Panama Visitor

La Amistad International Park

La Amistad is a binational park that stretches from Costa Rica into Panama, a small portion of which extends into the Chiriqui province encompassing mostly cloudforests. Here, the land rises in excess of 1500m and warm air ascends the mountains where it meets with cooler air and condenses into a persistent cloud cover. Cloudforests exhibit a unique ecosystem with an astonishing diversity of flora and fauna. Towering trees reach towards the sun to form a canopy that creates a cool, shadowed, misty underworld on the forest floor. One half expects to find Merlin sitting on a log around the next bend. It is noisy with the sounds of numerous insects, birds, and frogs but it is difficult to see them because of the ferns, tree ferns and epiphytes that crowd the lower and middle strata of the forest. Water drips from spongy mosses that cover tree trunks, from bromeliads that attach themselves to every cranny on the trees, and from flower petals perched high in the canopy of the forest. It is a magical world that tells of its ancient wisdom in a whisper to the heart.

The usual access to La Amistad International Park is at the Cerro Punta guard station. However, park attendants are not always available and a more pleasant option is further up the road at Guadalupe. You will know that you have reached Guadalupe when you see the flowers. Beds of white lilies, massed blue agapanthus, rows of fragrant roses, drifts of impatiens and a dazzling array of annuals bring color and vibrancy to this tiny mountain village at the end of the La Concepcion-Cerro Punta road. Panamanians from the lowlands come to buy flowers on the weekends and birds of paradise are grown for export to Europe in the rows of hot houses along the road past Cerro Punta. Cattle and horses graze in the verdant fields of the lower valleys while vegetables are grown on the slopes. The only blemish to this captivating landscape is the use of white PVC pipes for irrigation. They run up and down the sides of the mountain between the rows of lettuce, broccoli, potatoes, onions and green peppers. From Guadalupe, it is a one hour hike into La Amistad through the private property of Los Quetzales.

Volcan Baru

Along the roads that penetrate into the Chiriqui Highlands, there are lookouts where the mountains unfold to reveal spectacular views of Volcan Baru, Panama's highest peak, (3,475m). It rises massively and proudly to dominate the landscape and its summit is usually covered by clouds. The fertile, lower slopes are heavily cultivated with coffee and other mixed agriculture as well as some pastureland. Patches of forest remain but the forest line has been pushed upwards such that primary cloudforest is only found above 2000m. Birdlife is abundant and the area represents the southern boundary of the quetzals' habitat. Sub-alpine scrubland and elfin forests characterize the upper slopes where continuous cloud cover and cool temperatures contribute to the low stature of the forest canopy.

The easiest way to reach the peak is simply to drive up from Boquete in a 4WD vehicle. This can be rented in David or you can hire a driver and vehicle in Boquete or Cerro Punta. Hiking up to the peak and back takes about 12-14 hrs. from Boquete or Volcan and it is recommended that you plan to camp for a night. Locals say that the most stunning vista is to be seen at dawn when the Pacific and the Atlantic are presented against the backdrop of a sun-drenched morning sky.

Everything that you choose to do in the Chiriqui Highlands is a delight.

Exploring by car, you will drive along a seemingly misty Alpine pasture and around the next curve, the banana plantation will remind you that you are actually in Panama and not Switzerland. Hiking trails abound for indigenous peoples have lived in these valleys long before roads ever existed. Numerous rivers provide the opportunity for rafting on thrilling Class III and Class IV rapids but my favorite pastime is to find a quiet spot on a nearby boulder. Birds stop for a drink in the quiet pools by the banks and water droplets catch rays of light, flashing glints of color in the sunshine. The air is cool and sweet and I am satisfied with the quiet adventures of the soul.

Best Times to Go

For hiking, the "dry" season from January to April is best. It is never really dry in the Chiriqui Highlands, but rather, less wet. May to November is considered to be the rainy season and rivers become swollen giving rise to the Class IV rapids sought by intrepid rafters. Bird lovers will want to visit from February to May during the breeding season of the Quetzals, one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

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