EXPEDITION · PANAMA
12 days Two Oceans
12 days · Pacific and Caribbean
11 nights: 1 in Casco Viejo, 5 at the base, 5 in Bocas
from 2,900 EUR per person
Indicative rate for a group of 4 people, adjusted for 2 to 4. Solo traveler: private tailor-made accompaniment where nothing is shared, quoted after a direct conversation. More than 4 people: additional boats and coordination, personalized quote after a conversation.
A SAMPLE ITINERARY
Five nights on the Pacific, five on the Caribbean. Parity is not a scheduling detail, it is the argument of the formula. Panama is one of the rare countries in the world where you fish two oceans in the same trip, a few hours of road apart. Twelve days Two Oceans takes that idea seriously: as much time on each side, two ecosystems, two faunas with no overlap, neither coast reduced to the role of complement.
On the Pacific side, the Gulf of Chiriquí base. A night in Casco Viejo on arrival, the switch in one morning, then four full days with no schedule: offshore for the pelagics, the coastal structures for roosterfish and cubera, the desert islands, the mangrove, the kayak in the sheltered bay. Local cooking, the day's fish, meals that follow the fishing hours. Around, the gulf lives: rays lifting off under the hull, sharks crossed on a free dive. And back from the beach, the fruits of the moment, a table that changes with the fishing.
Mid-stay, the crossing. Boat back in the morning, then driver, and two options: the road to David and thirty minutes of flight, or the full road to Almirante with a lunch stop, then lancha. The choice is made while preparing the trip.
On the Caribbean side, five nights make Bocas the second half of the trip, not the reward after the Pacific. A terrain of sand and jungle where fishing plays out from the shore: jacks hunting in the waves, tarpon cruising at first light, groupers holding the reef heads. Each species has its hour, none has top billing. There is time to go back to a cay that gave, to set up a mangrove session, to take a day to do nothing. Beachfront house at Bluff Beach to alternate nature and island life, refined lodging on Bastimentos for isolation. Equipped kitchen, air conditioning, barbecue. And Bocas is not just its fish: terraces, restaurants, a few tables you will not find in the guides, evenings that stretch when the group leans that way. On the last evening, a shared table closes the expedition.
The five-five parity is the core choice. What stays open is the inside of each half: on the Pacific side, the share of offshore and the share of coast; on the Caribbean side, the share of the rod and the share of the hammock. The two halves are filled separately, with you, and nothing forces one to look like the other.
DAY BY DAY
Day 1
Panama City, Casco Viejo
Pickup at Tocumen, transfer to the historic quarter. First night before the switch.
Day 2
The Pacific switch
Flight to David, road, boarding at the dock. Base in early afternoon, first coastal outing possible.
Days 3 to 6
Coiba region
Four full days on the Pacific card. Offshore, coast, desert islands, mangrove, bivouac possible. The sea decides, the group disposes.
Day 7
The crossing
Boat, road, then flight or lancha depending on the option. By evening, you sleep on the other ocean.
Days 8 to 11
Bocas del Toro
Four full days on the Caribbean card: fishing from the shore, jacks, tarpon, groupers, lobster in season. The rhythm is chosen day by day.
Day 12
Return
Bocas to Panama City flight, transfer to Tocumen for the international flight.
This scope describes what we coordinate for you. Each service is paid directly to the provider on site.
INCLUDED
- Arrival night in Casco Viejo (Panama City)
- Domestic flight Panama City to David
- Driver David to the dock and back
- Boat transfer to the base
- Lodging at the base
- All meals at the base (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Boats and fuel at the base
- Fishing coordination by the local partner
- ELSE CODED accompaniment and coordination on site
- Domestic return flight Bocas to Panama City
- Transfer from the base to Bocas (car and flight, or car and lancha depending on the option)
- Lodging in Bocas (Bluff Beach or the archipelago depending on the group profile)
- One end-of-expedition dinner in Bocas (last evening)
- Transfer Bocas to Panama City
NOT INCLUDED
- Meals in Bocas other than the end-of-expedition dinner (every house has a full kitchen and barbecue)
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- High-end fishing gear rental (option, quoted on request)
- Montuosa or Jicarón bivouac (option, quoted on request)
- Alcoholic drinks
FISHING GEAR
Most of the anglers who come to us are experienced practitioners who arrive with their own gear, suited to their style and the species they target. Nothing to add in that case.
For those preparing their first exotic trip, we advise on the right equipment before departure. On site, high-end gear can be rented, and a stock of quality equipment can be lent depending on the outings. This is discussed case by case while preparing the trip.
SEASON
On the Pacific, the high season runs from December to May. It is the pelagic period: marlin, sailfish, wahoo, tuna, dorado. The rest of the year remains very fishable. The bay is protected and coastal fishing works year-round: roosterfish, cubera, jacks, corvina.
On the Caribbean, the best window runs from late August to mid-November. It is the period without swell, when shore casting from Bluff Beach becomes accessible. You step out of the house with a coffee in one hand and a rod in the other: the beach is one minute away. The rest of the year, fishing is done by boat in the sheltered zones of the archipelago: dolphin bay, mangroves, inner spots.
On a parity formula, the calendar reads both ways. From December to May, the Pacific gives its maximum offshore. From late August to mid-November, the Caribbean offers its calmest window. In between, coastal fishing and the sheltered zones hold the program on both sides.
OPTIONS
Local bivouac, nothing more to plan
One night on an island twenty minutes to an hour by boat from the base. Campfire, night fishing, lobster hunting depending on the mood. Nothing more to plan, other than your own sleeping gear: hammock or light tent, bag. To be mentioned while preparing the trip.
Montuosa or Jicarón expedition bivouac, built ahead of time
Thirty-six to forty-five nautical miles from the mainland depending on the island, Montuosa and Jicarón count among the most remote islands of Pacific Panama. Most boats reach them from well-known coastal stations, at the cost of long hours of navigation. Our base sits as close as it gets, facing the Coiba region: twenty minutes to reach Coiba, then the heading to Jicarón and Montuosa, offshore. Leaving from this close is what makes access to this zone exclusive. It remains a true expedition: two nights minimum, heavy logistics, specific equipment, substantial fuel. Costs adjust to the group configuration, personalized quote after a conversation. To be discussed while preparing the trip.
GET IN TOUCH
Every expedition starts with a call.
Video call or phone. We listen to what you are looking for, we look together at the season, the group, the intentions. The program takes shape there.
We speak fluent French, English and Spanish. Before, during and after the trip, exchanges happen in the traveler's language.
GET IN TOUCH ABOUT THIS EXPEDITION