Availability
This tour requires minimum 2 Guests to operate. Solo travelers please inquire before booking.
We offer three departure times: 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM. Please select your preferred departure time during checkout in the Extra Items section.
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Colon Panama Shore Excursion – Isla Grande & Portobelo
FROM COLÓN CRUISE PORT: Discover Panama’s Caribbean coast on a full-day Colon Panama shore excursion combining tropical islands, mangrove waterways and historic Portobelo. Visit Isla Linton, cruise through the Love Tunnel, relax at Isla Mamey and Isla Grande, then explore the colonial fortifications of Portobelo before returning to Colón.
This Caribbean shore excursion is designed for travelers arriving in Colón who want to experience much more than the cruise port. In one day, you’ll combine several of the region’s most memorable island destinations with one of Panama’s most important historic Caribbean towns.
Tour Highlights
- Pickup and drop-off at the Colón Cruise Ship Terminal
- Visit Isla Linton and its tropical surroundings
- Boat through the mangrove-lined Love Tunnel
- Relax and swim at Isla Mamey
- Visit Isla Grande on Panama’s Caribbean coast
- Explore the historic Spanish fortifications of Portobelo
- Travel with an English-speaking guide
Table of Contents
- Shore Excursion from Colón Cruise Port
- Isla Linton
- Love Tunnel
- Isla Mamey
- Isla Grande
- Historic Portobelo
- Tour Summary
- What’s Included
- What’s Not Included
- What to Bring
- Important Information
- Cancellation Policy
Shore Excursion from Colón Cruise Port
Your Caribbean adventure begins with pickup at the Colón Cruise Port. Depending on the selected departure, tours are available with morning departure times including approximately 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM.
From Colón, travel toward Panama’s Caribbean coastline before boarding a local boat for the island-hopping portion of the excursion. The route combines tropical scenery, beaches, mangroves and history, making it an excellent option for cruise travelers who want to experience several highlights of Colón Province in a single day.
Because cruise arrival and departure times can vary, please provide your ship information when booking so our team can review the available tour timing.
Isla Linton
Your first Caribbean island stop is Isla Linton, a lush tropical island located just off Panama’s Caribbean coast. The island is known for its dense vegetation, coastal scenery and resident wildlife, including howler monkeys that are sometimes seen during visits.
Enjoy the boat ride around the island and take in the tropical surroundings before continuing deeper into the coastal mangrove system.
Love Tunnel
Next, cruise through the Love Tunnel, a peaceful mangrove-lined waterway surrounded by tropical forest. The narrow channel creates a completely different atmosphere from the open Caribbean Sea and is one of the most distinctive parts of the excursion.
Your boat travels through calm water beneath overhanging mangroves before continuing toward the beaches and islands farther along the coast.
Isla Mamey
The next stop is Isla Mamey, a small Caribbean island known for its palm-lined beach and relaxed tropical atmosphere.
Enjoy time by the water, swim, relax on the beach or snorkel when conditions allow. Isla Mamey provides a beautiful contrast to the mangrove scenery experienced earlier in the day.
Isla Grande
Continue to Isla Grande Panama, one of the best-known island destinations along this section of Panama’s Caribbean coast. A short boat ride brings you to the island, where colorful waterfront buildings, tropical vegetation and Caribbean scenery create a distinctly laid-back atmosphere.
You’ll have time to enjoy the island and its surroundings before returning by boat to the mainland.
Historic Portobelo
After the island portion of your tour, continue to Portobelo, one of Panama’s most historically important Caribbean towns.
Portobelo became a major Spanish colonial port and played an important role in the movement of goods and treasure between the Americas and Europe. Today, visitors can explore remnants of the town’s historic defensive fortifications and cannons overlooking Portobelo Bay.
The Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo are recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Walking among the old stone fortifications provides a fascinating historical conclusion to a day otherwise dominated by Caribbean islands and tropical scenery.
Colon Panama Shore Excursion – Tour Summary
- Departure: Colón Cruise Ship Terminal
- Departure Times: Approximately 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM depending on selected option
- Duration: Approximately 8 hours
- Tour Type: Shared tour
- Minimum: 2 guests
- Adult Price: From $129 per person
- Child Price: From $124 for children under 10
This tour is particularly suited to cruise passengers looking for a Colon Panama shore excursion that combines beaches, island hopping and Portobelo history rather than spending the day only in the immediate cruise-port area.
What’s Included
- Pickup and drop-off at the Colón Cruise Ship Terminal
- Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle
- English-speaking guide
- Visit to Portobelo Fort
- Boat transportation to Isla Linton
- Boat transportation through the Love Tunnel
- Boat transportation to Isla Mamey
- Boat transportation to Isla Grande
- Drinking water
What’s Not Included
- Island entrance fees of approximately $11 per person, payable in cash to the boat driver
- Lunch and additional food or drinks
- Personal expenses
- Gratuities
What to Bring
- Swimsuit
- Towel
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Hat or sun protection
- Comfortable footwear or sandals
- Dry clothes for the return journey
- Cash for island entrance fees, food and personal purchases
- Waterproof bag or protection for phones and cameras
Important Information for Cruise Passengers
Please provide your cruise ship name, scheduled arrival time and scheduled departure time when making your reservation.
