Chasing after the adrenaline rush

As part of Panama’s goal to become a sought-after touristic destination, several ecotourism offers have popped up in the last few years, offering tourists and residents alike different outlets through which to enjoy the country’s rich flora and fauna. Enter canopy. Canopy is the name given to a rainforest’s leafy world, the overlapping branches and leaves of rainforest trees, where scientists estimate that 70-90 percent of most plant and animal life in the rainforest is found.

From this name comes the adventure sport canopy, which consists of sliding through the highest points of the rainforest from treetop to treetop, suspended in mid air. Those willing to give it a try get to fill Tarzan’s shoes for a while, crossing the jungle using pulleys on horizontal cables.

Canopy offers a unique adventurous activity and an ecological experience at the same time. Besides the adrenaline rush that results from hanging from a rope in mid-air, you can contemplate stunning landscapes that would be impossible to appreciate from the ground. The wooden platforms on treetops that serve as rest stops in between canopy runs offers a way to admire nature from up high, without disturbing animals life. Two Canopy sites in Panama are El Valle in Anton and Boquete, Chiriqui.

Canopy Adventure in El Valle de Anton. Not far from Panama City, Canopy Adventure offers an exciting opportunity that introduces visitors to Panama’s rain forests using safe and modern climbing techniques. After an invigorating 30 minute climb to the top of the ridge, a guide helps you strap in, and off you go! Expect a rush of adrenaline as you soar through treetops, seeing a wealth of natural beauty and activity, and passing through a stream and waterfall twice.

The best time for canopy in El Valle is during morning hours, given the valley’s propensity for rain, which not only impedes the adventure altogether but post-fact makes it hard for adventurers to slow down while gliding. Canopy Adventure has three different paths, and altogether costs a little over $50. At the end of the tour you’re awarded with a commemorative certificate. Info: 264-5720.

Boquete Tree Trek. Boquete’s canopy tour runs through the treetops of century-old forests and pristine rivers and waterfalls that make the landscapes bordering the National Park La Amistad and the Baru Volcano. The trail is longer than that in El Valle, running across three kilometers, with 11 cables strategically placed within the forest. Hanging 30 to 60 meters above ground, you will experience Panama’s wide variety of bird species, the sound of waterfalls and running streams, the fresh air, and an array of greenery to choose from.

The first launching platform is a mere five minute trail away. Groups of up to 10 are welcome, and are accompanied by an experienced and bilingual trainer. The tour costs $60, which includes transportation from the central offices in Boquete to the canopy site. Tours are held between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. during the dry season and until 11:00 a.m otherwise. Info: 720-1635.

Other canopy sites are Rio Piedras, on the road to Portobelo, Colon (Info: 202-7679); and “La Granja Campo y Aventura”, 15 mins from the city of Colon (Info: 6780 1644).