Panama Travel Forum

I know it is very difficult, but I was wondering if somebody has done a trekking in Darien's area, I am interested about the price/time and itinerary you did, and also if there is some way to contact a guide there to do it. I have a lot of info from very expensive companies, which I am not interested, I will prefer a panamanian guide. Thanks

Good question :).

The Darien Gap is indeed a very dangerous area, but definitly not off limits.

My advice would be to skip the tours and head there yourself. Start in Panama City (hostel Voyager is a nice place to sleep at for under $10 USD). From there, you can get a bus to Meteti (depending on the time of year, maybe even Yaviza). Since I visited during the rainy season, they dropped me off at Meteti, where I took a 4x4 truck to Yaviza. There is a hotel in Yuviza for under $10 USD. From there, you can take a boat to "El Real (hotel for under $10 USD)," where one of the official offices to Parque Nacional El Darien is located. Once there, inquire in the office for a quide to take you into the park. They have several set places where they can take you.

Depending on your likings there is a kewl jungle lodge they can take you to... or if you're in for an adventure, you can hike to the Minas de Cana in about two weeks (round trip hike) with a local guide.

The key to hiking cheaply in el Darien is time... take your time... I'd suggest at least 2 weeks, maybe 3. Oh, don't forget to get all the anti-malarials and other innoculations with you. As for some more prices and info feel free to check my short and brief travelogue at the following link:

http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/1b68c/

I envy you! I only had 3 days in Darien and long to go there someday... specially the Minas de Cana!

have fun, Fernando

Forgot to add, guides charge you about $15-20 USD per day (not cheap considering you need to add transport costs and food costs). Traveling in the Darien is a bit expensive, but worth it. Haggle the prices down!

Hablas Español? Vi que eres de España asi que si si hablas español te va ayudar, pero de todas formas te van a reconocer como turista asi que espera pagar mas que un local.

saludos,
Fernando

Thank you very much for all.
Ha, ha! Fernando, I'm panamanian!, but I live in Spain, I've read in your travelogue that you were there last year?, have you any e-mail or telephone of your guides?
Darien is the only part of Panama that I haven't explored yet and that's why I'm so interested, last year I wanted to go, but nobody wanted to go there because they say it was raining a lot. I can only go in December that is the beginning of the dry season.

Hahaha... asi que eres Panameña! Que bien! Va ser mas facil para ti... ahi te va la respuesta en ingles por si le sirve a alguien mas. ciao, Fernando

No Problem! I actually don't have any phone numbers, but I did manage to find the name of the lodge. If you are low on time then that will be a good alternative to the mines I was telling you about. The lodge is run by INRENARE (Panamanian Government Agency) and is called the Rancho Frio. It looks like it has a good hiking trail called Sendero Rancho Frio. Sorry I don't have their phone number, but like i said, if you show up they'll accomodate you. There are not too many tourists on the region and as a local i'm sure they'll give you a better deal then a Mexican Gringo like myself :).

cheers,
Fernando

PS: Wish I could join you! I'll be slaving a bit at work saving for my next trip :).

Thank you very much!!
Where are you planning to go next?

Hy!

I just been there for 4day and 3night.
It was an organised tour,2days in a kajak and 1 1/2trecking.I know it's very expensive....I paid 300 USD.
But all the expenses been included and it was realy realy nice....we never slept in a hotel,just with the local poeple who are living along the rivers.But to be honest wild live is not that grate unless you have time because you would need time to see different cind of birds and monkeys.And on top of it you will have to be profaninaly equipt and organised.....If you realy want to do it on your one it's possible but the places where you can go are limited.
There are rangers stations where you can hire a ranger for day trip....or may be the ranger knows some one who has more time and knows the area as well to do a longer trip with you but even than you need to provide food and equipment and if you want to go on the river you need to by gazolina plus renting the boot too.
I had the same problem,I was alone and my espanol es mui mal....but this would be not the case for you.
So,I would need to look up for the e-mail address from the frenc guy who did the tour.
If you are realy interested...I can give you even more information....I just came back 2days ago.
Mihaly

Thanks mihaly1 for your reply, I'm very interested in more information about your experience. Do you have the name of the company you went to?
Thanks,

Just read about your trip in Darien. The French guide that you are talking about, was it Michel Puch by any chance? He is good. I did one of his Embera Indian trip and have sent him serveral people since.