Cruise schedules can change due to weather, port operations or decisions made by the cruise line. If your ship’s schedule changes, please contact Tao Travel 365 as soon as possible so we can review the available options.
Caribbean weather and ocean conditions can also affect the order of stops, swimming conditions and boat operations. Your guide and boat captain may adjust the itinerary when necessary for safety and local conditions.
Ending your cruise in Colón? For passengers whose cruise ends in Colón, we also offer optional drop-off at Tocumen International Airport (PTY) after the tour for an additional charge. This allows you to enjoy your final day in Panama on the Caribbean coast before continuing directly to the airport. Please select the airport drop-off option when booking or contact us for details.
If you are staying in Panama City rather than arriving by cruise ship, see our Caribbean Island Hopping Panama tour from Panama City.
For more tours and destinations throughout the country, visit our Panama tours page.
Experience Panama’s Caribbean Coast from Colón
Make the most of your time in Colón with a shore excursion that combines tropical Caribbean islands, mangrove waterways, local beaches and the fascinating history of Portobelo. From Isla Linton and Isla Mamey to Isla Grande and the colonial forts of Portobelo, this tour offers a diverse introduction to Panama’s Caribbean coast in a single day.
Reserve your Colon Panama shore excursion and experience the Caribbean side of Panama beyond the cruise port.
CANCELATION POLICY
Please read our Tour Cancelation Policy before booking.
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TOUR CANCELATION POLICY
Tao Travel 365 strives to deliver the best possible customer experience. If at any point you have a question or concern about our service, please call us by phone at +1 (805) 826-3657 or email us at sales@taotravel365.tours.
The following cancellation policy applies only for Day Tours (DOES NOT apply for Multi-Day Tours).
TOUR POLICIES
Due to the nature of our business, the logistics involved with organizing tours and the high reservation demand following refund policies apply:
- 100% refund less credit card processing fees will only be granted if booked via our website www.taotravel365.tours AND if canceled more than 24 hours before the start of the tour.
- No refund will be granted for cancelations received less than 24 hours before the tour start date.
All sales are final.
For all bookings made via outside portals such as, but not limited to Viator, Expedia, Airbnb, please refer and adhere to the respective cancellation policy of the portal that you booked with.
If you are unable to realize the reservation, contact us as soon as possible and we will try to arrange and reschedule the same or different tour for you.
If you are not at the designated meeting point by the time of your scheduled reservation or pick up, Tao Travel 365 reserves the right not to provide a refund. However, we will always try our best to locate you at the meeting point and call your WhatsApp number, if one was provided. After all, we want you to enjoy your tour and to have fun. That is our goal!
CANCELED OR POSTPONED TOURS
Occasionally, tours are canceled or postponed due to weather or ocean conditions, mechanical failure, or other unforeseen events. Should this occur, we will attempt to contact you about the cancellations and to inform you of refund or exchange procedures for that tour. For exact instructions on any canceled or postponed tour, please contact us. In the case of a cancellation of your tour by Tao Travel 365, we will refund your tour or schedule you for another tour, as detailed below.
REFUNDS
All sales are final. No refunds are available unless a tour is canceled or postponed, or we are given 24 hours advance noticed whereby a 100 percent refund will be awarded. We will offer refunds of the full face value of the tour(s) that are canceled or postponed (or, if a discounted tour, then instead the discounted tour price paid). No refunds are offered on any service, payment processing or convenience fees. To receive a refund for a canceled or postponed tour, contact us at sales@taotravel365.tours within 2 days of the tour cancellation and write "refund" in the subject line. Instructions will be provided in order to obtain your refund.
TOUR EXCHANGES
No tour exchanges are offered by Tao Travel 365. While in some extreme cases we may offer this service (such as a cancellation by Tao Travel 365), it is not guaranteed and often impossible. Contact us directly by phone at +1 (805) 826-3657 or by email at sales@taotravel365.tours to inquire about tour exchanges. Fees may apply.
