In 1965, the United States military built a radar dome to defend their interests around the Panama Canal. The all-encompassing views of the Pacific mouth of the canal, the skyline of Panama City and the canopy of the surrounding rainforest once served to provide great strategic advantage. Now, those same views generate one of the greatest wilderness hotel experiences in the world.
Since being demilitarised, the radar station now contains 12 rooms and a restaurant that looks out over the rainforest in every direction. Enjoying your meal while watching sloths and tropical birds eating theirs is an experience you will never forget.
Your bedroom is at treetop level, no more than 40 feet from the birds.
In the cool Panamanian dawn you can feel Panamá's great rainforest awakening around you. Blue Cotingas and Green Shrike-Vireos, birds normally glimpsed high in the tops of trees, perch right outside your Canopy Tower room.
Up a flight of stairs in the dining room, a cup of coffee, fresh juice and rolls await you. Settle down at a table next to the window with your binoculars and field guide handy. Above the endless tropical forest of Soberanía National Park, a ship glides through the Panamá Canal. The howling of a distant troupe of monkeys punctuates the birdcalls. With unobstructed views, in complete comfort, you greet the morning sun. Through the unscreened open window, nature carries on its morning business.
Don't worry if you are new to birding, this is a great place to start. Dozens of species can be seen right from your window, most of them clearly illustrated in Panamá's excellent bird guides. The Canopy Tower is also a great place for those with a general interest in exploring the tropical forest. Giant, iridescent Morpho Butterflies flash their blue wings at you as you ride up the twisting road up to the Tower. Howler Monkeys startle you with a sudden roar overhead. Each shrub, tree and flower seems to be different from the last, reflecting Soberanía's extraordinary diversity.
Presented By:
Rawhide Travel & Tours Inc
6008 W Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, AZ 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
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