Selina Kalu Yala

Down for some wild swimming in the rainforest? Take a dunk in a natural swimming hole (10 minutes’ walk). Further away, more water awaits at the peaceful Bayano Lake (an hour and a half). Canoe or kayak your way over lake, go below ground into the Bayano Caves and finish up with a meal of tilapia fish fresh from the lake. For some eco-friendly haunts, head into the cloud forests at Reserva Natural Cocobolo (10 minutes’ drive) for wildlife spotting. Conquer the walking trails at La Mesa (20 minutes). Then, cross over river bridges in the cool mountain reserve at Los Altos de Cerro Azul (one hour and 10 minutes). If you're up for more hikes, the trails through the Camino de Cruces National Park (an hour) may seem to go on forever. See lakes and lagoons, waterfalls and titi monkeys along your way. For more national parks, head over to Mirador de Cerro Azul (one hour and five minutes), Parque Nacional Soberanía (one hour and 15 minutes) or Parque Nacional Chagres (an hour and 15 minutes) for more ripe walking grounds. In Panama City's historic centre (an hour), hire bikes to pedal around the metropolitan natural park, hop off at heritage sites and museums and then cross over the Panama Canal to the Biomuseo in Panama Bay.