I went to Costa Rica back in 2017. I knew it was about time I went back a couple of years later because I simply loved CR that much. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I do not tend to repeat countries but if you've been to Costa Rica, you know why it's worth it. When I made plans to go back, I wanted to add another country to the list. I found a great deal with G Adventures for a February departure that did the Caribbean side of Costa Rica for a few days and then about 10 days in Panama. If you are a young adult looking to travel with like-minded people in a small group and an itinerary that has a mixture of warm weather, beaches, forests, outdoor sports and a bit of relaxation, the Panama Experience is a great option. I recommend it if you haven’t been to Costa Rica before and want a taste of it and if you have never been to Panama. It’s ideal for solo travellers and it’s budget-friendly. As a group, we travelled and did activities together, had group dinners and went out on the town to enjoy some nightlife. Most of us were in our late twenties and early thirties. The 18 of us bonded very well and because of the small group size we got to know everyone and created memories with each individual. The beauty of the 18 to 30 Somethings brand with G Adventures is that you have a lot of freedom to do what you'd like. You can join in on some group activities or go your own way. I personally like to combine a little bit of both alone time and group experiences. The majority of us opted to go to Coiba National Park together whereas I was the only one who did a 10km hike in the Cloud Forest in Boquete.

Cahuita National Park, Costa Rica


Our group from Canada, Austria, Switzerland, UK, Belgium


What I liked about doing this itinerary the most with G Adventures was the flexibility. I could decide based on my budget and interests how I wanted to spend my time and money. Our Chief Experience Officer was a great resource for us to organize our day excursions and help us with things like finding the nearest bank machine or supermarket. All of the logistics such as transport and booking excursions were taken care of thanks to our CEO who was a local leader from Punta Arenas, Costa Rica.


Panama Experience route map


The itinerary starts in San José. We spent about 2 nights in each location. Puerto Viejo is a cute beach town that is home to Black Sand Beach and near Cahuita National Park. Bocas del Toro is known for its nightlife and exploring the three main islands - Isla Colon, Isla Bastimentos, and Isla Carenero. As a group, most of us opted in to do a day excursion on one of the islands for snorkelling and beach time.

Other great locations in Panama that we visited were Boquete which is located inland where you can explore the cloud forest, do some hiking, and zip-lining and Santa Catalina which is a small coastal community. In Santa Catalina, you can do a surf lesson or take a boat trip to Coiba National Park. Valle de Anton is a town in the middle of a spectacular valley where there are some stunning viewpoints of the mountains. Tourism is a new concept in this area but is starting to develop into a travel enterprise area for locals. We ended our journey with a couple of days in Panama City which is another spot to enjoy the nightlife and home of the Panama Canal.

What’s the cost? It starts from $1399 CAD per person taxes included (about $100 per day)

Here’s what you get for the 14-day package:

  • Your Discover Moment: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
  • Your Discover Moment: Boquete
  • Beach time in Bocas del Toro and Santa Catalina
  • Panama City stay
  • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
  • Simple hotels (2 nts), hostels (11 nts, multi-share).
  • Chief Experience Officer (CEO) throughout

Coiba National Park, Panama