Welcome to The Canopy Lodge

Birdcalls awaken you. Wisps of fog arise from Cerro Gaital’s dense mountain foliage across the stream. Inches from your bedroom window, the cloud forest canopy is riotous with early morning bird life. Fruit, fresh-baked pastry, and hearty coffee (or tea) in hand, you sit on a veranda surrounded by hummingbirds and tanagers taking their breakfast.

Your birding guide leads you along a narrow forest trail beside the stream past a waterfall, then up into the cloud forest. The sounds and rewarding sight of new birds is constant. At the top, a view across the valley – el Valle – opens. Far below, the bustle of an unspoiled Panamanian village beckons. Above the waterfall, the Canopy Adventure offers an unparalleled experience of life in the treetops.

With almost too much to do, you are glad to return for lunch on the veranda, to check your field guide and add to your birdlist. The Canopy Lodge offers some of the best birding Panama has to offer, and you deserve to experience it at least once in your life.

Lodge History

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Location: El Valle

El Valle de Antón In Coclé Province, home to both the Canopy Lodge and the Canopy Adventure, is an enchanting mountain valley town much cooler than the tropical lowlands. Surrounded by scenic misty mountains traversed by creeks, its true charm is revealed by its unhurried pace and its peaceful residents. Located just two hours from Panama City, El Valle is the perfect resting place for someone trying to escape traffic jams, office buildings, pollution and the pressures of everyday city life.

There are many nature-related things to do in El Valle de Antón. At the Canopy Adventure you may go on a nature hike where you may encounter forest mammals, such as Geoffroy’s Tamarins or Hoffmann’s Two-toed Sloths, as well as many gaudy tropical birds; and/or you may want to take the challenge of our zip-line adventure, where you will be thrilled at the grandeur of the cloud forest at eye level; or just relax by or in a natural waterfall! Whatever your need, El Valle will beguile you, making you want to come back for more!

Canopy Lodge FAQs

What is unique about the Canopy Lodge?

Location, location, location! The Canopy Lodge is nestled in the caldera of an enormous, ancient volcano. The cloud forest-covered jagged peaks create a serene backdrop, and an inviting climate makes it feel like spring all year-round. A small river crosses through the property, attracting forest stream birds, and gives way to natural swimming pools and ponds just a minute’s walk from the open air veranda looking over the gardens and bird feeders. Spacious rooms with large balconies offer great places to relax and enjoy birds and nature.

What species can be seen commonly around the Canopy Lodge?

The fruit feeders in the garden attract over 40 species of tropical birds, including Collared Aracari, Blue-gray Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager, Flame-rumped Tanager, Thick-billed Euphonia, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Spot-crowned Barbet and others. Furthermore, Squirrel Cuckoo, Bay Wren, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Orange-billed Sparrow and many more are common. Along the river, Green Kingfisher and Buff-rumped Warbler can be seen, along with the occasional Sunbittern. Central American Agoutis and Red-tailed Squirrels are common, and at night it is possible to see Rothschild’s Porcupine and Central American Woolly Opossum. Common Basilisks are very commonly seen basking on rocks in the river.

What tour packages include a stay at the Canopy Lodge?

Birds of Canopy Lodge, Birds of Central Panama; Birds of Central Panama & Darien Lowlands; Tamarin Tour: Mammal and Birding Adventure; Panama’s Brilliant Butterflies; Herpetology at the Isthmus; Panama’s Incredible Flora; Introduction to Tropical Biodiversity

For more answers to FAQs, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.