If you’re looking for something a little different to do while visiting Panama City, Monkey Island is absolutely worth considering. It involves an early alarm, a boat ride through the Panama Canal, and, if you’re lucky, monkeys climbing right onto your boat.
We had been living in Panama for a while before finally making the trip. I’m not entirely sure why we waited so long, but once we went, we immediately knew we’d be doing it again.
Booking Our Monkey Island Tour
We booked our Monkey Island boat tour online through Viator. There were several options available, but we chose an early-morning tour with transportation from Panama City.
Our tour company recommended going early because we’d have a better chance of seeing active monkeys before the heat of the day.
That sounded reasonable when I booked it.
It sounded considerably less reasonable when the alarm went off around 5 a.m. 😂
Still, the early start turned out to be worth it.
Getting to Monkey Island from Panama City
Our driver picked us up around 6:40 a.m., and we headed toward the Gamboa area and Gatun Lake.
Once we arrived, we met our guide, got a few instructions, and climbed into the boat.
And this is where the experience gets interesting because getting to Monkey Island is part of the fun.
We weren’t just cruising around a little lake looking for monkeys. We were boating through an area connected to the Panama Canal, passing enormous ships along the way. Seeing those massive vessels from a small boat gives you an entirely different perspective on just how big they really are.
Then it was time to find the monkeys.
What Is the Monkey Island Panama Tour Actually Like?
Our guide knew where to look and, before long, we spotted them.
And then they came to us.
The monkeys climbed right onto the boat looking for food, grabbed what they wanted, and quickly disappeared again. Apparently, they have this whole tourist thing figured out.
It was hilarious, slightly chaotic, and easily the highlight of the morning.
Our guide also pointed out wildlife along the way and explained more about the different monkeys living in the area. So while having a monkey suddenly appear next to you is obviously the main event, we learned quite a bit too.
Is the Early-Morning Tour Worth It?
For us, yes.
I can’t promise that getting up before sunrise guarantees monkeys. They are wild animals and apparently did not sign a contract with the tourism board.
But we saw plenty.
The early morning also meant cooler temperatures, fewer boats, and a really peaceful ride before the day got going. Once I got over the fact that I was awake at an unreasonable hour while technically on an adventure, I really enjoyed it.
Is Monkey Island Panama Worth It?
Absolutely.
This was one of those Panama experiences that was easy to do but felt completely different from a typical day of sightseeing. You get the boat ride, views of ships traveling through the Panama Canal, wildlife, and, of course, the possibility of having a monkey join you onboard.
At the end of our original trip, I wrote that we’d have to come back when Jack visited.
And we did.
A year later, we returned to Monkey Island as part of our Panama Ocean-to-Ocean Tour, and it was just as much fun the second time.
If you’re visiting Panama City and want to see something beyond the locks, skyscrapers, and Casco Viejo, I’d put Monkey Island on the list.
Just prepare yourself for the early alarm.
The monkeys, thankfully, don’t seem to care what your hair looks like at 6:40 in the morning.
