Lupine Travel

Itinerary

Day One, Feb 15 2027
Arrive in Colombia

• Arrive in Medellin, Colombia. This is the main city in the department of Antioquia. Once a very complicated place in relation to the Colombian armed conflict, nowadays it is a tourist hub.

• In the evening, we will go out for a traditional and atmospheric welcome dinner, where all the locals like to meet.

• Overnight in Medellin.
Day Two, Feb 16 2027
Uraba Gulf

• After an early breakfast, we will embark on our long journey to the Uraba Gulf.

• The journey takes approximately 7 hours with a few stops on the way, where we can see the changing biomes from montane environments to tropical rainforests.

• Upon arrival in Caiman Nuevo, we will have our first encounter with the indigenous Guna people. We will have a short tour to learn about their history and culture.

• After the tour, we will continue to Turbo, where we will stay overnight.
Day Three, Feb 17 2027
Cross the Gulf

• Today, we will cross the Uraba Gulf in a public water taxi and enter the Darien Region on the Colombian side.

• Upon arrival in San Francisco, we will check into our accommodation and have lunch.

• After some rest, we will go on our first short hike (approximately 4km) to the natural pools of Poza Amalia to start getting to know the Darien rainforest and enjoy a refreshing swim.

• Overnight in shared accommodation in San Francisco (single room upgrade is not applicable).
Day Four, Feb 18 2027
Santa María la Antigua del Darién

• After breakfast, we will take a tour deep into the Darien Region to visit Santa Maria la Antigua del Darien, the first city the Spaniards built on the mainland of the American continent.

• On the way, we will start to see the complexity of the environment in the Darien Gap. We will pass through densely forested rainforest and then big expanses of deforested areas for cattle ranching.

• After lunch, we will see the live excavation sites and then start our return to San Francisco. On the way, we will stop at Tanela, an Embera indigenous community, where we will take small log rafts to cross the Tanela River. Here, we will have the chance to buy souvenirs and drink some coffee with a local family.

• Finally, we will arrive back in San Francisco, where we will stay overnight (single room upgrade is not applicable).
Day Five, Feb 19 2027
Sasardi Nature Reserve

• Today will be a long day of hiking. We will start the day by hiking from San Francisco to Trigana, where we will need to carry all of our belongings in our rucksacks. The trail is straightforward, flat and about 4kms in length along Trigana Bay.

• Once we arrive in Trigana, we will drop off our luggage in the hotel for safekeeping and continue with a small day pack and a change of clothes towards Sasardi Nature Reserve. We will pick up supplies along the way.

• We will follow the river bed for approximately another 4km with a steep uphill (approximately 100m of elevation gain) and several river crossings. We will also have the chance to cool down in natural pools.

• Upon arrival, we will hear about the history of the area and have the chance to see the jungle wildlife. We will stay overnight in the Sasardi Nature Reserve in a common room with mattresses and mosquito nets (no possibility of a single room).
Day Six, Feb 20 2027
Trigana

• In the morning, we will descend from Sasardi Nature Reserve back to Trigana.

• On the way, we will pass through a viewpoint where we will have a panoramic view of the surrounding Darien mountain chain and coastline. Afterwards, we will visit Bembe Nature Reserve and finally ford the Sasardi River to return to Trigana.

• Before arriving in Trigana, we will visit an artisanal rum distillery where spirits are infused with various jungle fruits. We will have an included tasting and then continue to Trigana to spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

• Overnight in Trigana.
Day Seven, Feb 21 2027
Capurgana

• Today, we will continue our way up north to Capurgana (on the border with Panama) in a public water taxi.

• Upon arrival in Capurgana, we will visit the Colombian immigration office to be stamped out of the country. After the border formalities, we will have the rest of the day at leisure.

• Overnight in Capurgana.
Day Eight, Feb 22 2027
Sapzurro

• After breakfast, we will hike to Sapzurro with our full rucksacks. This hike is relatively short (approximately 6km) but will have steep uphills in sometimes incredibly muddy terrain. There will be an elevation gain of approximately 150m.

• On the high pass, we will be able to visit a viewpoint where we will enjoy panoramic views of Capurgana Bay, Sapzurro Bay and the Colombia-Panama border.

• Upon arrival in Sapzurro, we will drop our luggage in the accommodation, have lunch and then continue to the Colombia-Panama border monument with our day bags.

• Next, we will have our first views of Panama and the Guna Yala region. We will then return the same way to Sapzurro, where we will stay overnight (no possibility of a single room).
Day Nine, Feb 23 2027
Guna Yala

• In the early morning, we will be picked up by our Guna (Panamanian) indigenous local team by a private boat and we will cross into Puerto Obaldia (Panama). We will go through the immigration formalities and be stamped into Panama.

• After, we will continue to Atidub, where we will enjoy lunch and swim in pristine turquoise Caribbean waters. Here, we will also learn about the Guna culture and what the Guna Yala region is.

• Finally, we will continue to Mulatupu, the main community in Sector 3 of Guna Yala, where we will introduce ourselves to the community chiefs and stay overnight (no possibility of a single room).
Day Ten, Feb 24 2027
Puerto Escoces

• Today, we will visit the rarely visited Puerto Escoces or Puerto Suggunyia. This is the place where the Scottish Darien Scheme took place in the late 1600’s.

• We will disembark across the bay from what used to be New Edinburgh and we will have a short but complex hike across the jungle with the possibility of wading knee-deep swamps and crashing waves. The hike’s length is approximately 3km, but it can take up to 2 hours to be completed.

• After returning to our boat, we will head back to Mulatupu to change clothes, pack up our bags, pick a snack and continue to Ustupu, the cradle of the Guna Revolution.

• Upon arrival in Ustupu (the main community in Sector 2 of Guna Yala), we will introduce ourselves to the community chiefs and check into our accommodation (limited single rooms).
Day Eleven, Feb 25 2027
Guna Revolution Celebrations

• Today is the anniversary of the Guna Revolution. The biggest celebrations happen in Ustupu as it is the place where the Revolution started.

• We will have a morning tour of the island community to learn about the complex history and cultural landscape. Then we will spend the rest of the day at leisure enjoying the Revolution celebrations by mingling with the local indigenous community and taking part in the many rituals.

• Overnight in Ustupu (limited single rooms).
Day Twelve, Feb 26 2027
Panama City

• After breakfast, we will embark on the journey to Panama City. The boat ride will take approximately 5 hours, and we will have a few stops on the way (weather dependent) where we can enjoy a swim in the Caribbean and have lunch on the private island of Miryadub.

• Upon arrival in Puerto Carti, we will have the chance to get dry and change clothes before boarding our transportation to Panama City, which will take approx 3 hours.

• Overnight in Panama City.
Day Thirteen, Feb 27 2027
Free Day

• Today is a day at leisure and also serves as a buffer day in case the weather prevents us from sailing at any point.

• If everything goes according to plan, we will have an included but optional tour of Panama City with a Guna guide, which will include a visit to the Museo de la Mola.

• In the evening, we will have the opportunity to meet with indigenous people who moved to the city in an exclusive Guna bar.

• Overnight in Panama City.
Day Fourteen, Feb 28 2027
Tour Ends

• The tour ends today and there are no planned activities. Departure at any time.

Darien: Bridging the Gap
Tour Price: £2695
Deposit: £500
Single room supplement: £145

Tour Price: £2695
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info@lupinetravel.co.uk

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