I am listed in the Guinness Book of Record for the world's longest walk.
I walked the Darien Jungle from Panama to Colombia in 1979.
The report is on my website at:
http://blessitt.com/journal/
Then click on Panama- Colombia.
The following is just a taste of the trip. I cried a lot today. I don't know why, but tears just kept dripping, so did blood. I'm bleeding from several deep cuts. Tired, hurting in my back, my feet burned a lot, All day we've been drinking water from dried-up rivers and muddy holes. This is what I bathed in this morning, but, after four days without a bath I could not stand myself.
My feet are blistered, blood flowing out of my heel, All I can do is keep going and not stop. I must go on. My back is in constant pain, my legs ache, my skin burns, my shoulders are sore, and if you touch them they hurt. But if I lift up my 12-foot cross and whisper Jesus, I can start off again.
it's so hot. We drank 12 liters of water in the jungle, all from stagnant holes. My body aches, my toes are bleeding. just me and these Indians with rings in their noses. Nine hours walking in this jungle. OhJesus, I need your help. I cry unto you. Lord, I almost didn't make it. I was struggling, lunging, crawling, falling up cliffs and mountains, wading through water and grass. It was the hardest struggle per-hour that I have ever had. Some of these mountains I had to crawl up, pushing the cross a foot or two at a time. Going down I would fall, slip or slide.
I crossed nine rivers today. As I walked along the bank of one of them, it gave way and I fell into the mud and water. it was simply a battle to survive. I cut with my machete until my arm could hardly hold up the big knife. Vines wrapped around the cross; at times you could not even see the ground.
I refuse to die in this jungle. If God wills in His power, I will make it. my They could not believe I had come through from Panama.
www.blessitt.com
Arthur Blessitt

Hello,
I was stationed in Panama at Howard AFB. I have been everywhere in Panama. I have flown near that area. The US Government could not guarentee our safety when we flew near there, they gave us pistols and said good luck!Darien is very dangerous. That where most of the drugs get shipped through. And there is very few women that live there. Any women would be considered Beautiful. My formal wife is from there and my father in-law owns land in Darien. His father lives there now. I will be leaving to go to Panama soon for my vacation. I also own an appartment there and when I retire, I will build a house there. It's beautiful there. I miss the fishing in the Canal. If you do go to Darien. Make sure you find a very good, I mean a very good guide that knows his stuff.
Be safe and Merry Christmas. I hope to be there during Fiesta time (Feb.)

Terry

IG, Even if you dont want to spend the money to go with Ancon, Im sure Marco might be a ble to help you, he is at Anconexpeditions.com Id tell him you are Panamanian, tell them I told you to contact him, also do you have any recomendations of a place to gofor 2-3 days. Ill be in the Darien Jan16-21 and I dont leave panama till the 24th. Butch

Thanks to all of you that have answered, I finally went to Darien, it was a wonderful experience, I stayed in Boca de Lara, and visited some nearby villages, also I went to La Palma, the people is very open and kind, with curiosity about our culture and life as we are about them. I have put photos in 2 travelogues named DARIEN,
And...it is not as dangerous as everybody wants to make believe...
Hugs,

That's nice to hear. You are from that country and the people that do live in the interior are much nicer prople. I would stick out like a white dot on a piece of paper!
Glad you had fun and liked it. What type of cameral did you use to take pictures with?
Enjoy! My turn is next!
Terry:)

Tropicalbird: I'll spend without doubt 2 or 3 days in San Blas Islands. I'll interested to contact with Marco anyway, if you can get his email, or telephone, write to me.

Terry:
I used 3 cameras: automatic CANON prima, digital HP 612 and Sony.
In the town I went Boca de Lara there was a Peace of Corps girl (maybe 20 years old), alone, living for 2 years with the Wounaan Tribe, I suppose Darien is dangerous only at the border with Colombia. There is also a lot of security at the road, you have to show passport and say your itinerary, but I felt very safe in the towns, a little bit of contradiction.

Best Regards,

Thank you for the information. I'm very happy the area is safer now than when I was there. Good to know. Thank you again! I hope to be there soon, but with what is going on in todays world. I may not be able to go on vacation soon. I work for the US Air Force and allot of work will be coming my way. I'm bogged down now with paper work and countless hours on the computer. Enjoy your day!

Terry = )

Just got back from Cana, I guess I was lucky, plus the Pierre mountains were a barrier,not taking light of how the people there were affected by the rebels coming over the border. Butch

Some friends asked me to go to columbia trough the darien cap...
I didn't and i was lucky...because after a week....they found 3 of them dead!!***ing guerillas!!

Sorry to hear that Vicy :(. The trip they imbark on is a risky one... it's a pitty for such a beautiful region to be tarnished by such a bloody civil-war and guerillas.

Sorry to hear about the tragedy of your friends, It is indeed very dangerous to cross the Darien Gap, because of the colombian guerrillas and also the drug dealers. This week the president of Panama has had to declare "war" to these people to prevent them to enter to Panama and disturb the local people.
Darien is very big and the town which I visited is very far away from the border, so I did not notice anything strange or dangerous.