Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
door), mostly statues of Christ and the Virgin, as well as some historical and geological
information on El Valle's volcano.
It's on the eastern side of El Valle's conspicuous church.
Square-Trunked Trees
OUTDOORS
OFFLINE MAP
(Calle Club Campestre; suggested donation US$2)
El Valle's peculiar
arboles cuadrados
(square-trunked trees) can be found directly behind the Hotel Campestre. After a short
10-minute hike through the forest, you'll come across a thicket of trees that aren't exactly
round, but they're not exactly square, either. Much local pride is invested in the concept
of these geometric formations.
Aprovaca Orquídeas
GARDEN
OFFLINE MAP
( 983-6472; admission US$2; 9am-4pm)
For the best selection of
orquídeas
(orchids)
in the area, visit this pleasant garden. Some 32 volunteers work to maintain the lovely
flowers inside the greenhouse and the grounds, and they welcome visitors to show off the
96 varieties of orchids cultivated - it's well worth a visit. Look for the 'Orquídeas' sign
on the way into town.
GOLDEN FROG REFUGE
A symbol of good fortune since pre-Columbian times, the golden frog is also an
icon of Panama's incredible wildlife. Then one day these already rare frogs started
to disappear. It turned out that kitrid, a deadly microscopic fungus, was the culprit.
The problem was not just local. The fungus has reached epidemic levels on five
continents, decimating the population of not only frogs but also toads and sala-
manders.
The fungus enters the animals by infecting their skin cells. Since kitrid kills over
90% of the creatures that it comes into contact with, it would seem that there's
little to be done. But scientists have found that, while it cannot be prevented in the
wild, kitrid is effectively treated in captivity.
The disease has brought these creatures dangerously close to extinction. With
collaboration from the Houston Zoo, the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center
set about collecting all the frogs they could find to protect those that weren't
already infected and heal those that were. It was the biggest amphibian rescue
mission in anyone's memory.
