Whitewater Kayaking in Panama
Panama is a world-class whitewater mecca with steep creeks, big volume rivers and many opportunities for remote multi-day paddling. Paddling just about anywhere in Panama’s Chiriqui Province is like paddling your all-time favorite run amidst the backdrop of tropical foliage teeming with howler monkeys and poison dart frogs, quetzals soaring above you and iguanas poking their heads out from the rocks strewn about the…wait…there are no eddies! The whitewater here is CONTINUOUS (no really).
Whether you want to practice the basics on some beautiful Class I & II, fine tune your skills on some hearty Class III and IV , or scare yourself silly on some Class V creeks that’ll make you want your mama, there is no paddling destination more extraordinary than Panama. And at Boquete Outdoor Adventures, we have all the logistics nailed down to get you out there.
We do most of our paddling in the Chiriqui province because this is where the best water is located. With Volcan Baru towering some 11,347 feet over the valley of Boquete where over 100 inches of rain fall annually, Panama’s Chiriqui Province is the ultimate paddler’s paradise (see relief map). In the Chiriqui province alone, we have more than 35 rivers to choose from within no more than a couple of hours drive from Boquete.
This year we are offering scheduled whitewater trips in addition to the custom trips that we schedule for private groups. Our typical whitewater trip is a week long (see sample itineraries), and we typically paddle each of those 7 days. But remember, we can always customize your trip to meet the unique goals of your group! We are equipped and eager to help you plan a trip that gives you a hearty taste of Panama. So just let us know if your group would like to take a day off from paddling to indulge in an island excursion, a cloud forest hike, or a canopy tour. See our list of available day-trip activities for more info.