Gamboa Rainforest Resort

Top choice in Panamá Province


Near the Panama Canal and Río Chagres junction, 9km past the turnoff for Canopy Tower on the road to Colón, is this US$30 million spot. It's not an ecolodge but a resort located in a rainforest; nevertheless, it’s hard to deny its grandeur. All 166 luxurious guest rooms and the lobby offer sweeping vistas of the jungle-flanked Río Chagres.

What was once an American officer's club boasts a spa, gym, marina, swimming pool and bar-restaurant. There’s even a cable car that brings you up into the canopy, as well as guided nature walks and birdwatching trips (US$15). The website offers special package deals, which often include activities, meals and transfers.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Panamá Province attractions

1. Panama Rainforest Discovery Center

2.29 MILES

Geared toward ecotourism and environmental education, this is an excellent facility for birdwatchers and nature-lovers. Since you are probably here to…

2. Parque Nacional Soberanía

2.71 MILES

This 195-sq-km national park is one of the most accessible tropical rainforests in Panama. It extends much of the way across the isthmus, from Limón on…

3. Cementerio Francés

7.59 MILES

This cemetery in Paraíso on the road to Gamboa about 5km north of the Pedro Miguel Locks dates from between 1880 and 1889. Though there are just 300…

4. Pedro Miguel Locks

9.06 MILES

North past the Miraflores Locks, the Pedro Miguel Locks can be seen from the highway to Gamboa. One hundred meters beyond the locks there’s a parking…

5. Miraflores Visitors Center

11.01 MILES

The easiest way to visit the Panama Canal is to head to the Miraflores Visitors Center, just outside Panama City. This modern center features a four-floor…

6. City of Knowledge

11.2 MILES

Once the headquarters for the US Southern Command in Panama, ‘Ciudad del Saber’ is today a government-sponsored center for education, research and…

7. Baha’i House of Worship

11.46 MILES

On the northeastern outskirts of Panama City, the white-domed Baha’i House of Worship is the mother temple for all of Latin America. It looms like a giant…

8. Explora Center of Science & Arts

12.68 MILES

Mini travelers (and those young at heart) will love this museum dedicated to interactive learning. Six exhibition rooms explore such themes as electricity…