Craft, Ceremony, Connection: Cultural Travel in Panama
Offer your Guests meaningful encounters with Panama’s people, stories, and traditions. From the drumbeats of the Caribbean coast to quiet hands shaping textiles and cacao, these experiences focus on connection.
Culture here is practiced openly, and your Guests are welcomed in with warmth and respect.
Portobelo: Congo Heritage in Motion
On Panama’s Caribbean coast, the town of Portobelo honors the legacy of the Congo people—descendants of Africans who resisted colonial rule and built a vibrant cultural identity. Recognized by UNESCO, their traditions come alive through layered costumes, bold masks, and powerful dance.
Your Guests can experience this living heritage firsthand through curated performances at El Otro Lado, created in partnership with Casa Congo and Fundación Bahía de Portobelo.
These evenings feature music, storytelling, and artistry passed down through generations. Guests may also visit the cultural center and meet local artists who continue the work of preservation. It’s a chance to engage with one of Panama’s most meaningful cultural expressions—rooted in history, alive in the present, and shared with warmth and pride.
Read more about the Congo in a previous blog post, here.
Guna Yala: Stories Sewn by Hand
In Guna Yala, master artisans guide your Guests through the tradition of mola-making (hand-sewn panels layered with colorful fabric, often depicting animals, nature, or spiritual symbols). Each design is shaped by intergenerational knowledge and guided by the hands of women who have mastered this visual language.
Download Guna Yala Hands Art Tour
Emberá Querá: Traditions Along the River
Traveling up the Gatun River by canoe, your Guests reach the Emberá Querá community. Here, everyday life includes music, body painting, and knowledge of the rainforest’s medicinal plants. These traditions are shared in a quiet, personal setting, shaped by trust and hospitality.
Download Emberá Cultural Immersion Portfolio
Bocas del Toro: Cacao and Culture with the Ngäbe-Buglé
In Bocas del Toro, the Ngäbe-Buglé people guide your Guests through the process of making chocolate—from roasted bean to finished bar. Along the way, they explain how cacao connects to land, heritage, and community well-being.
Download Chocolate Farm Experience Portfolio
Culture with Presence and Purpose
These experiences are designed through local partnerships and long-standing relationships.
Each visit is built on shared time, direct participation, and conversations that build real understanding.