Reviews
EXCELLENT
1162 reviews
Posted on Google
Malik DavisJune 29, 2024
This was the most authentic, Genuine and fun tour experience we ever had! Ali was an amazing guide that made us feel like we were at home and kept us laughing the entire trip! I would recommend him a million times over!Posted on Google
Jelisa FieldsJune 29, 2024I absolutely loved this tour! Ali was so amazing and personable. Besides the scenery, he is one of the main reasons we had such a great time. I felt super safe the entire time, and I would highly recommend that anyone doing the Portobelo tour to request him specifically. You will learn the history of the area and have an experience you wont forget!Posted on Google
Alice Lekesha CoverleyMay 24, 2024I enjoyed my tour. Ali was friendly, informative and a joy to be around. This was an experience I will always remember and would recommend it to visiting Panama!Posted on Google
Audi.2506 C.PMay 23, 2024Fue una experiencia inolvidable desde la llegada de Allí el conductor con muy buen sentido del humor, señalando nos todos los lugares importantes, al llegar al poblado de igual forma el guía Alberto con gran experiencia y muy amable, estamos muy agradecidos por elegirlosPosted on Google
Dave DartMay 13, 2024What a truly amazing experience! Mario was incredibly friendly and told us about the national parks as we drove through/near them (Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces, Parque Nacional Soberanía, and Parque Nacional Chagres). We made great time from Panama City to the outskirts of Colon, then turned up the coast and went to Portobelo. On many tours, the drive is boring and just a necessary means to an end. But this drive was spectacular. In Portobelo Mario gave us a tour of the two fortress ruins and told us about the history of the place. We then drove on to the pier at La Guaira where we met Captain Juan and set out on the beautiful Caribbean waters. First stop was Isla Mamay where we got up close with a howler monkey. Really cool! From there we motored over to Isla Linton and took a dip in the "natural swimming pool" formed by a break in the mangroves. Crystal clear calm water, small fish swimming around you, and beautiful soft sand. We played in the water for a while before moving on to tour the rest of the mangrove area. As we entered the natural tunnel where the tops of the mangroves and bushes grow together over the channel, we saw birds, a racoon, and a sloth enjoying siesta time. Shortly after that we arrived at a small island with shallow warm water, rocky/sandy beach, and a little bar serving cold beer and cocktails. Mario rounded up our reserved chairs and we enjoyed a super relaxing time in the shade of palm trees and refreshing water. After an hour or so Captain Juan took us to our lunch spot on Isla Grande. El Coral is an unassuming little restaurant run by friendly locals and serving some truly great Panamanian seafood specialties. Platanos stuffed with shrimp, fish, and spices for a starter (along with a frosty frozen margarita). Grilled fresh fish with garlic sauce and perfectly fried yucca fries for the main. So good! We then walked around the corner to Playa Isla Grande where we had reserved chairs in the shade and beautiful cool water on the soft sand beach. After a couple of hours we rinsed off and met Captain Juan for the ride back to port. Mario stopped a couple of times on the drive back for some great photo ops. The ride home was pretty quiet - because we were all exhausted after such a great day.Posted on Google
Mark DeNinnoApril 9, 2024What a great day, and Mario was just terrific. Drove us to the dock and we stopped and got a history lesson about Portobello. He was friendly and knowledgeable. A great tour guide. The boat captain did a great job we had a great time.Posted on Tripadvisor
HappyFamily43082April 1, 2024Verified
Private Tour Was Worth It We booked directly through TAO for a private tour with Mario. Mario provided excellent information and answered our questions about Panamanian life. Our first stop was to visit the monkey islands on Lake Gatum. We did not see any monkeys on the first few islands, but we were successful. My son was able to feed them from his hands with bananas provided by Mario. The other boats visiting the islands had up to 20 guests who were only able to watch a guide feed the monkeys; our experience was so much better! Next, we visited the Agua Clara Locks, which were very interesting. Compared the the Miraflores, the Locks are relatively uncrowded. After stopping at the main visitor center, Mario took us to another stop to see the old bridge. Unfortunately, Fort San Lorenzo was closed for Good Friday, but Mario was able to take us to the mouth of the Chagres River so that we could still see the fort from a distance. We were hungry by mid-day, and he stopped to let us buy snacks. This was a fun day away from Panama City.Posted on TripadvisorHappyFamily43082April 1, 2024Don't Miss Seeing the Caribbean We booked directly through TAO. Communication was efficient. We did not realize this would be a private tour. Our tour guide, Ana, was terrific. She's a proud Panamanian who loves to show off her beautiful country. She provided knowledgeable commentary throughout the tour. Her SUV was comfortable for four guests. Our first stop in Portobelo was limited as a movie was being filmed at one of the forts. The island stops were interesting. We brought snorkeling gear, although Isla Moray has a very shallow reef. Lunch on Isla Grande was good, but the pina coladas were excellent!Posted on Google
Trevor SeifriedMarch 31, 2024Did the Isla Grande Caribbean tour with Mario. Was quite fun, and well organized. Car ride was a bit long (~2 hours), but we knew that up front and Mario kept us very comfortable. Saw monkeys, sloths and the mangrove "Tunnel of Love" was beautiful. Also takes you a seemingly underappreciated, but very well preserved site where Panama's first economic fort was built (c/w the original cannons). Highly recommend.Posted on Google
Edwin CespedesMarch 18, 2024Desde el primer contacto por la pagina web, todo fue muy sencillo, rápido y profesional. Ya en Panamá muy puntuales y todo resulto en logística tal como se prometió. Pero la experiencia de convivir con los lugareños, su trato, amabilidad, transparencia, calidez, fue genial. El lugar espectacular, de hecho vamos a repetirlo, hemos contagiado a nuestros amigos marrando la experiencia.Load more
