Our guide will pick you up at your hotel and welcome you, apply the biosecurity protocols and guide you to this incredible day full of incredible surprises!
This is where you start to discover a different part of Panama City that you will only know if you dare to enjoy this incredible adventure. From the road, see a cemetery in its traditional form.
The further we advance, the further we enter the heart of the local towns, San Miguelilto is one of them. Known for being declared a special district since the late 1960s With its more than 300 thousand inhabitants, distributed in areas of social invasions that took place with the seizure of power by the military and the dictatorship of the time, San Miguelito, has become one of the areas in the Republic of Panama, with higher population density.
La Cabima has become the commercial center of the communities that live in the mountains of that area. Transportation problems, very dense traffic and long hours on public transport to get to the city center, has been the number one cause of growth in this area. Here we make a 10-minute stop to buy the fruits with which you will accompany your lunch. The main reason for our stop is to support the local economy. By doing this, we contribute to making our tours more sustainable while supporting producers in the region. You can also enjoy taking the best photos of true Panamanians in their hard daily work.
Cemex is the world's largest cement factory that arrived in Panama during the boom in the construction of the 3rd set of locks for the Panama Canal and its Expansion project.
Here begins our journey within the limits of the Chágres National Park. You will be able to see the way of life of the locals who today are the guardians of this invaluable natural reserve. After having reached the northern limit of the province of Panama, we entered the limits of the Chágres National Park. We make a 15-minute stop to use the restrooms and tour the Park's visitor center. The Chágres National Park Visitor Center offers a very good introduction to the location, biodiversity and lifestyle of the area's inhabitants.
Puerto Corotú is an artisanal port of embarkation for locals used by the surrounding communities, located right in front of Alajuela Lake. This man-made artificial lake, flooded in the late 1930s to contain the waters of the Chágres River during the rainy season, is the entry point to beautiful communities of fishermen, peasants and indigenous people. Here will be your meeting with the indigenous people of the Embera ethnic group, who will welcome you, remember the biosecurity protocols during your visit and guide you to the place where you will board your "Piragüa" (boat made from the trunk of a single tree)
This artificial lake, created in the mid-1930s by the Americans, became the first improvement made to the Panama Canal. The water that supplies this lake comes mainly from the Chágres River
The Chágres River is the most important river for the operation of the Panama Canal. It provides more than 35% of the water that is required for the transit operations of ships through the interoceanic route. During the dry season, the tour of this river can be extended up to 1 hour of navigation. In the rainy season, the river is at its maximum levels and the travel time is reduced to 40 minutes of navigation. You will enjoy a trip through the tropical jungle, and nature will surprise you with its species of birds, amphibians and reptiles that you can appreciate, while the skilled indigenous people maneuver the boat on its journey through El Chagres!
This is the place where two worlds meet ... The fascinating Embera Indigenous culture and visitors from all over the world. Their music, their art, their gastronomy and their sincere smiles will mark your memory with incredible memories! Here you will enjoy the best experience that you will never forget !!!
Luis was a knowledgeable and fluent guide. The experience was unique. I especially enjoyed riding in the hand-carved canoe and hiking through the rainforest. I brought a dive mask, and the fish were abundant to look at. I loved seeing them! Meeting the tribe was entertaining, but it did not feel particularly authentic.
It was an amazing tour. Very instructive and worth the money invested. The visit to Panamá wouldn't be complete without this tour.
It is super awesome! A fantastic spiritual trip : ) All the things are line up perfectly and you just need to enjoy the experiences.
Great experience. We decided against going to the waterfall as we are both in our middle-late sixties and it would have been 30 to 40 min each way in the heat. However, the boat ride on the river and the experience at the village was excellent. The fish served at lunch was some of the best I ever had. Make sure you wear good shoes as it was slippery getting up and down the bank from the river. Our guide was Ricardo and he was very knowledgeable. The tribe is very friendly and welcoming.
We had such a amazing time with Juan Carlos and the villagers! We were welcomed with open arms, learned so much about the Embera people and culture, and enjoyed the beautiful canoe ride through the river to get there. Swimming and playing with the children of the village brought us so much joy. Would 100% recommend as a unique cultural experience in Panama!
Eric, our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The hike to the waterfall requires good hiking shoes that can get wet and muddy. There are some small rocks to climb. The canoe trip is a beautiful way to see the Chagres River. Our Embera guides were also helpful and friendly. The lunch was delicious and the native culture is a beautiful thing to see.
All parts were worthy, watching the forest on the cano, waterfall, village , the people, the way they live and the children there…
Today’s boat ride through Chagres National Park was amazing. We loved the boat ride (even though it was pouring) the swim at the hidden waterfall and seeing the Embera Indigenous tribe and hearing. The history and way of life was very interesting and they were very welcoming and eager to tell us about their way of life. Our guide Juan Carlos picked us up at our hotel and stayed with us the whole trip providing lots of useful facts about anything we wanted to know about Panama and the rainforest and indigenous people. I highly recommend this tour.
My wife and I had an amazing time on this tour. It is exactly as advertised. Alex, our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and an active participant along with us. The jungle tour was incredible, the waterfall was spectacular, and then going to the indigenous embarrastribe. The learning of their customs and watching their performances was incredible. I would highly recommend this tour.
This was our best experience in Panama. Starting with our guide Roberto to the Embera people this was an experience we’ll long cherish. I just wish it could’ve lasted longer. I don’t know if it’s possible but turning this into an overnight stay would be wonderful because there’s too much to see and do in a few hours. Standouts include cruising on the amazing Chagres, swimming at the waterfall and most importantly interacting with the Embera people. A well organized, fun filled, educational and memorable experience for all ages.
