Outdoor sights in Panama
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Parque Nacional Coiba
This national marine park contains Panama's largest island, the 493-sq-km Isla de Coiba, as well as astounding biodiversity; 23 species of dolphin and whale have been identified, including humpback, killer and sperm whales. Several species of crocodile and turtle, and 15 species of snake roam the island as well as myriad birdlife.
Santa Catalina is the best place to base yourself if you're interested in informal trips into the park and onto the island.
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Parque Nacional Sarigua
This small national park is arguably the most important Pre-Columbian site in Panama - the Sarigua site has been dated back 11,000 years based on shell mounds and pottery fragments. In contrast to many of Panama's other national parks, this is not the place to encounter lush forests or abundant wildlife. The desert-like wasteland exists as a sad and potent reminder of the future of Panama if greed wins out over environmental responsibility.
The park was once dry tropical rainforest and coastal mangrove. Sarigua is the end product of slash-and-burn agriculture. People moved into the area, cut down all the trees, set fire to the debris, planted crops for a few harvests and …
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Parque Nacional Soberanía
This 22,104ha (85 sq mi) park is one of the most accessible tropical rain-forest areas in Panama. It extends much of the way across the isthmus, from Limón on Lago Gatùn to just north of Paraíso. It features hiking trails, the Río Chagres, part of Lago Gatùn and a remarkable variety of wildlife.
Known residents include 105 species of mammal, 525 species of bird, 55 species of amphibian, 79 species of reptile and 36 species of freshwater fish. Hiking trails in the park include a section of the old Sendero Las Cruces (Las Cruces Trail) and the 17km Pipeline Rd, providing access to Río Agua Salud, where you can walk upriver for a swim under a waterfall.
In order to ful…
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Parque Nacional Volcán Barú
Volcán Barú is Panama's only volcano and the dominant geographical feature of western Panama. It has not one but seven craters. Its summit, at 3478m (11,410ft), is the highest point in Panama, and on a clear day it affords views of both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
Volcán Barú is no longer active; its last eruption was about 500 years ago. The fertile volcanic soil and the temperate climate of its mid-altitude slopes support some of Panama's most productive agriculture, especially in the areas around Cerro Punta and Boquete. Large trees dominate the volcano's lower slopes, giving way on the upper slopes to smaller plants, bushes, scrub and alpine wildflowers.
The…
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Parque Bolívar
In 1826, in a schoolroom opposite Parque Bolívar, Simón Bolívar held a meeting urging the union of the Latin American countries. After many struggles against Spanish domination, Bolívar succeeded in liberating Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, and he created Gran Colombia, which encompassed all these states. Although Bolívar was unable to keep Gran Colombia together, he is nonetheless venerated as a hero throughout Latin America.
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Parque Natural Metropolitano
Up on a hill to the north of downtown, the 265-hectare Parque Natural Metropolitano protects vast expanses of tropical semideciduous forest within the city limits, and serves as an incredible wilderness escape from the trappings of the capital. It has two main walking trails, the Nature Trail and the Tití Monkey Trail, which join to form one long loop.
The loop is also home to a 150m-high mirador (lookout) that offers panoramic views of Panama City, the bay and the canal all the way to the Miraflores Locks.
Mammals in the park include tití monkeys, anteaters, sloths and white-tailed deer, while reptiles include iguanas, turtles and tortoises. More than 250 known bird sp…
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