THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Panama - page 422

Hiking and birdwatching It takes 15min to reach the more luxuriant rainforest from Mogué,
and a further 1hr 30min along a well-trodden trail to an active harpy eagle nest, though there
are numerous less-frequented paths to explore with a guide ($10, plus $10/group for the
guide, $20 to visit the harpy eagle) populated with toucans, sloths and monkeys.
Horseriding and fishing These activities can be organized for $10.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Casa comunal Accommodation is on a mattress in a small tent or in a hammock in the casa
comunal , whose breezy raised platform affords a prime spot to eavesdrop on village life.
Food is served at a tab le there ($10/day for the cook's services/group, plus $3-4/meal). Mat-
tress or hammock $10 /person
Reserva Punta Patiño
Established in the early 1990s, RESERVA PUNTA PATIÑO is Panama's first and, at 300
square kilometres, largest private reserve, occupying the entire headland at the tip of the
choppy Golfo de San Miguel, just beyond the lively Afro-Darienite fishing village of Punta
Alegre .
While the landscape is nowhere near as dramatic as the jungle-carpeted peaks of the interior,
the regenerating hinterland forest - once devastated by cattle ranching, timber extraction
and coconut plantations - is filling up with native hardwoods, though it's an hour's hike to
primary forest. The area also covers a stretch of charcoal beach , an important expanse of
mangroves , and mud and salt flats that attract an abundance of resident and migratory sea
birds.
Managed by the environmental organization ANCON , the reserve is not without its critics,
not least the Emberá, who feel the land should be theirs. Moreover, the area can only be vis-
ited by splashing out on an all-inclusive four-day tour through ANCON Expeditions , which
includes a day or overnight excursion to Mogué. Still, there's no denying that this is a magical
spot to soak up glorious sunsets, aerial displays by diving pelicans, and occasional sightings
of bottle-nosed dolphins and humpback whales. On land, mammals to look out for include
the weasel-like tayra, grey foxes and the extraordinary-looking capybara, the world's largest
rodent, which resembles a giant guinea pig and weighs in at 55kg. Needless to say, the loca-
tion necessitates lashings of insect repellent to ward off the prolific uninvited guests.
ARRIVAL AND ACCOMMODATION: RESERVA PUNTA PATIÑO
By bus and boat Included in the Ancon Expeditions package, you travel from Panama City
to Puerto Quimba, and back, by minibus (4-5hr), then take a boat (1hr 30min) to the reserve.
Punta Patiño Lodge The lodge accommodation is comfortable, comprising ten cabañas with
single beds, a/c, private cold-water bathrooms and balconies. Perched on a bluff overlooking
the bay, the main lodge offers great views, best appreciated from a hammock on its wrap-