This was a wonderful tour and highly recommended! Roberto was a great tour guide and answered all our questions! He had a cooler of bottled water for us. The food cooked by the indigenous people was delicious, they were so kind and welcoming! We even took part in a dance with them and purchased some items to support their community. The car ride to the park was great scenery. Robert gave us a lot of info about Panama as we rode to the park. The canoe ride was fun. On the ride back from the community, it rained and we got wet on the canoe but it made the experience all the better! Make sure to bring hat, sunglasses, and a rain coat or rain poncho.
Michelle was such a lovely, knowledgeable and accommodating guide. We fully enjoyed our stop at the market to sample fresh, novel fruits. You can see the strong bond she has with the Emberas which added to the warm welcome of the community members. Absolutely loved the experience. Despite the language difference, my kids and the young Emberas played and frolicked together. Harmony abounded. And boy, let me tell you, you are going to enjoy the lunch. So much to say, but come and enjoy the beauty of nature and the Embera people for yourselves.
Exceeded my expectations even after reading all the 5-star reviews! Rafa is an excellent guide who had wonderful rapport with all the people on the tour as well as with our Emberá hosts. Wear your swimsuit and water shoes so you can fully enjoy the hike and waterfall. Bring cash to purchase souvenirs (options for items from $3-20) and to tip the driver and guide. Warning: you may question everything about your life as you know it after this phenomenal trip.
This was the most amazing experience we had in Panama!! Roberto our tour guide was EXTRAORDINARY!! If you visit Panama you can’t miss to meet the Emberá people!!! I just love them!!! Thank you thank you!!
I took two different tours with Rafael because he is one of the most personable people Ive met in my life and has such a great passion about history and his own country. If you are first time in Panama city dont think twice and book this tour. Such a great experience! Thanks Rafa!
This was such as great experience to canoe up the Chagres River to visit an Embera Tribe. Our tour guide Roberto was great and we highly recommend requesting him as your guide. My Spanish is limited, but Roberto is fluent in both English and Spanish and was easily able to translate for us what was being shared by tribe members. And this was the second tour that we did with Conozca Tours during our stay in Panama City. They were quick to respond to all questions and knowledgeable about the history of Panama. If you want to do tours, I highly recommend them.
Great trip - beautiful scenery and such a friendly and interesting tribe to visit. Lunch was a treat. Rafael was a knowledgeable and fun guide! Definitely recommend.
Everything about this trip was memorable including traveling in dug out canoes. The tribe were extremely open and able to give an overview of their past and their plans for the future.
This excursion is one of the best! Enjoyable travel up the river and the visit with the Tribe was wonderful. Lunch was a treat! Ours was made even better by our tour guide Roberto who did an excellent job. He was with us for our tour of the City and the Canal also. Not only was he readily willing to make the adjustments we needed based on travel limitations, but his knowledge of EVERYTHING Panama was superb. We had a lady blasting him nonstop with questions on numerous topics and he didn't hesitate. Wonderful experience!
Rafael is a fantastic tour guide, and my cousin and I had a great time visiting the Embera people. We took a long canoe ride out to where they live, ate tilapia freshly prepared by them, got henna tattoos, and watched a performance. Overall it was a unique and fun experience!
This tour made my heart smile! First of all Rafael who is the owner and my guide did a fantastic job, he is very kind and personable! The tour itself was perfect, the river boat ride, the community was very welcoming. The tour was organized. I was the only client today but I never felt bored. The food was sourced from the area which I appreciate. Thank you so much Rafael! One of the best tours in Panama.
We had a great experience visiting the Embera Eco - Cultural Day Experience. It was lovely and novel travelling on the river , experiencing bathing in the refreshing waterfall but most especially sharing in the l8fe of the Natives. Raphael is a very knowledgeable, polite and enthusiastic Tour Guide . It was a beautiful and well spent day Thank you Raphael. I have recommended the Tour to friends already
Wonderfull excursion to visit embera community with rafael tello ! I recommend Rafael Tello to travel in Panama. Good guide and very friendly
The service was exceptional and it was an enriching experience. As Panamanians, we are used to doing internal tourism and we never thought we could see how an indigenous community lives so close to the city. The whole experience was fabulous! Our guide, Rafa, really enjoys his work, he taught us everything there is to see, took us to a beautiful waterfall and then to an indigenous village, where we had a nice time, ate and swam in the river. And I was also able to buy handicrafts at a good price. It was really a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it.
This trip was AMAZING!!! The people of the Emberá Community of Purú-Biakirú are beautiful. We had a great guide in Rafael and he introduced us to this wonderful community. We took a 30 (or so minute) walk to a waterfall that we could swim in. We visited with the community for a few hours and they cooked the most delicious tilapia and tostones! We danced, laughed, and were educated on their culture. This was the highlight of visiting Panamá for me and I can only say one thing: GO! GO, visit, enjoy! You will not be disappointed. Thank you again, Rafael, for a wonderful experience!
Roberto was a great guide, knowledge about the people, places and full of good stories. Also the only way to interrupt with the wonderful village people
Unforgettable trip through El Rio, The canoe trip, the views are wonderful and the view to the tribe is to remember. It is a must-see trip if you come to Panama.
It was an amazing experience!!!! From the organization to the journey itself... The time with the natives was super endearing and we felt part of the community. Roberto's (our guide) attention was great and my family and I learned a lot from his explanations. Highly recommended!!!
Excellent Service, attention and guidance, from the tour operator. It handles information very well, meets schedules, is very attentive "pending everything". He doesn't lose detail. Grateful for the adventure and would recommend them with closed eyes. Thank you!
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