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Glimpses of the thatched roofs of Emberá Drua
are the first sign that our village is near as your dugout canoe winds up
the river. Next, flute strains and drumbeats waft across the water
as we gather at the river and welcome you to the beach landing. You have
arrived at our tropical rainforest community, located in Panama on the
Chagres River, xxx kilometers upstream from the Panama Canal.
The Chagres Park
Emberá Drua also lies within the Chagres
National Park, a ssxx-hectare tropical rainforest preserve, home to some
of the most densely packed animal and plant biodiversity on the
planet. The park also protects the historic Camino de Cruces Trail,
the land crossing that gave Spanish conquistadors a monopoly on access to
the Pacific Ocean during the 16th 17th
centuries.
Our community
Emberá Drua is a small indigenous community of
less than 70 individuals in the Republic of Panama. We keep our
traditional ways alive by practicing and living them every day. This
is our home, and we invite you to learn about our culture, our village,
our way of life. We are proud to share it with you. Those of
you with a sense of adventure might be interested in visiting us,
participating in our daily and ceremonial activities and making new
friends.
Choosing tourism
We, as a traditional group, have designed a
unique tourism program that is run by and supports our community.
True, the contrast of tourists interacting in such a traditional setting
may seem puzzling at first, but the program has actually strengthened our
community in many ways.
In 198x, we faced a new challenge to our
traditional way of life when the area where we live, the Panama Canal
watershed, became the Chagres National Park. Because of the new
restrictions of living in a protected park, we looked for new alternatives
to our traditional activities of subsistence agriculture and
hunting.
Tourism turned out to be a good choice.
It has low environmental impact, reinforces and has actually caused a
renaissance in our traditional arts and culture, has long-term
sustainability and responds to eco-tourism demand for quality
experiences.
Activities for everyone
We have designed a variety of activities and
experiences for every visitor, regardless of age or agility. Some
visitors come just for the day, but others spend one or several
nights. Some want to relax, and others yearn for high
adventure. Most are interested in our traditional culture and the
rainforest.
Adventure travelers in good physical condition
can enjoy trekking in the forest and canoeing on the river.
Lower-key visitors might participate in cultural activities, marvel at the
pristine river and sight an incredible variety of tropical birds right
from the village. Just watching our kids shoot the rapids on their
homemade balsawood rafts might be entertainment enough.
Cultural activities
We are specially proud of our cultural
activities. We invite every visitor to participate in everyday and
special events:
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talks by village members about our culture,
religion and history
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traditional body painting with natural
vegetable dyes (kepará and kangí)
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traditional music and dance
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traditional food preparation
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description, production and sale of
traditional arts: basketry, wood carvings, vegetable ivory
carvings and beadwork
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identification of medicinal and useful
plants along a nearby forest trail
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activities by special request:
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spear or line fishing on the
river |
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bird and orchid
watching |
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hikes to waterfalls or through
the forest |
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traditional story
telling |
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river trips in dugout
canoes |
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Area Map - Click to Expand
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