Canopy Tower
The Concept
The Canopy Tower was built by the United States Air Force to house powerful radar used in the defense of the Panama Canal. A local businessman and conservationist, Raul Arias de Parra, transformed the radar tower into a unique, exclusive ecolodge.
You have an unparalleled eye-level-with-the-canopy views of magnificent tropical birds as well as monkeys and sloth.
Concept Accommodations Activities Rates & Itinerary Environmental Statement
The Accomodations
The Canopy Tower has five levels that offer different views of the forest around it. The flat roof is a great place to watch the canopy, as well as the Panama Canal and, in the distance, the skyline of the city. The top floor, covered by a 30 foot high geo-tangent dome (a variation of Buckminster Fuller's famous geodesic dome), is used as the main dining area, and is completely surrounded by panoramic windows. The floors below house the bedrooms. Below the rooms, a mezzanine with more windows adds viewing opportunities of the lower levels of the forest canopy. Finally, the ground floor houses exhibits about the environment and the surrounding forest and the animals that live in it.
Guest rooms at the Tower are simple but very comfortable. All of the double rooms have 2 twin beds, a small desk and chair, private bath with hot water, hairdryers, and environmentally safe soaps and shampoos. A limited number of guaranteed single rooms are available and they share one bathroom.
Raul Arias' sister is a celebrity chef in Panama and has designed the menus. We think you'll be happy with the delicious and creative food, utilizing local produce. top
The Activities
Rates & Sample Itinerary
Sample 3 Night All Inclusive Birding Itinerary
(Extra nights are available, as is a combined stay with the Canopy Lodge. Packages are also available with meals and less touring.)
Day 1: You will be welcomed at your pick up point by a representative of the Canopy Tower, who will escort you to the Canopy Tower. (D)
Day 2: Each morning you’ll awaken with the day break chorus of the birds and monkeys! Although you can see lots of wildlife from your bedroom window, the roof of the tower is the place with incredible views, and perfect for early morning coffee. Begin exploring the forests of Central Panama with a guided walk down Semaphore Hill Road. This paved road is a little more than a mile long and passes through the forest of Soberanía National Park. After lunch,head to Summit Gardens; here you'll find a small zoo and botanical gardens. The Harpy Eagle is Panama's national bird and the park has a "state of the art" Harpy Eagle Exhibit by SONY Corp., with films about this magnificent bird, a full-size nest and two live specimens of this bird in a gigantic aviarium. These birds are used in the Raptor Breeding Program of the Peregrine Fund. (B, L, D)
Day 3: Early departure (taking advantage of the peak time for bird activity) to explore Pipeline Road, considered by many to be one of the top birding spots in the world. We use 4X4's to go deep into the forest.After lunch visit Miraflores Lock and watch ships as they pass through the Panama Canal. The Canal uses a system of locks - compartments with entrance and exit gates. The locks function as water lifts: they raise ships from sea level to the level of Gatun Lake . Each set of locks bears the name of the townsite where it was built: Gatun (on the Atlantic side) and Pedro Miguel and Miraflores (on the Pacific side). (B, L, D)
Day 4: After breakfast, transfer to your next destination! (B) top
2010 Per Person Rates, based on Double Occupancy
- December 15 to Apri 15: $896 (during Dec 23 - Jan 1, add $100)
- April 16 to September 15: $571
- September 16 to December 14: $697 (during Oct 15 - Nov 10, add $100)
Single rooms sharing bath deduct $75
Included
- 3 nights accommodations in a Canopy Room
- Meals as indicated, wine with dinner (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)
- 5% tourism tax
- 2 Guided tours each day including transportation, with bilingual bird / naturalists guides
- Airport transfers
- Entrance fees to National Parks
- Internet service
Not Included
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tips
Sample Activities
- Semaphore Hill Road guided tour
- Self-guided Botanical Tour
- Plantation Road guided tour
- El Charco trail
- Summit Gardens
- Old Gamboa Road South
- Old Gamboa Road North
- Gamboa Ammo Dump
- Pipeline Road
- Achiote Road & San Lorenzo
- Tocumen Marsh and the foothills of Cerro Azul
- Boat Trip in the Panama Canal
- Metropolitan National Park
Policies
For accommodations, we suggest that a tip of $6 per night to be divided amongst the staff is appropriate. Birding guides should be tipped separately. Please note: the Canopy Tower is a smoke-free lodge. top
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A Socially and Enviromentally Responsible Lodge
Lodge Mission: Our mission is to bring people to a comfortable closeness with the rich Panamanian rainforest, and to share our enthusiasm for the birds and wildlife, so they will join with us in working to conserve the spectacular diversity of Nature.
- Reduce our use of resources, especially waste
- The bathroom sinks have a time-release mechanism to reduce wasted water
- Toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush, compared to the typical 5 gallons
- We take care to educate our guests about our effort to conserve water and energy, and invite them to join our efforts
- Most of our lightbulbs are energy saving compact fluorescents, saving 80% over conventional incandescent bulbs.
- We use light sparingly, and eliminated most of the perimeter lighting around the Tower
- We buy food and supplies in bulk to reduce packaging materials, especially plastic
- The soap in guest rooms is served by a dispenser, not little wasteful plastic bottles
- Linens and towels are not changed daily, except by request; they are changed every four days or when a new guest arrives
- We do not use air conditioning - it really isn't necessary
- Re-use resources whenever possible
- Water from showers and washbasins (greywater) is used again in the garden
- All organic waste is composted and reused in the gardens
- The chairs on the observation deck were built with wood salvaged from the old radar station
- The Tower itself is a classic example of "beating swords into plowshares" by finding a noble use for a surplus defense installation
- Recycle resources that cannot be reused
- The iron structure and wooden decking on the outdoor deck are recycled from the old Panamá Railway's rails and ties
- The marble floors are salvaged from a refurbishing project in Panamá City
- Aluminum cans are collected and sold to a recycler
- Reject products made from scarce or toxic materials
- All the wood in the bedrooms, and the Adirondack chairs on the deck, are made from wood from a sustainably managed teak plantation
- Our refrigerators and freezers use ozone-friendly gas
CANOPY TOWER ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES
Why are we in this business?
We are often asked this question, and the reply is always the same: "We choose this work because we love nature." In order to make our actions consistent with our love of nature, we must do all we can to make our efforts sustainable and to protect the global ecosystem. At the Canopy Tower, here are some of the things we do to "walk our talk":
We are conscious about the number of trips we take in our vehicles, and we use public transport when we can.
Having given these matters a lot of thought, and having seen how difficult it is sometimes to live mindfully in a wasteful culture, we know first hand that progress is often slow and minimal at first. If you can think of any ways we might do better, we would be grateful. If, on the other hand, you feel we have stinted on your care, we count on you to let us know immediately so we can make you comfortable. We hope our guests will join us in applying these principles to their daily lives when they return to their homes.top
