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We recently took an amazing one-week family trip to Panama City, Panama, over Thanksgiving break. Panama City is a Central American hidden gem that’s mostly unknown to tourists. But it has a fantastic variety of fun things for families to do in a warm, tropical climate. We loved it and wanted to share some of our favorite experiences from the trip. Our absolute favorite thing we did was take a guided tour of Monkey Island Panama!
Monkey Island Panama
Taking a guided tour of Monkey Island Panama, was hands down the best experience we had while visiting Panama City. Our kids absolutely loved it, and it was one of those rare moments in travel when the entire family enthusiastically voted it a “must-do” experience. So, it’s a must on your Panama travel bucket list!
I wanted to share our experience with you in case you decide to embark on this adventure with your group.
In this post, I’ll cover.
- Visiting Panama City, Panama
- Where is Monkey Island located?
- What Was The Tour Like?
- What Types of Monkeys Are There?
- How Did The Monkeys Get There?
- Other Animals You Might See
- Monkey Island Tours We Recommend
- Tips For Taking The Tour
Panama Travel Guide: Visiting Panama City, Panama
Panama City is probably not the first place most American tourists think of as a vacation destination. But after going there ourselves, we were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the city, the ease of communication, and the availability of exciting tours and fun things for all ages. Traveling with two teenagers, we found it to be the perfect blend of history, culture, and adventure!
The most popular family-oriented trips and destinations around Panama City generally include the following:
- Visit Monkey Island
- See The Panama Canal
- Explore Old Town Panama City
- Catamaran Cruise To Taboga Island
- Go To Embera Indian Village
- Take A San Blas Islands Boat Trip
Of course, there are other places to see and things to do, but based on our experience and research, these are the main things. You will find most of these in any popular Panama travel guide!
You can find tours to all of these destinations here on Get Your Guide – one of our favorite ways to book tours all around the world!
We did four of the six things mentioned above during the week we were there. It’s a great way to tour Panama over the course of a week without feeling too rushed!
Taking A Tour To Monkey Island Panama
Monkey Island, Panama, is located northwest of Panama City. To get there, you must take a car or van about 45 minutes along the Panama Canal to the Gamboa Rainforest Reserve. At the Gamboa Rainforest Reserve, you’ll get on a boat and be taken into the heart of Gatun Lake. Gatun Lake is a large man-made lake located on the northern side of the country. It’s part of the Panama Canal system, and fun to be sharing the waters with large container ships!
Gatun Lake is filled with many small islands and narrow estuaries. It is a largely undisturbed rainforest home to monkeys, sloths, turtles, crocodiles, alligators, iguanas, and several hundred bird species. Gatun Lake is the premier bird watching site in all of Central America.
Which Monkey Island, Panama Tour Did We Take?
We decided to take a Get Your Guide tour for this adventure. As I mentioned above, we love using Get Your Guide and have had very good experiences taking their tours all over the world. I find their app to be very user-friendly! The actual tour we took was the Panama City: Monkey Island Boat Tour.
This Monkey Island tour lasts 3.5 hours and makes a perfect day excursion for the whole family. After the trip, we were a little tired, so I don’t recommend you plan a second major excursion on the same day.
Getting To Monkey Island Panama
Most tours provide a pick-up service and will come to your hotel if you are staying in Panama City. Our driver, Fernando, was also our tour guide. Once we were in the van, we drove about 35 minutes (depending on traffic) through Soberania National Park to the Gamboa Rainforest Reserve. Along the way, we passed by Miraflores Locks, which we visited the day before, and the Pedro Miguel Locks.
Once we entered the Reserve, we went through the small town of Gamboa to a small harbor on the Chagres River. At the waterfront, we entered our boat, which was mid-sized and could seat about six people. It had a covered awning. Although we didn’t book a private tour, we were the only ones on the Monkey Island tour, so it was an amazing private experience!
Be Prepared For Some Rain
It rained off and on during our tour. On this part of your Panama trip, you’re in the middle of a rainforest, so this is common. Our tour guide provided us with a simple rain poncho, but only my daughter used it. The boat is covered, but you’ll be moving quickly on the water (our driver went fast across the lake!), so plan on getting wet if it rains. I would wear a swimsuit under your clothes and bring a waterproof bag or backpack for your phones. The climate is warm, so getting a little wet wasn’t uncomfortable.
