Darién National Park, known in Spanish as Parque Nacional Darién, is a World Heritage Site located in Panama. It is approximately 325 kilometers (202 miles) away from Panama City. This park is the largest among all national parks in Panama and is one of the most important World Heritage Sites in Central America.

Geography

The Darién National Park is a natural bridge connecting North and South America. It is located in the southern part of Panama, in the Darién province. Its southern boundary runs along 90 percent of the Colombia–Panama border. The park lies between the Serranía del Darién mountain range, which runs parallel to the Caribbean Sea 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) to the northeast, and the Pacific Ocean coast. It is next to the Los Katíos National Park in Colombia.

In 1972, an area covering 700,000 hectares (1,700,000 acres) became part of the Alto Darién Protection Forest. In 1980, the area was declared a national park. In 1983, an area of 859,333 hectares (2,123,460 acres) became a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The park covers 5,790 km (2,240 mi).

Environment

The Darien National Park has many different habitats, including rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, and mangroves. The park also includes large swamps and wide areas of tropical forests. It is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, many of which are at risk of disappearing. The park has been named an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.

The park is one of the few protected areas in the world where people live. Two native tribes reside within the park.

Access

The Darién National Park is very remote, which makes it difficult to reach. However, two locations are commonly used to visit the park. One of these is Santa Cruz de Cana, often called Cana. Located in the center of the park near the eastern side of Cerro Pirre, Cana is one of Panama’s most remarkable outdoor areas. It is recognized as one of the world’s top ten places for bird watching. The area includes several trails and a ranger station.

The second access point is Pirre Station. This is a ranger station operated by ANAM, located on the opposite side of Cerro Pirre. This region contains dense forests and a wide variety of wildlife, such as several types of monkeys, sloths, and many bird species. There are trails near the ranger station that visitors can hike. Travelers may stay in a simple dormitory at the station.

The park is famous for the Darién Gap, which is the only break in the Pan-American Highway along its route from Argentina to Alaska.