A Year of Travel: Panama City, Panama

Welcome to Week 19 of A Year of Travel!

May 12, 2025

Keeping our promises to ourselves is essential.

Life of a Travel Writer

Embark on a year-long adventure with me as we explore the wonders of our world!

Hello, Fellow Travelers, and Happy Sunday,

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

On The Move Again

Another Sunday, another lounge. I’m once again coming to you from an airport lounge, but this time we’re in Panama City, waiting to head home to New Jersey! I’m extremely excited to be going home-not only because I miss my family, but also my cat, my bed, and my stuff. However, this visit isn’t just fun and games; I’m heading home with a purpose. Later this week, I’ll be attending my first travel conference.

The Women in Travel Summit is a conference for women in the travel industry that I first heard about in 2019, though it’s been running since 2014. When I decided to make the leap from sailor to travel writer, attending WITS was the first thing on my to-do list. In today’s world, it’s all about who you know, and I’m hoping that by attending the conference, I’ll be able to bring more community into my daily life. While traveling is amazing, I’ve been missing that sense of community over the past few months.

Panama City, Panama

But Panama has been nothing short of amazing. We were incredibly lucky to have missed most of the rain, even though it was the start of the rainy season. So, we took full advantage of the brief dry spell, and the very first thing we did was head to the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center.

The Panama Rainforest Discovery Center is a premier ecotourism and environmental education facility located near Soberanía National Park and the famous Pipeline Road, just outside Gamboa, Panama City. It’s managed by the Fundación Avifauna Eugene Eisenmann, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting Panama’s bird species and rainforest habitat.

Since we rented a car, we arrived around 11 a.m. - still early, but a bit late for peak animal activity. Despite that, we were lucky enough to spot a few toucans and even ran into a coati who didn’t seem to mind our presence. (If I’m wrong and that wasn’t a coati, please let me know!)

Next time we visit Panama, we plan to go earlier in the morning to catch more wildlife in action. The early hours, between 6 and 8 a.m., are reportedly the best for animal sightings.

We also made the hike up the Observation Tower, which is about 100 feet (32 meters) tall. I have to say, the view was absolutely breathtaking and definitely worth the climb. The tower offers panoramic views just above the forest canopy, perfect for birdwatching.

What surprised us most was how quiet the center was - besides us, there were only two other groups visiting that afternoon. After so much travel, I’ve often found popular spots overcrowded, which sometimes kills the vibe of the adventure. So, it was a refreshing change to basically have the rainforest to ourselves.

The center itself is sustainably built, with solar panels and rainwater collectors, and constructed from 70% recycled materials from old Canal Zone buildings. It features a visitor center with a deck and a hummingbird feeding station where you can enjoy a free cup of coffee or tea while watching about 15 species of hummingbirds.

The surrounding trails, about 1.1 kilometers long, range from easy to moderate difficulty and include resting spots like a deck overlooking Calamito Lake, where you can observe aquatic birds such as herons, jacanas, and grebes. The area is also home to monkeys, butterflies, sloths, and crocodiles.

Pipeline Road, adjacent to the center, is world-famous for birdwatching - in 1985, a record 385 bird species were spotted there in a single day. The center also supports scientific research and conservation efforts, including a sloth rescue program preparing animals for reintroduction into the wild.

There’s no public bus access to the center, so renting a car, booking a taxi, or joining an organized tour are the best options.

I’m already excited for our next trip to Panama because there’s still so much more to explore in this incredible rainforest. If you love nature, birds, or just want to escape the crowds, the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center is a must-visit.

Thanks for reading!

Until Next Time,
Courtney

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