Panama - Ultimate Darien Experience

Day 1 DARIEN NATIONAL PARK – SANTA CRUZ DE CANA

This morning we are picked up at the hotel by our Naturalist Guide for the short transfer to Albrook domestic airport where we board a chartered plane to Santa Cruz de Cana, in the heart of Darien National Park and World Biosphere Reserve, where we manage a field station. After getting settled at the Field Station we explore the Boca de Cupe Trail and surrounding area. Specialties here include Blue and Gold, Red and Green, Great Green and Chestnut-fronted Macaws, Black tipped Cotinga, Swallow Tanager, Red-throated Caracara, Streaked Antwren, Dusky-backed Jacamar, Ornate Hawk-Eagle and others.

Our first night will be spent at CANA FIELD STATION (LD)

Day 2 CANA FIELD STATION & SURROUNDING TRAILS

Today is a good day to explore the Mine Trail where rusting machinery was left to be overtaken by the jungle after the British Gold Mine ventures collapsed at the beginning of the last century. Specialties of this area include Great Curassow, Crested Guan, Dusky-faced Tanager, Olivaceous Piculet. Also the Seteganti Trail with open scrub areas and mature forests are good for various Woodpeckers such as Crimson-bellied and Red-rumped, Red-billed Scythebill, Brown Violetear.

Cana Field Station

After a day of wildlife we will spend a final night at CANA FIELD STATION (BLD)

Day 3 PIRRE CLOUD FOREST CAMP

Today we begin our slow-paced 5-hour hike to the Pirre Cloud Forest. At 1,200 meters above sea level, the Pirre Cloud Forest is a good place to look for specialties such as Beautiful Treerunner, Tooth-billed Hummingbird, Slaty Antwren, Tody Motmot, Yellow-eared Toucanet, Rufous-breasted Antthrush, Immaculate Antbird, Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo, Pirre Warbler, Pirre Hummingbird, Pirre Bush Tanager, Greenish Puffleg, Orange-bellied Euphonia. In the afternoon we hike to the top of Pirre Mountain in search of the Golden-headed Quetzal, Gray and gold Tanager, Sharpbill, Chlorophonia and several Tanagers among other highland species.

After our days hike we will relax at PIRRE CAMP (Screened tents with sleeping mats) (BLD)

Day 4 PIRRE CLOUD FOREST – CANA FIELD STATION

After breakfast we will start our descent to the field station with more birding along the way. This afternoon is spent looking for birds around the main camp. Possibilities include Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Spotted Barbtail, Barred Puffbird, Yellow-green Tyrannulet, Jet Antibird, Black-crowned, Fulvous-bellied, Ochre-breasted and Scaled Antpittas, White-fronted Nunbird, Cinereous Becard, Golden-headed Manakin.

Our final night will be at CANA FIELD STATION (BLD)

Day 5 DARIEN – PANAMA CITY

This morning, after some last minute birding from the airstrip, our charter flight takes us back to Albrook Airport in Panama City Panama City. Transfer to our hotel (B)