Jungle Land Panama Floating Lodge

Reaching Jungle Land Panama means crossing water first: a boat ride out of Gamboa Public Dock, along the Chagres River where it meets Gatún Lake, past ships queued for the Panama Canal. The lodge itself floats, moored in a private cove of the lake rather than fixed to a bank. Twelve cabins line the shore and float structure, each with a private balcony facing either the water or the surrounding garden, and each with its own bathroom and shower. Days run on the lake and in the forest around it. Guests kayak narrow, heliconia-lined channels, paddleboard the calm water near the lodge, or take a boat out to Monkey Island, a patch of forest cut off when the Chagres was dammed, now home to capuchins, howler monkeys and Geoffroy's tamarins. Guided hikes follow the old Camino de Cruces trail through Camino de Cruces National Park, and freshwater fishing trips target peacock bass on the lake. Sloths, iguanas and, after dark, crocodiles turn up along the shoreline. It is a working stretch of canal as much as a wild one. Meals are included and taken lakeside, and evenings settle into hammocks on the balconies as the water goes quiet. Full board covers breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the stay.