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Panama map (1 Viewer)

Hamhed

Hamhed

Well-known member
Saludos and hello to all -

We are looking at the possibility of traveling to Panama this May and would like a map of Panama that shows roads, protected areas (National parks, reserves, etc.) and topographical gradients. The map we use for Costa Rica is one we can buy locally, a National Geographic Adventure Map. It seems to have all that we need but I'm open for suggestions. A small scale section of Panama City is also necessary.

We're are likely to stay in the canal area for much of our stay, without a rental vehicle, taking the SACA bus from the city to Gamboa. Can anyone out there tell me what a taxi ride from the Tocumen airport to the Cinco de Mayo terminal in western Panama City for the SACA buses might cost?

Finally, we may rent a car for a couple of days to access higher elevations. Are there any rental car companies I should avoid?

Muchas gracias; thank you -

Steve
 
Hi, Niels -

Okay, I got the map covered then and I already have the newest edition of the Bird-Finding Guide. I don't yet have an i.d. book, hoping until now that a new or updated guide might come out but if we go in May, I'd better go with Ridgely's book (2nd edition?).

The Canopy Tower and Rainforest Lodge are out of our price range so we're thinking of Ivan's or the Sobernia Research Station. Any experience with either of them?

By the way, one other destination we considered was Puerto Rico and your '05 trip report on Maybank was very helpful. Thanks for posting it. I'm sure we'll get there someday. No one in Birdforum is posting anything about PR. I wonder why.

Steve
 
Hamhed said:
Hi, Niels -

Okay, I got the map covered then and I already have the newest edition of the Bird-Finding Guide. I don't yet have an i.d. book, hoping until now that a new or updated guide might come out but if we go in May, I'd better go with Ridgely's book (2nd edition?).

The Canopy Tower and Rainforest Lodge are out of our price range so we're thinking of Ivan's or the Sobernia Research Station. Any experience with either of them?

By the way, one other destination we considered was Puerto Rico and your '05 trip report on Maybank was very helpful. Thanks for posting it. I'm sure we'll get there someday. No one in Birdforum is posting anything about PR. I wonder why.

Steve
Click to expand...

Steve, thanks for the nice words. I have also done a Panama report which is available here on BF which will answer some of your questions.

Re PR, it is a nice place to visit, but if you have a longer vacation you probably would want to combine it with somewhere else, and that may be turning some people off.

Niels
 
Hamhed I would go with Ivan's. I stayed there for my whole stay in Gamboa last year. Ivan is a great proprietor and the place has a lovely atmosphere. Pipeline road is very walkable from there (saying that, I used a car). There is a canopy tower (called the discovery tower) next to pipeline road (open a couple of years now). I didn't have a great experience with Car Rental. I specifically reserved a 4x4 with Avis and got a 2wd car with 4 wheels (the receptionist pretended not to understand the difference) but with high clearance - a Ford Ecosport. A normal 2wd car will do for Gamboa and Achiote and probably most places. By the way Ivan had organised an Airport pick-up/drop-off for a guy staying there when I was there. Also last year there wasn't a good map
 
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Thanks, Carrowary. That's all good information. Ivan was the most attentive contact we made when trying to plan this trip last year. I got the impression his might be the best choice. Did you eat all your meals there also?
I like the airport shuttle idea since our plane arrives in the evening. Buses may not be running that late. We would probably rent a vehicle to get to some higher elevations for a couple of days.

Steve
 
Hamhed, I had most of my meals there, and although they aren't michelin star, they are pretty good. Off the top of my head there are no restaurants nearby. By the way, alot of the birds around the canal area are somewhat secretive, however I used calls successfully (eg: I called in 4 sp of trogon to the discovery tower all at the same time) - though I had to often change ipods due to the humidity jamming them. By the way although pipeline road was very humid Gamboa wasn't at all. Achiote has a number of very good species and is superb birding (The CBC here is often around 300 species). It is drivable as a day trip from Gamboa although you have to leave very early to leave time to get over the docks
 
I have to put in a good word for Soberania Research Station. The facilities are pretty basic, but they fed us well, and the rooms were clean. The staff is excellent. If you are going to be hiring any guides, I can't recommend the Advantage Panama guys enough. They were first class all around. Also, some of the best birds I saw were the yardbirds at the Research Station. I'd go back any time. Hmm, that's not a bad idea...

