Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Escobal
The road to Escobal (and Cuipo beyond) periodically offers glimpses of sparkling Lago
Gatún and its many wooded islands through the trees and prolific elephant grass. After about
10km the road divides: to the right it heads back up towards the coast via Achiote; ahead
it continues to the sprawling lakeside fishing village of Escobal, which enjoys an ethnically
diverse population, primarily populated by descendants of canal labourers and communit-
ies displaced by the damming of the Río Chagres. It's an attractive spot to relax and engage
a boatman to explore some of the tiny islands and secret inlets on the vast reservoir, or go
horseriding or hiking in the forest.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: ESCOBAL
By bus Daily buses marked “Costa Abajo Cuipo” pass through Escobal (6.30am, 8am, then
every 40min until noon & hourly until 7-8pm; 45min-1hr).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Restaurante Doña Nelly Main road by main bus stop 434 6029. Simple local restaurant
with outside seating dishing up decent fried chicken or fish with the customary portions of
rice or patacones and beans. Daily 7am-8pm.
Sra Raquel de Tuñon's Down the last road on the left when leaving the village 6638
4912. If you have a tent, head for this lovely camping spot down by the lakeside, where you
can enquire about a boatman to take you out on the lake. New, in expe nsive wood-and-thatch
cabañas were under construction at the time of writing. Camping $12 /tent
Achiote
Located in a flat-bottomed valley just outside the Área Protegida San Lorenzo, the hamlet
of Achiote provides a good base for exploring the area. Strung along the main road backing
onto a flower-filled and forested hillside and surrounded by bucolic countryside, its five hun-
dred inhabitants primarily survive on livestock rearing and subsistence agriculture, with cof-
fee the main crop. It is also home to a community-based eco-tourism project, which focuses
on birdwatching and hiking as well as offering a tour of a local coffee farm.
The 435 recorded bird species are spread across the Área Protegida San Lorenzo, which en-
compasses tracts of mangrove, cativo and palm swamps and vast swathes of other secondary
forest types, including some deciduous growth.
Sendero El Trogón
$5 combined entry to the trail and the Área Protegida San Lorenzo
The main birdwatching trail is the Sendero El Trogón , which lies 4km before Achiote, with-
in the park boundary, and was so named on account of the three types of trogon that frequent
the area. Although a pleasant walk, the birding is often easier (and free) along the more open
areas of the main road. If you're willing to dodge the occasional speeding bus or truck, you'll
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