Day 1- Arrival 

Upon your arrival in Panama, you will be warmly greeted by a representative from Isthmian Adventures at the airport and escorted to your accommodations.

Lodging: Panama City.

Day 2 – Panama City (Telling a story, Street Photography) 

From point and shoots to DSLRs, your photography guide will instruct  you on how to take advantage of the equipment you have to capture the best possible photos. Today, you’ll learn basic aspects of photography and how to tell a story with your lens.

The Mercado de Mariscos (Seafood Market) offers the opportunity to tell the stories of fishermen selling their daily catch as a vibrant and essential part of Panama City’s cultural and culinary scene. At Casco Antiguo—the historic district—you’ll uncover the story of Panama City’s past in the facades of colorful buildings, vibrant plazas, and picturesque brick-paved streets. Then in the afternoon, you’ll get a lesson in dealing with hard light conditions amid the tall buildings of Punta Paitilla and Cinta Costera next to the financial district. Then, in the evening, you’ll have a chance to share your favorite photos from the day and receive further tips you can use the following day.

Meals included: B,L,D
Lodging: Panama City

Day 3 – Soberanía National Park and Miraflores Locks (Searching the light, nature photography)

This morning you’ll document the importance of the rainforest which not only acts as a tropical sponge— absorbing the rainfall and feeding the Panama Canal—but also provides drinking water for more than 50% of the population of Panama, removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and is home to amazing biodiversity of flora and fauna. While exploring the famous Pipeline Road and sailing among the coves and islands of Gatun Lake, you’ll get lessons in wildlife photography and learn to overcome challenges like finding the right light, photographing moving objects, and how to use low zoom cameras and cell phones to get nature shots.

Meals included: B,L,D
Lodging: Panama City

Day 4 – Emberá Village (Ethnophotography)

et ready to meet some of the most friendly and photogenic indigenous peoples in Panamá, the masters of the river, The Emberá. You will head up the Chagres river in piraguas (dugout canoes with outboard motors) surrounded by breathtaking, postcard-worthy landscapes.

This will be an opportunity to learn about the ethics of photographing native groups as well as children. Upon arrival in the village, you’ll visit a local family for a one-on-one introduction to their culture, way of life, and traditions. Then, after lunch you’ll be treated to traditional dances with women wearing colorful wrap-around skirts called parumas and intricately beaded tops adorned with coins called shakiras.

Meals included: B,L,D
Lodging: Panama City

Day 5 – African heritage in Panamá

Today you will have the opportunity to capture the essence of the Afro-Panamanian heritage and the Panama Canal. The presence of African peoples in Panama dates back to the Spanish conquest when slaves forced from Africa and their descendants were used for heavy labor and daily work in the colonies of the American Continent. Their struggle for survival, freedom, and preservation of their cultural heritage can be seen and felt today in what we know as Afro-Panamanians.

You’ll travel across the narrowest part of the isthmus from the Pacific to the Caribbean to visit Portobelo. The customs house here received plunder from the South American colonies as well as slaves arriving to the Panamanian Colonies. You’ll have a chance to explore the old Spanish forts, visit the colonial church with its Black Christ, and see a presentation of Congos. You’ll learn about the struggle of the first slaves on the isthmus. Then, you’ll head to the City of Colon to enjoy a sampling of Afro-Panamanian gastronomy and explore the city of Colon, where a large number of the Afro-Antilians settled after the completion of the Panama Canal.

Meals included: B,L,D
Lodging: Panama City

Day 6 – The Canal Zone

No visit to Panama would be complete without exploring the Panama Canal. Visit the former US Canal Zone and photograph key sites that document the the history of the US’s involvement in Panama which resulted in the construction of the Panama Canal alongside homes, hospitals, schools, commissar, and offices for American residents known as “Zonians.” You’ll also learn the struggles and conflicts that arose and how the Canal was returned to Panama in 1999.

Take soulful photos at the cemetery of Corozal, a memorial to the more than 20,000 souls lost during the French attempt to build the Panama Canal. You’ll also visit the US cemetery, which serves as a memorial to the more than 5,000 lives lost during the American construction of the Panama Canal.

Learn about US military life in Panama while visiting the Former Army Base of Clayton, todays’ City of Knowledge before exploring the heart of the Canal Zone, known as Balboa, with the Panama Canal Administration Building, the Goethals memorial and the Former Canal Zone Governors house.  You’ll be able to capture beautiful landscapes from the Causeway of Amador. Then after lunch visit the Miraflores Vistors Center to see the original locks operating before heading back to your hotel.

Meals included: B,L,D
Lodging: Panama City

Day 7 – Departure

As your Panama adventure comes to a close, it is time to bid farewell to this enchanting country. Say “hasta luego” and return home with albums full of fond memories and a new skill that you can take with you wherever you choose to travel tomorrow.

Meals included: B