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Discovering Soberanía, One of Panama's Nifty Nature Parks

Katja Schulz

Panama is a Central America country small in size but big in offerings and heart, including history, culture, food, beaches, and ecotourism. This time I'm highlighting one singular spot rich in the last category. Welcome to Soberanía National Park!

Straddling two of the ten provinces that make up the country, and super convenient to reach as it's just outside capital Panama City, this jungly, 220-square-kilometre (55,000-acre) spread is home to many species of tropical flora and fauna, and above all a rich variety of birds, some 525 species of them. It’s a great opportunity to spot numerous species while enjoying tropical nature in its purest state; not surprisingly, it's a huge draw for many nature-minded visitors to this country.

Geoff Gallice

And there's lots more beyond Panama wildlife watching in Soberanía: fishing and trekking, for example, on the more active side, and on the more cerebral, you can learn much about the environment here, as well as apsects of the history of this country. Once upon a time, the Chagres River and its Camino de Cruces were used to transport gold and silver. They'll tell you this story and more while you are there, and you'll see it with your own eyes.

By the way, did you know that this park is one of the country's many protected areas? Here are five others also definitely worth a visit for Panama ecotourism.