Flights:

Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.

Flights are included in the tour cost

Regional Departures:

On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.

Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051

Land only cost:

The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.

£2,895

Tour Leader:

Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary

Alexis Sanchez

Tour Leader: Alexis Sanchez

2025

Departures Availability Cost

Wed 23rd Apr – Thu 1st May SPACES £3,795

Book Tour Show Details

Flights:

Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.

Flights are included in the tour cost

Regional Departures:

On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.

Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051

Land only cost:

The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.

£3,195

Sat 1st Nov – Sun 9th Nov SPACES £3,795

Book Tour Show Details

Flights:

Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.

Flights are included in the tour cost

Regional Departures:

On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.

Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051

Land only cost:

The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.

£2,895

Fri 21st Nov – Sat 29th Nov SPACES £3,795

Book Tour Show Details

Flights:

Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.

Flights are included in the tour cost

Regional Departures:

On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.

Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051

Land only cost:

The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.

£2,895

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Our bargain birdwatching tours suit keen birders who want an active, fast-paced birding holiday with a dedicated focus on searching for birds rather than on looking at the area’s other wildlife or cultural highlights.
We offer a wide selection of long-haul holidays to many destinations in South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and elsewhere.
What can I expect?

An expert English-speaking local ornithologist leader
Outstanding value for money
Dawn-to-dusk birding with limited time for rest, relaxation and outside interests
Enviable bird lists
Focused searches for endemics and regional specialities

Who are these tours best suited to?

Keen & active birders – whether expert or making their first visit to a country or continent
People looking for an action-packed bird-focused tour

Where can I go?
Naturetrek's selection of birdwatching holidays includes many South and Central American countries including Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Panama.
In Africa our selection includes Malawi, Ethiopia and South Africa, while in India and Nepal we offer a choice of 17 bargain birdwatching tours! Here are a few more choices:

Endemics of Western Australia
Argentina's Mar Chiquita
Birds of Brazils Atlantic rainforest
Colombia – home to the world’s richest avifauna
Sri Lanka’s endemic birds

 
 

 
Our specialist recommends...




"I’d recommend our ‘Nepal’ holiday visiting Chitwan National Park and Koshi Tappu Reserve, and ‘India – Bharatpur & Chambal’ within Asia. Try ‘Ecuador – Cock-of-the-rock’ for a superb introduction to Andean birding, while, if you want a bit of luxury, the accommodation we use on our ‘Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park’ tour is top class.” 

Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager

 
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.

Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:

Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar

Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
 

Our specialist recommends...


"Try Coto Doñana & Extremadura for an excellent introduction to Europe's wetland and steppe birds. I would recommend our bargain holiday, 'Nepal – A Birdwatching Tour' for those interested in Siberian rarities and Ibisbill, while Costa Rica offers a chance to search for arguably the world's most beautiful bird, the Resplendent Quetzal."

Byron Palacios - Tour Leader

  
 
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Tour Dates or Itinerary Don't Suit?

Allow our experts to create a private, customised itinerary with dates and prices to suit you.

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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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Tour Reports

Tour report - November 2014

Tour report - March 2014

Tour report - October 2013

Tour report - April 2013

Tour report - April 2011

Tour report - April 2010

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