Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The road to El Valle
All buses heading west out of Panama City cross the
Bridge of the Americas
, suspended
1600m above the mouth of the canal, where the
Interamericana
starts its journey to the
Costa Rican border almost 500km away. After grinding through the urban sprawl of
La
Chorerra
, 40km to the southwest, the road crests at Loma Campana, where you've scarcely
time to gasp at the views across the sparkling Golfo de Panamá and the brooding peaks of
the Cordillera Central - assuming you dare risk taking your eye off the hair-raising traffic -
before it swoops down like a roller coaster onto a narrow alluvial plain hemmed in between
the mountains and the Pacific.
Just before the descent, a road off to the right winds up to the country's oldest
national
park
, which provides some enjoyable hiking and birdwatching. Once down on the flatland, a
string of entrances to various
beaches
peel off the Interamericana, providing the nearest de-
cent stretches of sand to Panama City, with spots to appeal to all kinds of beach-lovers, most
reachable by bus. Shortly after crossing over the border from the Province of Panama into
Coclé, a road heads north into the mountains and the delightful weekend resort of
El Valle
.
Parque Nacional Altos de Campana
The park entrance is 3km uphill from the ANAM office, on the right-hand side, after a sign declaring “No
Estoy” • Daily 8am-4pm • $5
Established in 1966 as part of the protection for the canal basin, the
PARQUE NACIONAL
ALTOS DE CAMPANA
is Panama's oldest national park, and at only 55km from the cap-
ital, just off the Interamericana, one of the most accessible. It's often overlooked by tourists,
visited only at weekends by fleeing urbanites in search of cool fresh air and exercise, or by
enthusiastic birdwatchers. But the stellar views from the park's summits - the highest, Cerro
Campana, tops 1000m - make Altos de Campana a worthwhile hiking day-trip, and its dra-
matic and singular landscape of craggy tors and lava fields hosts a surprising range of spe-
cies.
Although the denuded lower western and southern slopes have suffered from deforestation,
elsewhere peaks are cloaked in pre-montane and tropical forest. Of the park's 39
mammal
species, the black-eared opossum is the most numerous though it'll be tucked up in its den
during the day. More likely sightings include two- and three-toed sloths, coatis and Geof-
froy's tamarin monkeys. Colourful
birds
also abound, including the striking orange-bellied
trogon, rufous motmot and collared aracari. Above all, though, the fifty square kilometres
of park is renowned for its 62
amphibian
and 86
reptile
species, including the near-extinct
golden frog
in the area's western fringes.
If you've time after exploring the park, head for the village of
Chicá
, a few kilometres along
the road at the end of the bus route. It makes a pleasant postscript, with bougainvillea-filled
gardens and several
fondas
serving traditional
food
.
