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Parks in Panama

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Written by Administrator

Wednesday, December 13 2006

With the exception of the central provinces like Los Santos and Herrera, Panama is pretty darn good at conserving its natural places. Just a few facts for you: Panama has 14 national parks which comprise a total area of 1,391,833 hectares. That is over three and half million acres. That is a lot of freaking land. We have friends who own a 400 acre farm in Illinois and I think that's big. These parks comprise 22% of the area in Panama (source: National Institute of Renewable Resources). This article will give a quick rundown of each park.

About 50 kilometers west of Panama City lies the national park of Altos de Campana. It was the first national park in Panama and was created in 1967. It Protects 4,816 hectares, which includes Panama's famed golden frogs. The park protects a major portion of the canal area. Experts say the Basaltic rock that exists here contributes to the richness of the trees and plants.

Shared by Costa Rica and Panama is Amistad National Park. In Panama you can find it within the Provinces of Chiriqui and Bocas. It protects over 207,000 hectares. Its main goal is to protect the Teribe and Changuinola rives.

Located in Bocas Del Toro, Bastimentos National Marine Park has crystal waters and undisturbed coral reefs which makes this park perfect for scuba diver or snorklers. It contains over 200 species of fish and includes turtle nesting sites on the island. Manatees can also be spotted here.

In Veraguas and Los Santos is Cerro Hoya National Park. It's on the southwest corner of the Azuero Peninsula and protects 32,557 hectares of land. These two provinces are the two of the most ecologically devastated areas in Panama.

Coiba National Park is unique because it is on the largest island in Panama which contains 270,125 hectares. The island used to be a maximum security prison. The island contains the largest expanse of lowland tropical forest which contains a healthy population of scarlet macaws. This national park has no roads that are paved. It is a land stuck in time. It is gorgeous and perfect. Be sure to stop by the islands of Jicaron and Jicarta islands which are close by.

Protecting eighty percent of the water that Panama City drinks is the Chagres National Park. The park forms a hydroelectric basin for the Panama Canal and in doing so protects 129,000 hectares in two provinces- Colon and Panama. In addition, part of the Las Cruces trail goes through this park.

Comprising an area of over than a half a million hectares, the Darien National Park is grand daddy of them all. It protects Panama from Colombia diseases and visa versa. It was declared a word biosphere site and a world patrimony site. That basically means that the Darien is super important because it holds species of animals and plants that no longer exist. The mythical harpy Eagle lives here which is capable of carry off monkeys and Beautiful scarlet macaws abound. There are no paved roads that go through the park. However, communities of Embera, Wounaan, and Kuna live here. It is often referred to as the Darien Gap because it is such a large expanse of wilderness that the only signs of humans are a handful of indigenous villages.

General Omar Torrijos made El Cope National Park because he visited the area so often. He even died here. El cope is a cloud forest of 6,000 hectares and contains rubber trees in abundance.

Las Cruces National park protects the last remaining cobble-stone segments of the Cruces Trail that used to be the main road from Panama City to the Caribbean. The Spanish used to move gold and silver on this road. This park contains tamarins, two toed sloths, and howler monkeys.

Parque Nacional Metropolitano is a national park located fifteen minutes from the Panama City center. It is the smallest of the parks at 265 hectares. Portobelo National Park protects coral reefs that were first ravaged by the Spanish to build the forts around Portobelo. It also protects the coastal forests. Scuba diving is excellent around Drake's island, Salmedna Reef, Three Sisters Island, and Playa Blanca. The park contains 34,846 hectares.

Sarigua National Park is a sad reminder that when people don't think before they act, the repercussions can be tragic. The park contains 8,000 hectares of drought distressed, over grazed land. It is really a monument to poor soil management. Here you will see sand dunes and cacti more reminiscent of a desert than a patch of land in the tropics. The plan is to nurture it until it heals.

Soberinia is located 25km from Panama City and has two main trails that are outstanding- Pipeline Road and El Chanco. Howler monkey can be frequently heard and Toucans and many toucans call this place home.

Volcan Baru National Park is located on the highest piece land in Panama. It is about 3,475 meters above sea level. Oak trees grow in abundance here and you can also spot a quetzal if you are extremely lucky.

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