Legal
They form part of your contract with VIARE. The clauses in bold set out important rights and obligations.
VIARE PANAMA CORP., a travel agency licensed by the Panama Tourism Authority (No. 989-AV), designs, books and coordinates your travel services. It directly operates private ground transport and acts as an intermediary between the traveler and independent providers (hotels, airlines, boat operators, activity operators), in accordance with Article 1 of Law 73 of 1976. VIARE is responsible for performing its own obligations, for the services confirmed in your booking and for exercising due care in selecting, booking and coordinating those providers. The services included are those listed in the proposal; anything not listed is not included.
A proposal is a quotation, not a reservation. Nothing is held until the booking is confirmed in writing and the deposit is received, so rates and availability may change until then. We confirm the final price in writing before any payment.
Prices are in US dollars, include Panamanian taxes (ITBMS) where applicable and are calculated for the number of travelers shown in the proposal; if that number changes, the price per person is recalculated based on the actual cost of the services.
Once the deposit is received the price is fixed. It can only change if a new government tax is imposed after confirmation; we will show it separately and will never apply it within 30 days of arrival, and if it raises the total price by more than 8% you may cancel with a full refund. Any reduction will be passed on to you.
Deposit: 50% of the total price to confirm the booking. Balance: due 60 days before arrival; bookings made less than 60 days before arrival are paid in full at confirmation.
Method: international bank transfer in US dollars (SWIFT), with all bank charges paid by the sender (OUR); bank details are sent with the booking confirmation. Card payment is accepted only by prior agreement, through a 3-D Secure payment link, and the cardholder must be one of the travelers or the contracting company. Group bookings have a single payer.
If the balance is not received on time, we will remind you in writing; if it is still unpaid 7 days after the reminder, the booking may be treated as canceled by the traveler under section 4.
Cancellations must be sent in writing. The following charges apply, counted from the date we receive the notice to the arrival date. They reflect our work and the costs committed with hotels and providers, which increase as the date approaches:
61 days or more: we refund all amounts paid, less a management fee of USD 100 per person and any non-refundable costs already incurred (issued flights, non-refundable supplier deposits).
60 to 31 days: 50% of the total price, or the non-refundable costs already incurred if higher. 30 days or less, or no-show: 100% of the total price.
The management fee covers work already performed (design of the program, reservations and coordination) and is not refundable. Refunds are paid in money, not in vouchers or credit, within 14 days and only to the original payment method.
If, before departure, unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances at the destination (natural disaster, war or serious civil unrest, epidemic, an official advisory against travel to Panama or to the area of the trip) significantly affect the trip, the traveler may cancel without the charges in section 4. We refund all amounts paid except non-refundable costs already paid to providers, which we will do our utmost to recover; our aim is to refund 100% wherever the circumstances and the providers allow.
The first change requested to a confirmed booking is free of our fees. Each further change carries a fee of USD 50 per booking, plus any difference in supplier cost. Within 30 days of arrival, a change that a provider treats as a cancellation is charged as a cancellation of that service.
A traveler may transfer their place to another person who meets all the conditions of the trip, by notifying us in writing at least 14 days before arrival. The transfer costs charged by providers are passed on, and issued flights cannot be transferred.
We will only cancel a confirmed booking for non-payment under section 3 or for the circumstances in sections 5 and 14. In any other case, we refund all amounts paid in full.
If, before departure, we have to make a significant change to a confirmed service (a lower hotel category, the loss of a key experience of the trip or a change of dates), we will inform you without delay and you may accept it, accept an alternative of equal or higher standard, or cancel with a full refund of all amounts paid. Silence is not taken as acceptance. Minor adjustments of timings or order that do not affect the substance of the trip are not significant changes.
If a hotel cannot provide the confirmed accommodation (overbooking, fire, damage, works, closure or failure of essential services), we will arrange accommodation of equal or higher standard at no extra cost. If only a lower standard is available, we refund the difference, and you may instead decline it and receive a refund of the unused portion.
Minor or temporary unavailability of a facility (a pool, a restaurant, a spa) is not a significant change; we will seek appropriate compensation from the hotel on your behalf. Descriptions and photographs are based on the providers' information at the time of the proposal; we will tell you of any material change we become aware of.
Domestic fares cannot be held: they are secured only when the tickets are issued, which we do once the deposit is received. Once issued, flights are non-refundable. Any credit the airline grants under its own rules is passed on to the traveler, less the airline's penalty.
The baggage allowance is the one stated in the proposal, under the airline's rules at the time of issue; extra or overweight baggage is charged by the airline at the airport. Names must match the passports exactly; airlines do not permit name changes.
