Monkey Island: The Wild Life Safari at Gatun Lake
Description
Experience the wildlife of Panama on this exciting private safari in Lake Gatun, within Soberania National Park. The journey begins in Gamboa, a key historical area of the Canal, where you will sail through the Panama Canal basin, sharing a route with large vessels crossing between oceans. Explore the famous Monkey Islands for capuchin monkeys, tamarins and howler monkeys, as well as exotic birds, reptiles and other wild animals. As in a real safari, sightings depend on nature, although we will do our best to find them. We recommend the tour in the morning to live more wildlife. This is a private experience, with a boat exclusively for you and your group. It is not allowed to feed the animals. We promote a respectful experience with wildlife. This is a real encounter with nature. Each moment is unique, making each experience unforgettable.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The tour begins at the Gamboa Pier. Includes transfer time to Gamboa Pier.
We head towards the Panama Canal, passing under the ancient bridge of Gamboa, a historic point, there we will make a small stop to show you a little of the history of the place and continue to Lake Gatun until we reach the Island of Monkeys where we will appreciate the wildlife and also see vessels in transit within the Panama Canal.
Transfer time to the pick-up location.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
To plan the collection we will be communicating via WhatsApp or by email.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(8)
We stayed with our family on Monkey Island in Panama and it was a really overwhelming experience. The monkeys get incredibly close to you and even eat straight out of your hand – that was an absolute highlight for all of us. Fernando and his company were great on the road. Both took a lot of time to explain everything and you could see how much experience and passion they have. During the tour we not only learned a lot about the monkeys, but also got exciting information about Panama and the Panama Canal. The atmosphere was relaxed, friendly and very informative. For our family, it was an unforgettable trip that we can only recommend to any Panama visitor.
Thirumaran, thank you so much to you and your family for this beautiful review! 🫂 We’re love to read that Monkey Island was such an overwhelming and unforgettable experience for all of you, those close encounters really are magical moments. Fernando and the new trainee guide will be very happy to know their passion, patience, and detailed explanations made the day even more special. We love creating relaxed, friendly, and informative experiences for families, and it means a lot that you felt that throughout the tour. Thank you for recommending us 🫶🏼, and whenever you return to Panama, you’ll have local friends ready to welcome you again. 🤝 Warm regards, Mario & the Cositas de Panamá Team 🇵🇦
Amazing experience! Kids as did we loved it all! Everyone involved was brilliant! Special thanks to mike for all the extra information!
Hey Gareth, thank you for choosing us, and for bringing the whole family! 🫶🏼 It’s fantastic to hear that all the family loved everything. Mike will be delighted by your shout-out, he truly enjoys adding those extra stories and details to make the Canal come alive for all ages. When you’re back in Panama, we’d love to plan another private day tailored for your family. Warm regards, Mario & the Cositas de Panamá team ✌🏼
Our guide Mario was so nice and informative. Just the two of us, Mario and the boat captain on the trip. They went out of their way to find animals. We saw and interacted with three kinds of monkeys, shy capybara, crocodile, hawks and tiny bats. Great tour. Just the right amount of time. Got to see the Canal at a more personal level. Very enjoyable
Liz and Ken, it was an absolute pleasure sharing this adventure with you! Your love for animals made this experience even more special. Seeing capybaras in Lake Gatún was a rare treat, and I'm so glad we got to witness them together! Thank you for your kind words, I'm thrilled you enjoyed the jungle, the wildlife, and the magic of the canal.
What a fun trip! Saw all the animals. Our guide Mario and boat captain were both excellent with sharp eyes to spot all the animals. Interacted with Three kinds of monkeys, saw a sloth, two capybara, many hawks, and crocodiles! Private tour. Just the right amount of time to see the jungle islands around the canal. Would highly recommend.
Liz and Ken, you were fantastic guests, and I truly enjoyed guiding you through this incredible experience! Your excitement for wildlife was contagious, and spotting those shy capybaras was a moment to remember. I’m so glad you felt the tour was the perfect balance of adventure and discovery. Thank you for your kind words, and I hope to welcome you back for more Panama explorations!
Absolutely amazing trip…I’d give 6+ stars if I could! Mario was an incredibly fun, friendly, knowledgeable & entertaining guide…and, Ariel was a fabulous captain. We got to see & interact with so many beautiful animals…Howler, Capuchin & Tamarin Monkeys…a Sloth…and, then stopped at a roadside stand for the freshest, sweetest, juiciest fruit you can imagine. We’d love to do it all over again!
Ed, Michele, and Jenna, what an incredible adventure we had! It was a true pleasure sharing this experience with such a fun and adventurous family. Seeing your excitement with the monkeys, sloth, and that delicious fruit stop made it even more special! Ariel and I would love to have you back anytime. Wishing you more amazing travels ahead!
We were lucky to have seen 3 species of monkeys. Our captain was great and our tour guide Mario was exceptional .. very knowledgeable .. I would definitely use him again.
Binyamin & Judith! What an absolute pleasure it was to share this adventure with you! 🫶🏼 Your energy made the experience even more special. Seeing three species of monkeys was pure magic! Thank you for your kind words I'll be more than happy to welcome you back anytime. Safe travels to NYC, and remember, you have a friend in Panama! 🇵🇦 🙌
Wonderful tour guide very knowledgeable wonderful experience great kind captain it was just a great experience overall and the monkeys were so cute 🥰
Hey Nicole and Steven! 😃 Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful experience and enjoyed the tour. Our knowledgeable guide and the kind captain always aim to make each moment memorable. We're so glad the cute monkeys added that extra touch of joy to your adventure! 😊 It was a pleasure to host you, and we hope to see you again for more unforgettable experiences in Panama! 🙌🏼 Blessings 🙏🏼
Mario was a fantastic tour guide. He picked us up on time at our Airbnb. He was very knowledgeable & answered any questions we had. Mario spoke perfect English. He was flexible to our needs & requests. Every second of our tour with Mario was a joy. Mario was patient & had a good sense of humour. His standard of driving was high. We felt very safe. We wouldn’t hesitate to hire Mario again ! We saw Capuchin & Titi monkeys on our tour. They came right up to our boat & even jumped on board. So fun ! We also saw a variety of bird species, reptiles & sloths. This was a fabulous tour. Would highly recommend !
Hi Anita! 😃 Thank you so much for this amazing review! It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoyed every moment of your tour. Mario truly takes pride in providing safe, flexible, and engaging experiences, and your kind words about his knowledge, humor, and patience mean a lot. It’s also great to know you had such memorable wildlife encounters, from the playful Capuchin and Titi monkeys to spotting sloths, birds, and reptiles—it sounds like a perfect adventure! We’d be thrilled to welcome you back for another unforgettable journey in Panama. Safe travels and keep enjoying life! Blessings 🙌🏼.
