Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the three-wattled bellbird, which has one of the loudest birdcalls in the world - a bizarre
metallic “dong” that carries almost a kilometre.
Around the visitor centre
A few hundred metres beyond the park entrance, an informative
visitor centre
, with a rear
balcony offering splendid views, marks the start of a couple of fairly short, well-kept circular
routes (2km and 4km) and an interpretive loop, aimed at enhancing visitors' appreciation of
the abundant and diverse flora.
Cerro Peña Blanca
Hikers
should consider aiming for
Cerro Peña Blanca
(1314m), which occasionally peeks
out from the mist to the west of the park entrance. The moderately strenuous four-hour trail
ascends west from Barrigón and on a rare clear day you are rewarded at the summit with
spectacular views of both oceans.
La Rica
The other popular route heads over the continental divide from the park entrance down to the
community of
La Rica
, a good four-hour hike away. A guide is essential for both these ex-
cursions. Set in verdant surroundings laced with waterfalls and natural swimming pools and
within reach of giant guayacán, cuipo and cedar trees, La Rica is the perfect spot to appreci-
ate the park's natural beauty, though getting there can be a very muddy affair for much of the
year.
LA CASCADA LAS YAYAS
A worthwhile diversion on the way to the national park entrance from Barrigón is
La Cas-
cada Las Yayas
(daily 8am-6pm; $2; 6809 6372). A shady 300m trail offers several
viewpoints from which to appreciate the series of three falls, the highest of which is 25m.
The falls, inevitably, are at their most impressive in the rainy season though in the dry sea-
son there's the pleasure of taking a dip in the pool at the base of the main cascade. The
surrounding rainforest is excellent for spotting hummingbirds and amphibians, especially
in the late afternoon.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: PARQUE NACIONAL OMAR
TORRIJOS
By bus
First, take a bus to the mountain village of El Copé. There are direct buses from
Panama City (hourly, 6am-6.30pm; 3hr), while minibuses from Penonomé are even more
frequent (every 20min, 6am-7pm; 1hr). Buses from Aguadulce run every 45min-1hr
(6am-6pm; 1hr). Occasional minibuses (7am-5pm) make the journey to the even smaller vil-
lage of Barrigón, after which only a 4WD can crawl the remaining steep 4km to the park
entrance; on foot the hike will take well over an hour. For the return, the last bus back to Pen-
