Islands, Rainforests and Wildlife in Central America

Costa Rica had been on my destination “wish list” for years. Finally, in January 2025, I traveled to Panama and Costa Rica and cruised the Panama Canal. I toured museums, hiked through rainforests, and visited the Guna and Embera indigenous peoples of Panama, and I had a variety of additional experiences including a walking tour of Panama’s historic Casco Viejo district, lunch in the beautiful Else Kientzler Botanical Gardens outside of Sarchi, and visits to the former U.S. Canal Zone, the Gamboa Sloth Sanctuary, the artisan village of Sarchi, the Doka coffee plantation, and La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

I recommend starting at the beginning – Day 0 – Arrival in Panama City – and following along (Day 0 was the day before the tour officially started). The top menu has links to more information on Panama and Costa Rica, while the side menu has links to each day on the tour and to photo galleries comprising the best of my 553 photos taken during my travels through Panama and Costa Rica. Enjoy!

Biomuseo, Panama City, Panama
Embera Village Chief, Darien Region, Panama
Demonstration, Doka Coffee Plantation, Costa Rica
Butterflies, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Costa Rica