Independent providers are not VIARE's employees or agents and operate under their own terms and licenses. VIARE is not liable for loss, damage, accident or irregularity caused by third parties unconnected with the booked services and beyond its control, nor for force majeure (Executive Decree 17-A of 1977, art. 17), without prejudice to VIARE's liability for its own fault. If a confirmed service is not provided, VIARE will arrange an equivalent service or refund the unperformed portion.
Rafting, hanging bridges, boat transfers, surfing, snorkeling, hiking and similar activities carry inherent risks that exist even when they are conducted with due care: currents, swell, uneven terrain, weather, wildlife, physical exertion and distance from medical facilities. The traveler acknowledges and voluntarily accepts these inherent risks.
The traveler must follow the guide's instructions at all times, use the safety equipment provided and not take part under the influence of alcohol. Providers may require their own risk-acknowledgment form to be signed on site; such forms do not limit the traveler's rights against VIARE. This clause does not exclude VIARE's or any provider's liability for its own negligence.
The traveler must disclose in writing, before confirmation, any medical condition, pregnancy, reduced mobility or relevant limitation, and confirms that they are fit for the activities booked. Boat crossings and some activities are not advisable during pregnancy. VIARE or the provider may exclude a participant from an activity on objective safety grounds; if this results from information that was omitted or inaccurate, the service is not refunded.
Minors under 18 travel and take part under the custody and responsibility of their parents or guardians, who must accompany them, carry the documents required for minors, sign any forms required by providers and observe each activity's minimum age.
VIARE or a provider may, in their reasonable judgment, end the services to a traveler whose conduct endangers others or breaks the law, without refund; the traveler is responsible for any damage caused, including to our vehicles. Special requests (diet, room location, celebrations) are passed on to providers but cannot be guaranteed. Services that the traveler chooses not to use are not refunded.
Neither VIARE nor the traveler is liable for non-performance caused by force majeure or fortuitous events, meaning unforeseeable or unavoidable events beyond the parties' control (Civil Code, arts. 34-D and 990), such as natural disasters, adverse weather or sea conditions, strikes, road closures or blockades, protests and civil unrest, war, acts of authority, closure of parks or airspace, epidemics and quarantines.
VIARE will offer equivalent alternatives where possible. If they are declined or not possible, VIARE refunds, in money, the price of any services it operates itself that were not performed, all sums not yet paid to providers and any amount it recovers from them, and will endeavor to refund 100% wherever the circumstances and the providers allow. Additional costs caused by the event (extra nights, alternative transfers) are borne by the traveler, who may claim them from their insurance.
If an independent provider ceases trading or becomes insolvent, VIARE will arrange an equivalent service at no extra cost or, if that is not possible, refund the unperformed portion, and will provide the documents needed to claim from the traveler's insurer or card issuer.
Save for willful misconduct or gross negligence, VIARE is not liable for damage that was unforeseeable at the time of booking (Civil Code, art. 992), nor for loss of profits unrelated to the trip. The liability of air and sea carriers is governed by the applicable international conventions. Personal belongings and valuables remain the traveler's responsibility, except items in VIARE's custody or lost through VIARE's fault; we recommend insurance cover for them.
Travelers are responsible for valid passports, visas and the health requirements for Panama; services lost because entry or boarding is refused for lack of documents are not refunded.
Travel insurance covering medical expenses, evacuation and repatriation is a condition of booking. We strongly recommend cover for cancellation and supplier default. VIARE does not sell insurance.
VIARE PANAMA CORP. is the controller of the personal data you give us, which is used only to manage your booking and shared with providers (and with your travel agency, if any) as needed. Health and dietary information is sensitive data and is processed only with your express consent. You may exercise your rights of access, rectification, erasure, objection and portability by writing to info [at] viarepanama.com (Law 81 of 2019). We will only use photographs of travelers with their separate, express consent.
An emergency contact number is provided with the travel documents. Any issue must be reported at once to VIARE and to the provider, so it can be remedied on the spot. Later claims can be sent in writing to info [at] viarepanama.com and will be answered within 15 business days. This does not limit the traveler's rights before ACODECO or the courts.
Bookings made through a travel agency are also subject to the agreement between VIARE and that agency, which is the traveler's point of contact.
These conditions are governed by the laws of the Republic of Panama; the parties submit to the courts of Panama City, without prejudice to the consumer's non-waivable rights. They are issued in Spanish and English; in case of discrepancy the Spanish version, delivered with the proposal, prevails. If any clause is held invalid, the rest remain in force.
Before any payment the traveler confirms in writing (signature, reply email or our online form) that they have read and accept these conditions; paying the deposit also means acceptance.
VIARE PANAMA CORP · Tourism license ATP 989-AV · info [at] viarepanama.com · +507 6989 8379.
Version 5 · September 24, 2026