THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Panama - page 150

Camino de Cruces and the Sendero de la Plantación
A 10km section of the isthmus-crossing Camino de Cruces traverses the park's dense veget-
ation from the borders of the Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces - to access the trailhead,
head 6km up the road that forks right at the park office. The trail ends up at the shores of
the Río Chagres, site of the barely distinguishable remains of the Ruinas de Venta de Cruces,
which served as a resting post for weary, booty-laden mules and conquistadors. However,
you don't have to venture that far to get a flavour of the history - a ten-minute hike along the
path will bring you to a restored section of the original sixteenth-century paving stones.
If you decide to walk the whole trail, you can avoid returning along the same route (in an
exhausting eight-hour trek) by hopping across the Chagres to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort
and reviving yourself with a drink, before catching one of the regular buses back. You would
need to organize a boat to meet you in advance; the park wardens can arrange this for a couple
of dollars. Alternatively, hike half of the Camino de Cruces, breaking off down the 5km Sen-
dero de la Plantación (Plantation Trail) , the gravelly remnants of a paved thoroughfare that
once led to the largest private agricultural venture in the old Canal Zone, harvesting rubber,
coffee and cocoa, which you can still occasionally spot growing wild amid the rainforest. It
eventually disgorges you onto the road to Gamboa, where you can flag down one of the reg-
ular Gamboa-Panama City buses.
Canopy Tower Ecolodge
Semaphore Hill • Day visits $120/person • 264 5720, canopytower.com • It's a steep 1km to the lodge

from the drive entrance on the main road to Gamboa
For serious nature lovers who can't afford the overnight rates (see Canopy Tower ), it's still
worth considering a day-trip to the Canopy Tower Ecolodge . These are actually partial day-
trips, which have to be organized in advance, and include one meal, the park fee and a guided
walk, where you're likely to spot manakins, antbirds, tinamous, sloths, coatis and agoutis, as
well as an abundance of butterflies and insects. You also get time on the truly special canopy-
level observation deck , which is equipped with a telescope and even sun loungers, allowing
you to indulge in some spectacular armchair birdwatching.
Rainforest Discovery Centre
2km along the Camino de Oleoducto from central Gamboa • Daily 6am-4pm • Peak hours (6-10am) $30, other
hours $20; 20 percent discount for advance booking • 314 1141 in Panama City, 6450 4850 visitor centre,

pipelineroad.org
The Rainforest Discovery Centre , on the park boundary, boasts an impressive canopy ob-
servation tower with multi-level viewing platforms, a series of short trails and an interpret-
ive centre, whose main draw is the observation deck , where bird feeders attract scores of
hummingbirds. The drawback is the hefty entrance fee, especially if you arrive during prime
birding time (6-10am) though it's definitely worth the outlay if you're keen on birds or you