Colombia and Panama small group tour

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This itinerary places an emphasis on lower impact travel within Colombia and Panama by favouring overland routes and shared transport whenever possible. The journey across much of Colombia is undertaken by road rather than internal flights which significantly reduces avoidable aviation emissions while allowing travellers to experience the country’s varied landscapes at a more sustainable pace. Only one short domestic flight is included in Panama where flying is essential due to geography.

Where shared transport is feasible, it is used. Throughout Colombia the tour relies on private vehicles for the group, which consolidates transport rather than using multiple smaller vehicles. In Panama, shared boat transfers and group excursions further reduce per person emissions compared with private movements.

Human powered exploration forms an important part of the itinerary. Travellers spend multiple days engaging in low carbon activities including walking tours in Bogota, Villa de Leyva, Popayan, Honda, Panama City and Boquete, as well as nature walks in cloud forests, national parks, archaeological sites and marine reserves. Several full or half days are centred entirely around walking, gentle hiking, or boat-based wildlife viewing.

Local, seasonal food is widely available throughout Colombia and Panama, with many meals at lodges, fincas and rural hotels prepared using produce grown in the immediate region. Vegetarian options are available daily and most properties visited make a conscious effort to reduce imported foods by sourcing locally grown fruits, vegetables, coffee and sugar cane products.

We also provide travellers with guidance on reducing the carbon impacts of their holiday, including suggestions on minimising single use plastics, choosing lower impact meal options and travelling with refillable water bottles where safe water is provided.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Accommodation providers on this itinerary are selected for their responsible practices including plastic reduction, water-saving measures, recycling schemes and attention to local sourcing. Many of the smaller boutique hotels and rural lodges, particularly in the Coffee Region, Manizales and Boquete, maintain gardens designed to attract pollinators and native birdlife, creating microhabitats that support biodiversity.

The itinerary includes entry to several protected areas which directly contribute to conservation funding and ecological management. These include the Tatacoa Desert, San Agustin Archaeological Park, Puracé National Natural Park, El Silencio Cloud Forest Reserve, La Amistad International Park and Bastimentos Marine National Park. Entrance fees support habitat protection, infrastructure upkeep, ranger salaries and essential ecological monitoring.

The tour also contributes to nature recovery by employing expert local guides who are trained in environmental interpretation and who help monitor species sightings. In Boquete and Panama’s cloud forests, local nature guides provide insight into endemic species, forest ecology and conservation challenges facing the region. Many guides come from communities that rely on protected areas for sustainable livelihoods which encourages long-term stewardship.

Guests receive guidance throughout on minimising their impact on fragile ecosystems, for example by staying on marked trails, maintaining respectful distances from wildlife and avoiding products that could introduce invasive species. The emphasis on small groups further reduces disturbance to wildlife, particularly in sensitive cloud forest and marine environments.

By supporting community-run projects, such as the women-led silk collective near Popayan and the Emberá and Ngäbe-Buglé cultural visits, the itinerary strengthens local economies in rural areas which in turn reduces pressures on surrounding ecosystems caused by unsustainable resource use.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

This itinerary has been designed to ensure meaningful and consistent economic benefit to local communities across Colombia and Panama. The vast majority of the accommodations used are small, independently owned hotels and lodges rather than international chains. Examples include boutique hotels in Bogota and Villa de Leyva, family run properties in the Coffee Region, traditional fincas near Manizales, and locally owned lodges in Boquete and Bocas del Toro. These establishments source staff, food and services from their immediate communities which helps retain revenue within the local economy.

Local economic opportunities are maximised throughout the journey. Expert local guides are employed at every stage, from Bogota and Villa de Leyva to San Agustin, Popayan, the Coffee Region, Panama City, Boquete and Bocas del Toro. The itinerary includes visits to artisan villages such as Raquira, home to Colombia’s renowned pottery and handicrafts, as well as community run experiences like trapiche sugar cane workshops and cacao plantations. Encounters with Emberá and Ngäbe-Buglé communities in Panama further support local livelihoods through responsible tourism, craft purchases and community hosted meals.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

Our partners in Colombia and Panama employ an overwhelmingly local workforce. In both countries the vast majority of guides, drivers, hospitality staff and activity specialists are residents of the region, many of whom are from the immediate towns and rural communities visited on this itinerary. This ensures that wages and skills development remain within the country, supporting long term employment and contributing to regional economic resilience.

Income generating opportunities are provided for marginalised groups. In the Popayan region, the itinerary includes a visit to a women run silk cooperative where guests engage directly with producers whose livelihoods depend on the continuation of this craft. In Panama, visits to Emberá and Ngäbe-Buglé communities are conducted in a respectful partnership model that ensures payments, meals and craft sales go directly to community members, many of whom rely on tourism as a sustainable alternative to environmentally damaging activities.

All staff employed by our ground partners are paid at least the legal minimum wage, with many earning above it due to their specialised training. Our partners maintain non discrimination and equal employment policies, encouraging fair hiring practices irrespective of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or nationality.

This trip is LGBTQ+ friendly. Colombia and Panama are both destinations with growing LGBTQ+ visibility and acceptance within the tourism industry, particularly in major cities such as Bogota and Panama City. Guides are trained to ensure all travellers feel welcome and respected.

The itinerary is not ideally suited to travellers with significant mobility limitations due to uneven terrain, long walking days, archaeological sites with steps and cobbled streets, and frequent embarkation or disembarkation from boats. However, we are always able to discuss adaptations or offer private arrangements for travellers with specific needs.