Eastern Panama Places

Parque Nacional Darién

Parque Nacional Darién (Darién National Park) stretches along the border of Colombia from Kuna Yala to the Pacific Ocean, covering 579,000 hectares—more than 1.4 million acres—of wilderness that is home to such endangered animals as jaguars, tapirs, and harpy eagles. It is the largest national park in Central America, and the United Nations has designated it a World Heritage site. It comprises a mosaic of ecosystems that includes lowland rain forest, jungle-lined rivers, and several serranías (mountain ranges) topped with cloud forests. The park's wildlife consequently ranges from vine snakes to brocket deer, and includes such creatures as the great green macaw and golden-headed quetzal among its nearly 500 bird species.

Despite its ample natural assets, few people make it to Parque Nacional Darién, which is remote and expensive to visit. The easiest and safest way to see the park is by taking a charter flight to Santa Cruz de Cana, usually called Cana, a former mining camp on the eastern slope of the Pirre Mountain Range that was converted to a field station by Ancon Expeditions in the 1990s. That rustic lodge is surrounded by pristine forest that is home to such spectacular birds as the crested guan and the blue and gold macaw, plus various species of monkeys and plenty of other jungle denizens. Ancon Expeditions also has a tent camp in the cloud forest a four-hour hike uphill from Cana, where guests usually spend a night.

Parque Nacional Darién at a Glance

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