PANAMA....Panama CityGamboaDavidBoquetePanama CanalSoberania National ParkBocas del ToroBastimentos .Marine Park45Essentials Climate Sub-tropical in lowlands, temperate in highlands. Rainy season May?November.Festivals Panama Carnival, February; Aquatic Way of the Cross in Nicaragua 21?22 April 2011; In Honduras, The Raining Fish! May?June 2011. Travelling from UK Time difference (GMT) Panama and Honduras -6hrs, Nicaragua -7hrs Travel time 15hrs Highlights of Panama 13 days, 11 nightsPanama City 2 nights, Gamboa 2n, Boquete 2n, Bocas del Toro 4n, Panama City 1n.Day 1 Fly from the UK to Panama City. Overnight at the charming Canal House in Panama's Historic district. Day 2 Partial transit of the Panama Canal which passes through the continental divide. Days 3&4 City tour, including a visit to the Smithsonian Marine Lab, then continue to Gamboa for 2 nights at the well appointed Rainforest Resort, with a jungle boat cruise and expedition in the rainforest canopy. Days 5&6 Morning bird-watching and nature hike within the tropical Soberania National Park with excellent interpretive trails. Fly to David and continue by road to to Boquete for 2 nights in peaceful cottage retreat, Panamonte Inn and Spa. Days 7-10 Scenic drive from the cloud forest to the Caribbean coast, then by boat to Bocas Inn on Colon Island, Bocas del Toro (4 nights) where a protected bay offers water sports. Explore the white sand beaches, coral reefs and mangrove islands of Bastimentos Marine Park, and then enjoy 2 days at leisure? kayaks, bikes and snorkels are available to rent. Day 11 Fly to Panama City for one night. Day 12 Fly to the UK arriving day 13.Prices from £2,245pp based on two sharing, excluding transatlantic flights. Regular departures from the UK 10EASTERN LOWLANDS AND ISLANDS (PANAMA)The archipelago of San Blas has 365islands including over 40 inhabited andself-governed by the Kuna indians. TheDarien Gap bridges Central and South America: there are some interesting areas to explore in the Darien National Park.9PANAMA CITY AND THE CANAL ZONE (PANAMA)Around 14,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal every year and the sight of them rising and falling in the locks is fascinating. The fortified colonial part of the atmospheric capital has some world class museums.8BOCAS DEL TORO (PANAMA)An hour's flight from Panama City lies the Bocas del Toro archipelago: 6 large, forested islands and scores of smaller ones. They have pristine beaches and coral reefs.7WESTERN HIGHLANDS (PANAMA)The Chiriquí highland region, hiking country around Boquete, has temperate cloud forest, mountain villages and prolific wildlife. La Amistad International Park has a network of hiking trails.020 8747 8315 / journeylatinamerica.co.uk bookings, consultant advice and additional information how about?» A few days on the palm-dotted Kuna Yala (San Blas) Islands among the autonomous Kuna indians (p46).50 Miles100 KMPADDY PLUNKETTSHUTTERSTOCK.COMISTOCKPHOTO.COMALFREDO MAQUIZ / IPATANCON EXPEDITIONS

Panama City and beyond Panama offers a lot more variety for a holiday than you might think, beyond (but not far from) the canal you can visit the rainforest of virtually untrodden national parks, live alongside the indigenous populations of Caribbean islands and return to the bustle and mallsof a burgeoning modern capital city. Panama City, an exotic mix of old Spanishhouses and skyscrapers with a pervading scentof the Orient, is fascinating but the biggest draw is undoubtedly the Panama Canal (facing page). You can make a transit of the 68km waterway from the port of Balboa on the Pacific coast via Miraflores Locks, where the ship will be raised and lowered by a series of locks back to sea-level on the Atlantic (Caribbean). Soberania National Park, just a half-hour's drive from the city limits, supports dense jungle in which, at the Canopy Tower Lodge (left) a former radar station, you can observe the birdlife from the roof: motmots, toucans and other tropical species are prolific here.Spend a few days in the archipelago of Bocas del Toro (below), based on Colon Island, with organised excursions. There are boat trips, beach explorations, snorkelling off the coral reef andhikes. A highlight is a trip to BastimentosNational Park, exploring creeks through red mangrove forest and trails frequented by tanagers, manakins, monkeys and red frogs.46 Panama, Nicaragua & HondurasALFREDO MAQUIZ / IPATANCON EXPEDITIONS