Kayaking in Panama

Panama is the place for some of the finest and most exciting kayaking excursions. World renowned experts like instructor John Miller of the USA Nantahala Outdoor Center, the largest kayaking school in the world, regard Panama’s kayak river runs as the best in Central America.

Major locations are in West Panama(Chiriqui/ Bocas Del Toro) and East Panama (Colon/ Panama province / Darien). Sections that are Class III, IV, and V, some 20 kms long await the white water enthusiasts.

In addition to whitewater kayaking, Panama boasts of miles upon miles of open sea coastal water and rivers suitable for touring, expedition, and sea kayaking. Many of these tours must be self-supported as they trek through regions that are very remote and unpopulated. The coral dotted waters of the Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea, the rivers of the interior provinces (Cocle/ Veraguas) scrambling out to both coasts with countless islands make for the perfect environment of sea kayak addicts.

Coiba National Park, located in the Southeastern part of the Republic of Panama, encompasses over 2,700 square kilometers of islands, forests, beaches, mangroves and coral reefs.

Panama’s kayak tour operators offer day trips and multi-day excursions, clinics and trainers, the beginner and professional alike can find safe, equipped, world class water activities to their level of enjoyment in kayaks, duckies, rafts, canoes, indigenous cayucos, tandems, singles, and group excursions.