A private expedition boat journey through the waters of the Panama Canal, through coves and inlets of Gatún Lake, the vast freshwater reservoir that sustains the entire lock system.
The journey begins with pickup at your hotel lobby and a 45-minute transfer to the town of Gamboa, where the Chagres River meets the Panama Canal. From there, you board your expedition boat to navigate Gatún Lake, passing giant cargo ships in transit along the way — a striking contrast between the Canal's engineering and the surrounding rainforest.
With a specialist naturalist guide, the journey ventures among rainforest-covered islands — former hilltops now surrounded by the lake — in search of white-faced capuchins, howler monkeys, Central American spider monkeys and Geoffroy's tamarins. Along the way you may also spot green iguanas and three-toed sloths resting on branches, crocodiles, ospreys, snail kites and keel-billed toucans, among other rainforest wildlife.
Gatún Lake, formed in 1914 to make way for the Panama Canal, was at the time the largest man-made lake in the world, covering 423 km². Every river in the Canal watershed flows into it, and the locks depend on its fresh water: every ship transiting the Canal uses more than 52 million gallons of water from this system.
A vast lake, a living rainforest, and the Canal's infrastructure as a backdrop. One experience, one exclusive boat.
A picnic lunch on board is included during the journey. Afterward, the transfer back to your hotel in Panama City is included, with arrival in the early afternoon.
Beverages, special arrangements and any other particular requirement can be coordinated to tailor the experience to your occasion or preference.
