Located close to the banks of the Panama Canal, with a surface of 22,104 hectares (55,000 acres) of tropical humid forest and just 20 minutes away from Panama City and 40 from Colon, this park is the habitat of more than 1,300 plants and 100 animals. It has been recognized internationally because it has one of the richest bird diversities around. There is also a lot of history involving this park: the Spanish conquerors after the discovery of America in 1492.
How to get there
From Panama City you take the Madden road to Gamboa, a small town alongside the Panama Canal. That will take 25 minutes.
All the services (hotels, restaurants, tour operators, car rental) you may require can be obtained in Panama City. The park offers you guides for the trails
What to do and Where to go?
The humid forest of this park offers a variety of activities like fishing, eco-studies, bird watching and hiking along the many trails of the park. El Charco, Camino del Oleoducto and Camino de la Plantación are some of the many trails you could find and a world record of bird appearances has been set here with 525 different species in a single day.
The cultural and historic aspect of this park can be seen on the Camino de Cruces Trail and at the Chagres river which in the colonial days were used as a way to transport the gold and silver from Peru to the many and famous Fairs that took place in Portobelo (near Colon). The Camino de Cruces trail will take about four hours