Artisanal Panama

Walk the colorful Casco Antiguo with your guide showing you art in the every-day life of Panama City: from Panama hats, artisanal jewelry and paintings to colorful graffiti on old house walls, have a morning coffee in an art gallery supporting young local artists and visit the Museum of Contemporary Art. (B, L)

Cross the country along the Panama Canal by train and enjoy breathtaking views of lush rainforest and the Panama Canal covered in mystic morning fog before getting to the charming little town of Portobelo. Visit the Cultural Foundation of Casa Congo with its expressional art gallery and enjoy a local painting class learning about the traditional Afro-Caribbean Congo style. After lunch, board a boat to discover the pristine white-sanded beaches of the area with a snorkel. (B, L)

Board a motorized piragua and travel up the Chagres River deep in the rainforest to the indigenous village. Have an unforgettable encounter with the Embera people and learn about their customs and master artisan pieces made of nature. (B, L)

Go on a short domestic flight to the traditional Azuero Peninsula famous for its colorful artisan products and local delicacies. Learn about precolonial ceramics of the Peninsula by joining a handicraft painting workshop. Paint your own ceramic plate, metate or tile with precolonial motives. In the evening you will enjoy a traditional Panamanian dinner. (B, D)

Get to know the region’s typical products: Observe how salt is extracted from the Pacific Ocean and learn about the production of the refreshing sugar cane juice, as well as the famous La Arena bread. For lunch you will try typical Panamanian delicacies at a local restaurant. In the afternoon you will observe the details of the confection of the Pollera, the beautiful typical dress of the peninsula. You will also visit workshops of two artisans: One who is producing the region’s typical devil masks and the other one the traditional wooden drum. (B, L)

You will be transferred to Puerto Mutis in the province of Veraguas and board a boat to get to the Isla Gobernadora, where you will check in your art lodge. The island retreat is run by two French artists who put together a community art cooperative and engage themselves in a sustainable development of their island. Spend your days relaxing in the lodge or on the beach, exploring the island, visiting the art gallery, or taking part in workshops that include working with timber, braiding, painting, photography or ceramics. (B)

Go on a transfer back to David for a short domestic flight back to Panama City. (B)