Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
wet months, the rivers and waterfalls are truly spectacular, though the refuge and mountain
trails are often swathed in mist and the quantity of mud to wade through can scarcely be ima-
gined, making even the shortest hike a major physical achievement. In the dry season, paths
are easier to hike, views more frequently glimpsed and your chances of spotting mammal life
- driven to the river to drink - is greatly enhanced.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: RANCHO FRÍO
By 4WD
In the dry season, the easiest access from El Real is to arrange transport by 4WD as
far as the village of Pirre Uno, 12km upriver ($15), from where it is a gentle 1hr 30min walk
to the refuge. Or you can arrange for a horse to take you ($15).
By boat
In the rainy season, you can sometimes get further upriver from El Real to Pijebaisal
(around $30 for the
piragua
from El Real, plus the cost of three gallons of diesel each way),
an hour's hike away.
ACCOMMODATION
Rancho Frío
The refuge has recently been renovated and now has limited electricity.
All provisions need to be brought with you, including enough for the park warden and/or
gu
ide; be sure to
pack
bottled water or, better still, a water filter or purifying tablets. Camping
$5
/person; dorms
$15
Around the Golfo de San Miguel
Stacked up on a hilly peninsula, the ramshackle collection of wooden buildings that constitute
the lively provincial capital of
La Palma
jut out into the widening expanse of the Río Tuira
as it empties into the
Golfo de San Miguel
, a large bite-shaped body of water penetrat-
ing into Panama's southeastern Pacific coastline. Just across the water from La Palma, Isla
El Encanto (or Boca Chica) hosts the scarcely visible crumbling remains of the overgrown
Fuerte de San Carlos de Boca Chica
; though little more than a watchtower, it was a cru-
cial link in a chain of defences that safeguarded the gold mines at Cana. Sprinkled along the
coastline amid the mangroves are several predominantly Afro-Darienite communities such as
Garachiné
- comprising a collection of fairly dilapidated buildings and negligible services.
The rivers that flow into the Golfo de San Miguel are the means of access to the
Comarca
Emberá-Wounaan
and to the villages of
La Marea
,
Mogué
,
La Chunga
and, of course,
Sambú
itself.
