Panama: Creek Week / Advanced Kayak

Dates: October 18-25, 2008
Cost: $1649

If you're looking to bag some international vertical, look no further than our Panama Advanced Trip. Panama's tropical climate and reliable water are the perfect cure for those winter creeking blues. This trip will offer top notch instruction to help improve your ability to paddle steep, technical water. Then put those skills to the test on some of the best creeks in the world!

A creek boater's paradise, the upper runs that drain the Baru Volcano and are tight and technical. You'll want to pack sunscreen and your boof-stroke, as the warm waters tumble off the mountain, over big, bedrock boulders. These are steep, continuous and technical runs. As they move towards the ocean, they pick up tributaries, and what was once a technical creek quickly becomes a big-water river marked by epic wave trains and fantastic surfing. A volcanic and geologically young area, the rivers here tend to be a combination of boulder gardens and bedrock (often lava flows). The wettest month of the year is October, and our trips are timed to catch the tail end of the rainy season.

Your paddling vacation will start as you fly into Panama City on Saturday. We will meet you at the airport and take you to your downtown hotel. Early the next morning we will take a short flight to the gateway of the Panamanian Highlands, David, before reaching our base for the week, Boquete. Boquete is a beautiful, flower-dotted mountain town (elevation 3,500 feet) nestled at the base of the Continental Divide. It is the center of the coffee and flower growing industry in Panama, and hosts many festivals. Flanked by the highest mountain in Panama, Volcan Baru (elevation 11,400 feet) and La Amistad International Park, Boquete provides a relaxing and scenic place to enjoy some of the best paddling you will ever find.

After a big day on the water, you'll retreat to comfortable lodging at Café Ruis, an old coffee plantation. An ideal spot for rest and relaxation, the highest point in the country is in your backyard and offers amazing views of the ocean. After a brief hike, meander down to the front yard where you can swap stories over drinks in the riverside hot springs. The colorful and exotic birds that live on the grounds will wake you in the morning, and signal the start of another fun day in this creek-boating paradise.

Speak with the Adventure Travel Team

Call 888.905.7238 ext. 333 with questions, or to book.