Panama: we can vouch from personal experience of travelling to this wonderful country that it is one of Central America’s sheer delights, where gleaming metropolises contrast with undeveloped pristine islands, dense tropical rainforests and biosphere reserves – a true playground for natural world enthusiasts. The Canopy Family are the pioneers of eco-tourism and unique accommodation in completely natural settings, showcasing the very best of this beautiful country in accommodation ranging from observation tower suites to safari-style tents and lodges that look out to the canopy and its many colourful inhabitants. Ticket to Panama anyone?
We’ve seen a fair few extraordinary buildings at Host Unusual and this one is definitely right up there at the top – in every sense! Welcome to Canopy Tower, originally built in 1965 as a security tower to defend the Panama Canal, today it serves as a distinctive observation point and uniquely converted accommodation set inside the tower in the heart of the Soberania National Park and Panama’s natural birdwatching paradise. With your room beautifully set at treetop level, you can awake each morning to a tropical chorus of exotic birdsong, while fascinating varieties come to pay friendly visits, so cameras ad binoculars should definitely be on your packing list! Relax in the comfort of your room, choose a book from the library and claim a hammock, or head to the Observation Deck where simply stunning views await.Set 50 feet above ground, come armed with your camera and some fresh coffee!
Embark on a world-class eco-tourism adventure in one of the most intrepid provinces of Panama. Darién National Park is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and this is an environment that teems with life and rainforest sounds, whether it’s the hooting of owls or the calming chorus of frogs. Eight custom-made safari-style tents await you at this convseration camp, each built on a raised platform that acts as an observation deck, from where you can spot anything from white-headed wrens to barred puffbirds – and lots more besides. Visits to Canopy Camp are all inclusive, with guided tours led by bilingual naturalist guides. Head off in Canopy Camp’s modified Birdmobiles during your stay, so you can really get under the skin of this amazing part of the world and meet some of its fascinating inhabitants, as well as venturing out to explore winding rivers and local towns.
To the foothills of Panama’s volcanic heart now for our third and final eco retreat, this time at Canopy Lodge. El Valle de Antón is your destination – a truly unique and captivating village, found in the centre of an enormous crater from a (happily extinct!) volcano, set 60 miles from Panama City in the region’s Coclé Province. Think mist-covered mountains – part of the protected Natural Monument Cerro Gaital – peppered with lush creeks and flowing streams from this beautiful, wildlife-steeped village, and your lodge rooms will even have balconies looking over the sparkling Rio Guayabo creating a perfectly idyllic escape from your usual life. An open-air dining room, natural swimming pool, and observation veranda where you can spy tanagers, motmots and colourful aracari; these are just a few of the key ingredients of your environmentally focused holiday at Canopy Lodge.