TIP: You are in a rainforest. Be prepared for rain and dress accordingly!
The Boat Ride To Monkey Island
The boat trip across Gatun Lake for our Monkey Island Panama tour was fast and fun! Our driver hit the gas, and we sped along the waters and through the surrounding rainforest. Along the way, we saw massive container ships and dredges moving along the Panama Canal. It was awe-inspiring to be near those mega-ships, and we felt like an ant in comparison. The boat ride is about 15 minutes to get to the location of Monkey Island.
Arrival At Monkey Island
Our boat took us to the center of Gatun Lake, where numerous small vegetated islands rise out of the water. The boat slowed down and carefully floated to the edge of an island, resting its bow in the trees but not fully docking on land.
Our guide, Fernando, started calling for the monkeys in a high-pitched screech. He was a master at mimicking the monkey howls, and his voice broadcast to the entire island that we were there and, most importantly, we had food! After about five minutes of calling the monkeys and revving the boat motor, we finally saw a monkey scamper out of the trees and come down to the canopy of the boat. Pretty soon, four or five monkeys were crawling everywhere around our boat!
Feeding The Monkeys
Our guide gave us grapes and nuts to feed the monkeys. These, along with bananas, are their favorite food. The monkeys were part of the same group and had a male alpha. There were females and young. They took turns carefully jumping quickly into the boat and grabbing food from our hands. They had this amazing ability to know exactly what food you had in your hand and would jump into the boat for a split second and grab what they wanted right out of your open palm.
The monkeys would look at your hand and even pick out a certain nut or a grape or something they especially wanted. You’re not allowed to touch or pet the monkeys, so we were careful only to feed them.
After about 15 minutes, we relocated a short distance away and did the same thing, except this time, it was with a totally different species of monkey. These monkeys were small and really cute, almost like little stuffed animals. They were a bit more apprehensive but would jump onto the bow of the boat to grab slices of banana. Their alpha was a female who dropped into the boat as well.
It was a magical experience, and our entire family absolutely loved it! Our Monkey Island Tour guide, Fernando, was great at explaining the different types of monkeys and showing us interesting things like giant termite nests in the trees and iguanas on the shoreline or in the trees.
The experience felt like a little rainforest adventure, where unique encounters with very novel things happen. We were visitors to a strange land where the immense rainforest is simultaneously mysterious, beautiful, and dangerous.
What Types Of Monkeys Are On Monkey Island, Panama?
Monkey Island in Gatun Lake is home to several species of monkeys. Here are the types commonly found there, which you have a good change of seeing on your Monkey Island Panama tour, along with some interesting facts about each.
White Faced Capuchin Monkeys
These monkeys are easily recognizable by their white faces and necks, which contrast with their black or dark brown bodies. They are highly intelligent and often seen using tools in the wild to access food, like cracking nuts or catching insects. Capuchins eat fruits, insects, small animals, and even eggs. They are social animals, living in groups of up to 35 individuals. They communicate using facial expressions, vocalizations, and body movements.
Howler Monkeys
Howler monkeys are larger than capuchins and have a more larger build. They are famous for their loud calls that can be heard from up to three miles away. They howl to mark territory and communicate with other groups. They consume leaves, flowers, and fruit. Their howling ability comes from a specialized, enlarged hyoid bone in their throat, making them the loudest land animals in Central America. A friendly female Howler monkey was living with this group of smaller monkeys.
Geoffroy’s Tamarin Monkeys
These small monkeys have a black-and-white face and a reddish-brown lower back. They are incredibly agile and known for their quick movements through trees. Tamarins enjoy eating fruits, insects, and tree sap. Tamarins are monogamous, and males often take the lead in carrying and caring for the young after birth.
How Did The Monkeys Get On The Islands?
Gatun Lake was formed in 1913 by damming the Chagres River during the construction of the Panama Canal. This process flooded vast areas of rainforest, turning hilltops into isolated islands. In the 1920s and 1930s, different species of monkeys were brought to the islands as part of biological studies.
Over time, these monkeys adapted to their new environment and established thriving populations. Because the monkeys were introduced to isolated islands, they’ve had limited competition from other animals. This allows them to flourish but also means they are highly reliant on a stable habitat.
What Other Animals Might You See?