Jim
 
Thanks for the helpful info, guys. I had heard that there are little food options in Gamboa. As for Soberania Station, I have emailed Guido to see about a trip to Chucanti Station, where I believe Advantage Tours operates some sort of accommodations. We don't mind basic at all; in fact we seek it out because it often means affordable. gvca1, did you go anywhere with Advantage Tours?

Next question would be to ask if anyone has recommendations for (affordable) places to stay on Cerro Azul. That would be our choice of places to go if leaving the canal area.
 
Re Cerro Azul, I think you can do the most important sites on a one day outing with e.g., Advantage Panama; we did not do that day with them but a day to San Francisco reserve which was fantastic. Guido was on BF when I was planning our trip. For that we stayed at the airport hotel.

Niels
 
Hi, Niels -

We're expecting hot and humid conditions around the canal. A couple of days and night higher up at Cerro Azul sounded like it would be a refreshing change.
I notice in your trip report from '07 that you saw 28 species in San Francisco not seen elsewhere. That sounds like a alternative to Chucanti or Cerro Azul. Was there any elevation to that area?
The usual bird trip conundrum - so many places and so little time!

I know Guido lurks on here but I haven't heard from him. He's probably out birding or something silly like that.

S
 
There was not that much elevation to the area, but we got some birds with a more easterly range than what we got elsewhere, and being with a good guide also added to what we could have done ourselves.

Niels
 
Hamhed said:
. gvca1, did you go anywhere with Advantage Tours?
Click to expand...

Yes, we did a 10/8 day tour with Advantage Panama. We spent some time in Chiriqui highlands, and also went down to San Francisco reserve down into eastern Panama. I think I'd be happy to spend more time at Pipeline Road and around Gamboa.

Guido took good really good care of us, although he was really busy. I think he got married the day after we flew out of Panama. We had Guido Berguido as our guide for some of the trip, and Beny Wilson for the rest of it. One day, they overlapped, so we had both guides on Pipeline Road. When we were photographing hummers at the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center (an interpretative center along Pipeline Road) the woman who was running the center was wondering who the big-shot gringos were, because she said we had the two best bird guides in Panama.

We were pretty clear that we wanted basic food and lodging, and good looks at some good birds. None of us were heavy duty listers, but we saw a LOT of amazing birds.

Next time, maybe Achiote road, and maybe a little further down into the Darien...

Enjoy your trip,

Jim
 
Thanks, Niels.

And thanks to you also, Jim. If we can get Guido to answer our emails, we are likely to spend at least a little time with him and Advantage Tours.
I like your description "heavy duty listers". If I was ever drawn to become a "heavy duty lister", going to the tropics changed that. There is so much that attracts the eye, plants, insects, animals and birds, that new birds are just an excuse to find the money for a ticket to tropical America.

Steve
 
Panama is a wonderful place for birding ! Real jungles with good roads and related infrastructure support makes it easy for novice visitors to the tropics.
Spent the week of Mar 10-16, Panama City, Colon and Gamboa, checking out the birding hotspots with an outstanding local guide, Jacobo Ortega. ( Web site is: Birdinginpanama.com )
Group of 8 birders, 216 species of birds, plus sloths, various monkeys, caymans and turtles. Will try to post a fuller trip report.
Was very impressed by the Gamboa Rain Forest Resort, halfway along the canal waterway in a national park. Well maintained and very comfortable, luxurious even, yet with parrot flocks and honeycreepers on the grounds, plus woods with trogons, motmots, antbirds and manakins within easy walking distance.
 
Hi, Etudiant -

IN May, we also will be staying a week in the Canal area, focusing on the area near Gamboa. Most of our stay will be at Ivan's B&B (http://www.gamboaecotours.com/) with the balance at Sobernia Research Station. If allowed, we'll walk the grounds and trails of the resort. Publishing your bird list would be much appreciated.
 
Hi Hamhed,

Attached a word file of a trip summary written by Joe Guinta. Joe runs Happy Warblers LLC, which arranged this trip. The file includes a trip list and links to some trip pictures, mostly people but also some birds and places. Do note that Joe's list was conservative and includes only birds seem by all.
My count for the total was about 10% higher, with birds such as Crane Hawk on the Pipeline Road and Green Manakin at Gamboa.
 

Attachments

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Good catch, Hamhed!
I meant to say female Gold Collared Manakin. It was such a nice shade of green, with the orange legs a bit of a clash.
Very cooperative bird, in low shrub at the water's edge.
 
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