Join Aboard Discovery
The intimate and luxurious 12-cabin Discovery is a 108-foot catamaran purpose-built for sailing the Panama Canal and pristine Pacific coast. In fact, she’s the only small ship that guarantees a daytime transit through the Canal! All cabins have private bathrooms, individual climate control, and huge wall-to-wall picture windows to capture every amazing moment of your voyage.
Enjoy superb Panamanian and international cuisine, and relax with fellow adventurers in the mid deck lounge, outfitted with dramatic
floor-to-ceiling windows. General Tours ship is also equipped with a unique platform that lowers onboard kayaks gently into the water. Day 1 - Arrive Panama City
| Check-in to your luxury hotel, the Intercontinental Hotel Miramar, a contemporary landmark overlooking scenic Panama Bay. |
Day 2 - Panama City / Board the Discovery
| Your tour of the city begins along the Bovedas Promenade which curves along the tip of the peninsula above an imposing defensive sea wall built by the Spanish. Continue into Casco Viejo and explore the fine Colonial architecture of Panama City’s Old Town. In the afternoon, we’ll take you to the Flamenco Marina to board your luxury catamaran, the Discovery. Relax onboard with your fellow travelers and General Tours expedition leaders as General Tours chart a course toward the Pearl Islands, about 50 miles off the coast of Panama City. Enjoy a delightful dinner onboard as the sun sets over the Pacific. Meals B,D |
Day 3 - Cruising / Darien National Park
| Today you’ll motor upriver through dense jungle to a remote village of Embera Indians, direct descendents of those who guided Vasco de Balboa in 1513 on his voyage to discover the Pacific. Gain fascinating insight into Embera tribal traditions, little-changed in the centuries since the arrival of the first Spanish colonialists. As General Tours journey through this pristine National Park, keep your eyes peeled for the abundant wildlife which is particularly active along the river’s edge. Meals B,L,D |
Day 4 - Cruising / Pearl Islands
| Immerse in the pristine environment of this Pacific archipelago, named for the abundance of Pearl oysters that supported a thriving industry here in the early 1900’s. You can kayak, swim and snorkel along the beautiful and unspoiled beaches of San Telmo and Mogo Mogo Islands. Just off the coast of San Telmo are the sunken remains of the Civil War submarine Explorer, which sank in the late 1800’s. Meals B,L,D |
Day 5 - Cruising / Panama Canal to Gatun Lake
| Daybreak finds the Discovery at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, part of the morning’s ship convoy awaiting entrance into the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks that will raise General Tours catamaran 85 feet above sea level. We’ll navigate through the infamous Gaillard Cut, the narrowest section of the Panama Canal, and spend the night anchored in Gatun Lake. Meals B,L,D |
Day 6 - Cruising / Barro Colorado & Chagres River
| Before the construction of the Panama Canal, this vast jungle region was teeming with a rich abundance of wildlife. The completion of the Canal flooded the region, creating Gatun Lake, and animals took refuge from the rising waters in the forested mountain peaks, which now emerge from the Lake waters as a collection of scenic islands. This morning, join your expedition leader aboard smaller water craft to explore along Barro Colorado Island, home to the Smithsonian’s Tropical Research Center. In this pristine and secluded area of the Lake, you’ll have excellent opportunity to see this amazing wildlife in its native rainforest habitat. Tropical birds, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and crocodiles are some of the animals that reside here. Back onboard the Discovery, you’ll continue through the Canal completing your passage en route to the mouth of the Chagres River. Meals B,L,D |
Day 7 - Fort San Lorenzo
| The magnificent Chagres River is rich with history, from the Spanish conquistadors who used the river to transport gold across the Panamanian isthmus en route from Peru to Spain, to Gold Rush prospectors who attempted a “short cut” from the US East Coast to California. General Tours expedition leaders will bring the region and its colorful past to life as you visit historic Fort San Lorenzo, built by the Spanish in the 16th century to guard their famous gold trail. The fort’s strategic location atop a cliff at the mouth of the Chagres River offers breathtaking views. Meals B,L,D |
Day 8 - Portobelo
| Today you’ll explore the ancient fortifications and Spanish Colonial churches of historic Portobelo, set along a scenic bay that long ago witness legendary sea battles of the Spanish Main. Visit the Church of San Felipe and spend the night anchored in this peaceful bay, once the most important refuge for Spanish galleons that plied the waters of the Caribbean. Meals B,L,D |
Day 9 - Portobelo / Panama City
| Step off the Discovery this morning for a journey across the Continent! It’s a comfortable and scenic two-hour drive back to Panama City on the Pacific coast. Check-in to the luxury Intercontinental Hotel Miramar and enjoy the balance of your day at leisure. Meals B |
Day 10 - Panama City
| Your voyage with us ends this morning. Or continue your adventures with General Tours Freestyle TravelMeals B |
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