After we fed the monkeys, our guide and boat pilot took us around the lake for about 20 minutes. We threaded our way between islands and through narrow waterways, looking for wildlife.
Fernando pointed out giant iguanas perched high in treetops. We slowly floated near a tree limb full of hanging bats. We saw numerous toucans, herons, ospreys, macaws, and other colorful birds. We saw a family of howler monkeys in the trees, and our pilot gunned the engine. The howlers made their loud guttural howl back at us in response! It was great!
Sloths also live in this part of Panama. We didn’t see any during our trip. However, some of the other tours on Get You Guide will take you to a sloth sanctuary in the Gamboa region so that you can see these cute creatures up close.
Recommended Tours Of Monkey Island in Panama
I highly recommend the Monkey Island Panama tour that we took! It was a really great overall experience, and our guide was great! But the times and availability don’t work for your schedule, or if you want something longer and more robust, there are several additional highly rated tours to Monkey Island, Panama, available. These tours are all rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and have many positive reviews. Here are some of the ones I recommend.
Monkey Island and Panama Canal Eco-Tour & Jungle
This Monkey Island day tour is slightly longer than the one we went on and includes additional narration about the Panama Canal and the lock system. It also stops at a local restaurant in Gamboa. Please note that while the base tour price per person is cheaper than other tours, there is an extra $20 charge per person for the boat ride.
Monkey Island, Sloth Sanctuary, And Panama Canal Tour
This five-hour combo tour tells you about the Panama Canal as you cross Gatun Lake and takes you to Monkey Island. After that, you’ll visit the Sloth Sanctuary in Gamboa. It’s a perfect way to see both animals in their natural habitat and get an up-close experience in the Panamanian rainforest. Boat trip fare is included.
Panama Canal and Monkey Island Tour
This five-hour Panama Canal & Monkey Island Tour takes you to the Visitor Center at the Panama Canal, where you can tour the museum and watch ships pass through the locks. Next, you’ll drive to Gatun Lake and take a boat to visit Monkey Island. This is a great way to experience two “must-sees” in one tour if you aren’t spending as much time in Panama as we did. Boat trip fare is included.
4 Tips For Taking A Monkey Island Tour In Panama
On our tour of Monkey Island, we learned a few things we wanted to share with you to make your experience as smooth as possible.
#1 Dress For Rain and Bring a Waterproof Bag
Be sure to wear a swimsuit with quick dry activewear or rain gear, as it frequently rains in the rainforest. We were glad we had a waterproof backpack for cameras and phones, and our tour guide also provided a waterproof bag. However, I liked having my own so that I could use my camera to take all of the photos you see in this Panama travel blog post!
If you have teens like us, consider buying waterproof phone pouches with lanyards!
#2 Consider Wearing Sunglasses
The initial boat ride across Gatun Lake was fast, and raindrops would hit your eyes, making it uncomfortable to see. I recommend wearing sunglasses if it’s raining to shield your eyes and allow you to see everything around you on the trip to and from the islands.
#3 There Are No Bathrooms Available
There are no bathrooms available during the entire Monkey Island Panama tour, so make sure you use the bathroom before boarding the van at the start of the trip.
#4 Bring Cash For A Tip
Be sure to bring cash to tip your tour guide. If you are happy with the service, we recommend tipping 10-15% of the total tour price. There is no need to tip the boat captain separately, although I’m sure they would appreciate it.
Our Monkey Island Panama Tour
Our Monkey Island Panama tour was the best part of our trip. The entire family enjoyed getting up close and personal with exotic creatures you usually see only in zoos. I highly recommend making the Monkey Island Panama outing a part of your Panama City itinerary. Click here for more things to do in Panama City, Panama, and stay tuned because this is just the first of several blog posts we are writing about our weeklong trip to Panama!
More Family Travel Destinations
And, if you enjoyed this Panama blog post, you’ll likely enjoy hearing about all trips all over the world! From choosing the best Colosseum tour in Rome to fun things to do in Key West with kids, we’ve got you covered here at Our Little Lifestyle. Just like this Monkey Island Panama adventure, we only write about our first-hand experiences, and my content always features real photos I took myself. Happy Travels!
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PIN: Monkey Island Panama For Later
Great photos! We had a hard time catching the monkeys in action on our visit!