Panama is the migration bridge between North and South America and also a meeting place for many animal species from both continents.

The wildlife is amazing and superb in its diversity.  This makes Panama one of the world’s most exciting ecotourism destinations.  

Many national parks have been established to protect our unique ecosystems and wildlife. More than 29% of Panama's land mass is protected under National Parks, making Panama also an extraordinary destination for Birdwatchers.

NATIONAL PARKS  (Partial List)

• Barro Colorado: Managed by STRI (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) and containing hundreds of hectares that were donated by Panama and converted into a National Park, it hold a most incredible assortment of flora and fauna.  It can only be visited through organized tours, which can be arranged at the front desk of the hotel.   
  • Our Recommended Book: A Magic Web: The Tropical Forest of Barro Colorado Island
    by Christian Ziegler (Photographer), Egbert G. Leigh.   In A Magic Web, photographer Christian Ziegler and ecologist Egbert Leigh invite readers to enter the marvelous world of Barro Colorado Island. This book provides a unique combination of the spectacular photography of a picture-book and clear, authoritative text written by an active scientist who has spent half a lifetime trying to understand tropical forests.
• Darien National Park (Cana): It is considered so important that it was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1983.
• Metropolitan Park: Panama’s most frequently visited ecotourism area and is actually within Panama city.
• Coiba Island National Park: One of Panama’s most important ecological reserves, which includes a very large mass of water area.
• Camino de las Cruces National Park (Soberania): This park was founded to preserve a sample of tropical rainforest and historical important because of the ruts that mark one of the trails ground out long ago by Spanish wagons transporting gold across the Panamanian isthmus.
• Volcán Barú National Park: The Quetzal can be seen in this preserve area, which is also the highest elevation in Panama (3,478 m above sea level)
• Cerro Hoya National Park: Preserve to protects the headwaters of three rivers, endemic plant species and animals. Located on the Peninsula de Azuero.
• El Copé National Park: Beautiful because of the cloud forest, rubber trees and the watersheds of the Rios Bermejo, Marta, Blanco, Guabal and Lajas and also very touristy because of the Golden Frogs and hiking opportunities.
• Sarigua National Park: Is the unique dry forest and archaeological zone in the Isthmus. No more than a meter of water rain over sarigua each year.
• Portobelo National Park: Located on the Caribbean site protects a coastal areas with rich coral reefs and the historic Spanish forts and Settlement at Portobelo ruins. Back in time it was the place of storehouses for gold and silver stolen form the Inca empire.
• Campana National Park: Created to preserve two watersheds which empties into the Pacific, and the Rios Chagres basin, the water catchments system for the Panama Canal.
• Interoceanico de Las Americas National Park: Is the newest national park that protects the watershed along the western side of the Panama Canal.

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