Page 43 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

NatioNal parks BASICS 41
nevertheless constitute one of Panama’s panama’s ecosystems are astonishingly diverse –
major attractions: you can trek through little surprise given that the country stands at the
pristine rainforest, explore Spanish crossroads of two oceans and two continents, a
colonial forts, haul yourself up volcanic vital link in the biological corridor between North
peaks or swim with sharks and manta and south america. since the country is so slender,
rays. Some, such as the legendary Darién, many of the parks offer a hugely varied
Central America’s largest wilderness, and topo graphy. several straddle the continental
Cerro Hoya, at the tip of the Azuero divide, ranging from lofty moss-covered cloud
Peninsula, are particularly inaccessible forest pierced by rugged peaks to humid lowland
and involve a lot of planning, persever- rainforest; others protect dense swathes of
ance and often money to reach; others, mangrove, harbouring caimans, crocodiles and
such as Camino de Cruces and Soberanía, crustaceans while protecting vital mud flats for
are a stone’s throw from Panama City, thousands of migratory birds. the three marine
making an easy day-trip and providing a parks offer coral reefs, turquoise waters and islands
great opportunity to see some of encircled with sugar-sand beaches and coated in
Panama’s dazzling birdlife. tropical forest that supports everything from

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Boat trips
Rafting/kayaking
Boat trips Rafting/kayaking
kilometres
Mangroves Whale watching
Whale watching
Mangroves
N
Mountains
Viewpoint
CARIBBEAN SEA Mountains Viewpoint
Snorkelling/diving Turtle watching
Snorkelling/diving
Turtle watching
Beaches
Fishing
Fishing Beaches PARQUE
NACIONAL
Village visits
Hiking Village visits SOBERANÍA PARQUE
Hiking
NACIONAL
Isla Grande PORTOBELO
Birdwatching
Birdwatching Colonial fort El Porvenir
Colonial fort
Waterfalls
Guabito Waterfalls Portobelo PARQUE Cartí
Bocas Colón NACIONAL A rch ipiélago de Guna Yala
Changuinola Town CHAGRES
Archipiélago de San Miguel Chepo Lago Bayano
Almirante Bocas del Toro de la Borda Panama
PARQUE Canal Gamboa
INTERNACIONAL PARQUE NACIONAL Golfo de los Mosquitos
PARQUE
LA AMISTAD MARINO BASTIMENTOS Gatún CAMINO DE Balboa PANAMA CITY Tubuala
Lago
NACIONAL
COSTA RICA Sereno Cerro PARQUE NACIONAL PARQUE NACIONAL La Chorrera Taboga Isla Contadora Metetí Obaldía
Chiriquí
Río
Grande
CRUCES
Punta
Isla
Puerto
Volcán
VOLCÁN BARÚ
OMAR TORRIJOS
Volcán
Boquete
Barú
ALTOS DE CAMPANA
PARQUE NACIONAL
SANTA FÉ El Copé El Valle PARQUE NACIONAL Río Chucunaque
Paso Canoas Penonomé
Santa Fé
David La Palma
Puerto San Félix Antón
Armuelles Aguadulce Yaviza
Boca Chica Archipiélago
de las Perlas El Real
PARQUE NACIONAL
MARINO GOLFO PARQUE Golfo de P anamá Garachiné
DE CHIRIQUÍ Golfo de Santiago NACIONAL Río Sambú Río Tuira
Punta Chiriquí Soná SARIGUA Chitré
Burica
Las Tablas Refugio de Vida
PARQUE PARQUE
NACIONAL Golfo de Silvestre NACIONAL
Isla Iguana
COIBA Santa Montijo DARIÉN
Catalina Pedasí Jaqué
Isla Isla
Coiba Cébaco COLOMBIA
Tonosí
Refugio de
PARQUE NACIONAL Cambutal Vida Silvestre
CERRO HOYA Isla de Cañas
NATIONAL PARKS OF PANAMA P A CIFIC OCEAN
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