Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NATIONAL PARKS
Almost a quarter of Panama's land lies within the boundaries of its fourteen national
parks - add in reserves, refuges and other protected areas, and the figure is over a
third. Under siege on all sides from urban development, pollution and
deforestation
,
these nevertheless constitute one of Panama's major attractions: you can trek through
pristine rainforest, explore Spanish colonial forts, haul yourself up volcanic peaks or
swim with sharks and manta rays. Some, such as the legendary Darién, Central Amer-
ica's largest wilderness, and Cerro Hoya, at the tip of the Azuero Peninsula, are particu-
larly inaccessible and involve a lot of planning, perseverance and often money to reach;
others, such as Camino de Cruces and Soberanía, are a stone's throw from Panama
City, making an easy day-trip and providing a great opportunity to flush out some of
Panama's dazzling birdlife.
Panama's ecosystems are astonishingly diverse - little surprise given that the country stands
at the crossroads of two oceans and two continents, a vital link in the biological corridor
between North and South America. Since the country is so slender, many of the parks offer a
hugely varied
topography
: several straddle the continental divide, ranging from lofty moss-
covered cloud forest pierced by rugged peaks to humid lowland rainforest; others protect
dense swathes of mangrove, harbouring caimans, crocodiles and crustaceans while protecting
vital mud flats for thousands of migratory birds. The three
marine parks
offer coral reefs,
turquoise waters and islands encircled with sugar-sand beaches and coated in tropical forest
that supports everything from fluorescent poison-dart frogs to primordial iguanas. Ruined co-
lonial fortresses, a crumbling Devil's Island penitentiary and a rare tract of dry tropical forest
also lie within national park boundaries.
