Fun things to do in Panama

Sailing San Blas Island with my boyfriend and two sisters and we all agree that it was the best trip ever! I looked on the internet and discovered, The Andiamo. beautiful boat. very easy to make reservations. Anyways. We had too much fun!! Phil was our Captain and he was a gracious tour guide. Talk about Paradise and more Paradise! Phil showed us all points of interest and really opened our eyes to all the beauty that the island had to offer. It was quite affordable considering all the crazy fun we had. We shared the boat with another couple which made the trip even more fun. I enjoyed all the fresh seafood and cooking !! The sleeping arrangement was pretty cozy. The heat was almost bearable. All in all, we had a great trip!! You can find Phil here!!! tell him I sent you : ) http://theandiamo.com/sail-sanblas

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VALLE DE ANTÓN: atractions in
Orquidiario: muy completo y muchas variedades. Asistido por pasantes de varios países. Charlas interesantes. 2 horas de visita
Serpentarium: sencillo pero interesante.
Piedra pintada: antiguos jeroglíficos. Sendero muy bien mantenido. Abundantes aves. 2horas de visita
Zoológico: Sencillo muy amplio y bien mantenido. Espectacular espacio para la conservación de las últimas RANITAS AMARILLAS. 2 horas de visita

El Parque Natural Metropolitano (Metropolitan Nature Park) is a natural and and recreational treasure that is only a 5 minute drive from downtown Panama City. Within its 232 acres of grounds you will tropical forests where more than 200 species of birds have been observed. There are also many other types of animals living in the park, including monkeys, sloths, deer,ant eaters, gatos solos and other smaller tropical forest animals.

There are 5 trails of differing difficulty within the park that take you through the rich and varied vegetation. Along the way you will see many animals. There are 2 major Miradores or Look Out Points that offer great bird viewing and vistas of Panama City.

The day I was there, we walked for about an hour, uphill at first until we reached the Mirador Cerro Cedro. Then we looped back down to the parking lot. During this brief journey we saw many types of birds including Wood Peckers and others whose names we did not know. We also saw a 3 clawed Sloth, a gato solo, 2 monkeys and some unusual smaller animals. IT IS BEST TO VISIT THE PARK IN THE EARY MORNING BEFORE IT BECOMES TOO HOT. THE BIRDS AND ANIMALS ARE MOST ACTIVE IN THE EARLY PART OF THE MORNING.

It was a great break from the urban hustle and bustle of Panama City. The entrance fee is only $2 per adult and Tours Guides are available to take you on a tour if you wish. I don't know if most speak English.

The Park Office is open M-F from 8AM to 5PM and Sat from 8AM to 1PM, but the Park itself opens at 6 AM. Visit the website.

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These are pictures from the cruise ship. The town is a busy port for transport of goods onto ships. There were a dozen anchored offshore then. The port has been in use for centuries. Columbus was around here in 1502. Colon was founded in 1850 as a port. It was an island, later filled in to connect. They have the second largest duty free zone in the world here, but it all is bulk buying-sorry shoppers. Some duty free items can be found in the shops for built for cruise people to shop and it is real close to ships.
The town is about 200,000 population, and mostly remaining blacks that were immigrated for labor work on railroad and later the canal. It also was a staging area for the US to use for canal construction. Because of declining economy, many of the upscale society left to Panama City some time ago. The realization cruise ships were coming by, they now offer free portage for stops by of the ships. Shopping is the next best thing.

It was fun to have all included, a lot of music, nice views to the beach.
I did not like at all the food, but I reccommend it anyway because you will enjoy the beach, the pools and the activities.
I went again in August 2007 and I liked better the restaurants, they have improved the service. I liked very much.

Not to great. You will see if you are lucky: snakes, monkeys, nice flowers, ants, lezard, and more. Very humid forest.
Did not enjoy but worth the visit if you like walking. Takes about 4 hours to see all the park.

Open: Mon - Fri.: 8 am - 4 pm
Sat. Sun. : 8 am - 6 pm

Entrance: adults: $1 - kids: 50 cent.

From there you will see some rainforest animals hard to see during the daylight.
Principals atrractions: Harpy Eagle and Tapirs exhibition.

The Barro Colorado Island, was formed when the lake was built as part of the Panama Canal. which was a hill before the lake was formed. Established as the first wild life reserve in the new world tropics.

As for the flora and fauna of the island, the lake and its surrounding, numbers are astonishing. About 1,368 species of vascular plants out of the more than 10,000 that exist in the Republic of Panama, 93 species of mammals of a total of 220 have been found in the area. Also as many as 366 species of birds out of the 925 species that exist in Panama can be found here. Most of this information comes from the investigations conducted by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute who has laboratories in the island.