FAQ : Is Panama a typical Latin American country? What’s the Ethnic makeup?

Panama is not typical at all. Don’t expect to see mainly the typical mestizo (descendants of a combination of Spanish and Indian) population like in the rest of Latin America. There's saying that Panama was "born globalized." The population of 3.3million people has diverse origins: Spanish descendants, blacks (brought in from the Caribbean to build the Canal), indigenous cultures, and important immigrant populations from North America, Europe, China, India and Middle East.

Of special note and a a tourism attraction are the are seven living Indian cultures: Gunas in the Guna Yala Islands on the Caribbean, Embera and Wounaan in the province of Darien, Ngobe Bugle in the provinces of Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro & Veraguas; and Teribes & Bokotas in Bocas del Toro province.

Panama Rafting: White Water Rafting & River Tours in Chiriqui

Chiriqui White Water River Tours

Chiriqui has a rafting trip for everybody. Spectacular passages through mysterious gorges in the middle of nowhere, fun and scenic family runs, steep gradients that lead to boiling eddies and big drops, hidden waterfalls, strong hydraulics that produce wild waves and intense and crazy rapids. Are you ready for Panama rafting? And if you are looking to experience the biggest white water in Central America, the rivers of Panama get even wilder during the rainy season, specially from June to November.

Panama Rafting Trip Options departing from Boquete

How to choose the right rafting trip for you? Besides considering the difficulty of the river (which is known as the "Class") you also have to take into account the time you have. This is why we offer rafting trips of different lenghts:

• Full Day Rafting Trips: leave Boquete at 7 a.m. and return at 3 - 4 p.m.
• Overnight Rafting Trips: leave Boquete at 7 a.m. and return at 3 - 4 p.m. on the next day

Actual trip time on the water (2.5 - 4 hours) depends on how much water is in the river (the more rain, the faster the river, the shorter the trip) and on which sections can or cannot be rafted on a specific day.

If you can spare the time, we definitvely recommend investing a whole day on the river. In our opinion whitewater river rafting is simply the best outdoor adventure tour in the area, so why not make the most out of it?

On the other hand, an overnight rafting trip is a magical experience... swapping stories around a camp fire on the river's shore in the middle of Panama's virgin tropical forests is an experience that cannot be matched by anything else and it is simply too awesome to be put into words. Consider an overnight rafting trip as two full day rafting trips put together, linked by the most amazing camping experience.

                                                   

   

Chiriqui Viejo	Palon	III/IV	IV/IV+	Full Day or Overnight*	3 - 4 hours
Chiriqui Viejo	Sabo	III	III/IV	Full Day or Overnight*	3 hours
Gariche	Upper	n/a	II/III	Full Day	3 - 4 hours
Chiriqui	Witches	n/a	III/IV	Half Day*	1.5 - 2 hours
Caldera	Upper	n/a	IV	Toy Trip*	1 hour
Dolega	Lower	n/a	II/III	Half Day	2 - 2.5 hours
Majagua	Lower	n/a	II/II+	Half Day	1.5 hours
Esti		II	II	Half Day	2 - 2.5 hours

 * Double the rafting time for overnight trips. The half day rafting trip on the Witches section of the Chiriqui can be transformed into a Full Day Rafting Trip by adding a visit to the Caldera Hot Springs at the end of the run. During the rainy season a run down the Caldera River can be added to any half day rafting trip to make it a full day rafting trip (this is what we call Toy Trip), or we can also run this river two times, in which case it would also be considered a full day rafting trip      

Full Day Rafting Trips      

          $75.00 per person                  

Overnight Rafting Trips

$175.00 per person

                                            

  BOOK NOW ! 

Prices include: transportation to and back from Boquete (we can pick you up and drop you off at your hotel), rafting equipment, professional guides, drinking water and meals (lunch for full day rafting trips, and every meal for the overnight rafting trips).

Prices do not include: Panama's Sales Tax.

Note: A minimum of 4 persons is required for a full day rafting an overnight rafting trip.

The following list of items are suggested

• Shoes or sandals with a sturdy sole and connected to the heel (in other words shoes that will not fall off: no flip flops!)
• Towel and change of dry cloths
• Waterproof sun screen
• Cédula or copy of your passport and of the page with Panama's entry stamp (in fact, you should always carry this)
• Bands for glasses
• Waterproof disposable camera (only take to the river equipment that you can afford to loose)
• Snacks for at the end of trip (lunch is provided)