Camino de cruces - Panorama de las Americas

March Panorama with Gabriel Barletta

Gabriel Barletta

CEO of Panorama de las Américas

An adventure edition. That’s the only way we could describe our March Panorama de las Americas. Judge for yourself.

First, we went as explorers to the Camino de Cruces, a route opened by the Spanish in 1527 to connect the two seas. For centuries, people and goods traveled along the Camino de Cruces, built with rounded stones through the jungle and true clouds of mosquitoes, between Panama Viejo and Portobelo.

Today, the Camino de Cruces remains active as one of the most important hiking routes in Panama and the only way to make the legendary journey from the Caribbean to the Pacific on foot. This feat is possible thanks to Jungle Treks, a venture by Rick Morales, a pure-blooded hiker, pioneer of trekking in Panama, and expert in mapping unprecedented routes through untouched territories.

With his expert guidance, we traveled eleven kilometers of the trail between Madden Highway and Venta de Cruces, on the banks of the Chagres River, and finished by paddling in inflatable rafts with which we approached the waters of the Panama Canal and the enormous ships that cross it.

This is an invitation for you, dear reader. Awaken your explorer spirit and come with us to travel the legendary paths that contributed, five hundred years ago, to the meeting of two worlds. Jungle Treks and the booking platform Gotuuri will organize all the details.

Our second adventure was in Guatemala. On this visit to the Central American country, we took a route almost unknown in commercial tourist circuits. We went to Verapaz, a collection of mountains, rivers, and cloudy landscapes that have been converted into a tourist product thanks to the management of local communities. This is how we arrived at paradise materialized: Semuc Champey, a geological whim that nature sculpted and hid under the green canopy of Verapaz. It’s a river where it’s impossible to choose between the white of the limestone formation or the turquoise blue of the waters. During our tour of this unknown Guatemala, we also penetrated caves decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, where physical beauty competes with the genius of the myths that surround them.

And thirdly, we had a gastronomic adventure in Panama City. The canal capital is a mosaic of unique neighborhoods, each with its own personality, and this is reflected in its culinary offerings. From the historic streets of the Old Quarter to the modern Costa del Este and Santa María, passing through cosmopolitan San Francisco and bohemian Bella Vista, the city offers a variety of culinary experiences for all tastes.

Enjoy this journey called Panorama de las Américas.