Page 164 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

162 The Azuero PeninsulA The road To Las TabLas
Reserva Forestal El Montuoso
Up the valley from Las Minas, the seriously denuded peaks of the optimistically
named RESERVA FORESTAL EL MONTUOSO pale in comparison with the richly forested
mountain ranges in Chiriquí, Bocas or the Darién, so if you’re heading for one of those
locations, El Montuoso can easily be skipped. But if you’re lingering in the Azuero and
aching to get into the hills, this is the best place to come, until the rugged wilderness of
Parque Nacional Cerro Hoya (see p.174) becomes more accessible.
The 120-square-kilometre reserve, dubbed the “pulmón” (“lung”) of Herrera, was
created in 1977 to safeguard the five rivers that rise in the mountainous region and to
protect the rapidly vanishing tracts of forest being eaten away by illegal farming and
timber extraction. In response, several reforestation projects have been initiated. Though
only twenty percent of the reserve is now forested, what remains is concentrated around
the reserve’s highest point, Cerro Alto Higo (953m). Steep-sided mountains cleaved by
river-eroded ravines harbour plenty of wildlife to interest the visitor, such as red brocket
and white-tailed deer, howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins and collared peccaries.
This is also one of the easiest places to spot the endemic brown-backed dove while other
specialities include violet sabrewings and blue-throated goldentails – both
hummingbirds – and the ever-acrobatic orange-collared manakin.
Exploring the reserve
The park office is set in a lovely orchard, where a short, pretty trail crisscrosses the
nascent Río La Villa up to a cascading pool. The main trail, Sendero Alto Higo, leads
4 up the mountain of the same name, heading off to the left after Chepo, at a place
known as the Caras Pintadas (Painted Faces), an imaginative reference to the
petroglyph near the start of the path, where rare sundews are in evidence in winter.
A moderately strenuous hike of just over an hour brings you out at a peak by a radio
mast, which offers a tantalizing restricted view – thanks to some unfortunately located
trees – towards the Golfo de Montijo.
ArriVAl AnD ACCoMMoDATion reserVA ForesTAl el MonTuoso
Park entrance and fees The entrance (daily 8am–4pm) infrequent chivas bound for Chepo, alighting at Tres Puntas
is at Tres Puntas, 4km before the village of Chepo. It’s (30min).
advisable to contact the MIA regional office in Las Tablas MIA bunkhouse 5min walk from the road at Tres
beforehand (see p.167); at the time of writing, however, all Puntas. The reserve bunkhouse has two comfortable
payments (including the $5 admission fee) were still being dorms, a shared kitchen and a camping area. You’ll need to
taken in the reserve. stock up with food before you reach the limited shopping
By bus Buses run from Chitré bus terminal to Las Minas options of Las Minas; note that alcohol is prohibited in the
(6am–6pm; every 30min; 1hr), where you take one of the reserve. Camping $6, dorms $15

The road to Las Tablas

Just south of Chitré, the Carretera Nacional crosses the Río La Villa, the peninsula’s
longest river, which marks the provincial boundary between Herrera and Los Santos,
and continues southeast, running parallel to the coast. After skirting the diminutive
yet historically important town of La Villa de Los Santos, whose small museum and
impressive church interior merit a detour, the road bypasses tiny Guararé, host to the
country’s largest folkloric festival, before arriving in the provincial capital, Las Tablas,
about halfway down the peninsula.

La Villa de Los Santos
LA VILLA DE LOS SANTOS is famous for the vibrant costume-clad celebrations of Corpus
Christi, a historic rebellion against Spanish colonial rule, and the Feria Internacional de

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