How's the hiking and camping in and around Panama?

plus many more.

 

plus many more.

 

Panamá Backpacking, Hiking, and Camping

 

Panamá is a place where green vegetation, primary and secondary forests and exuberant flora and fauna are on display all over the county.  Some local species are in danger of extinction, like the golden frog, among others.

 

In some countries, sports like backpacking, hiking, rope courses, canopy and hiking are very  popular.  In Panamá, even though...

Panamá Backpacking, Hiking, and Camping

 

Panamá is a place where green vegetation, primary and secondary forests and exuberant flora and fauna are on display all over the county.  Some local species are in danger of extinction, like the golden frog, among others.

 

In some countries, sports like backpacking, hiking, rope courses, canopy and hiking are very  popular.  In Panamá, even though their beautiful nature offers all the elements for these sports as well as many more opportunities for outdoor adventures, some of these activities are not well known or popular among the local residents.

 

One thing that a visitor to Panamá should take into consideration is the thickness of the jungle (especially in the provinces of Darién, and some places in Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro provinces), as well as great volume of the rivers, and the snakes or other animals that live in these regions.

 

With thousands of visitors every year (many of whom enjoy these outdoor activities), Panamá continues to increase its outdoor adventure tours, and with them, the related tourism regulations.

 

Even though, PRUDENCE AND INFORMATION should always be your guide.

 

Never go into a region to do these activities without a knowledge of the region.  It is good advice to always go with a licensed tour guide company, or an individual with enough credentials for these types of activities, especially if you do not speak Spanish.

 

Panamá doesn´t offer the same types of camping areas you will find in North America or Europe, other than the very basic Environmental National Authority restricted areas, like in Campana or Coiba.   There are administrative offices in some National Parks for the visitor´s orientation, though.

 

Special Parks:

National Parks:

You can go hiking in Cerro Ancon (pictured), which is a hill 16 minutes away from Panama City by car. In Cerro Ancon, you can have a beautiful view of the Panama City skyline and the Panama Canal. It is the best place to go hiking in the city. You can go there by bus or by Metro. Once you are in Cerro Ancon, you can go to Mi Pueblito, which is a museum that displays things from different cultures here in Panama.

 

You can go hiking in Cerro Ancon (pictured), which is a hill 16 minutes away from Panama City by car. In Cerro Ancon, you can have a beautiful view of the Panama City skyline and the Panama Canal. It is the best place to go hiking in the city. You can go there by bus or by Metro. Once you are in Cerro Ancon, you can go to Mi Pueblito, which is a museum that displays things from different cultures here in Panama.

 

 

Both hiking and camping are activities that most Panamanians do not do, so it is not well developed here. In the jungle, it is quite damp, muddy, and there are a lot of insects, so camping is really only for the brave of heart.

 

There are some great hiking trails here. The closest is the Soberania National Park (20 minutes away from Panama City) and one of its trails is Camino de Cruces, which is one of the trails the Spaniards built. It is about a...

Both hiking and camping are activities that most Panamanians do not do, so it is not well developed here. In the jungle, it is quite damp, muddy, and there are a lot of insects, so camping is really only for the brave of heart.

 

There are some great hiking trails here. The closest is the Soberania National Park (20 minutes away from Panama City) and one of its trails is Camino de Cruces, which is one of the trails the Spaniards built. It is about a 6-hour hike one way.

 

You can also go hiking outside of Panama City. You can go to El Valle de Anton, Boquete, Volcan, in the mountains of Chame, all of which have really nice hikes.

Hiking in Panama is pretty undeveloped - signs are hit or miss, trails aren't always well maintained. That being said, hiking in Panama can be EPIC!! For very light hiking, you can try the Metropolitan Park in Panama City. If you are looking for more serious hiking, Chiriqui has excellent trails - just make sure to leave early in the morning, be well prepared and hire a guide. 

 

If you are looking for an adventure more than...

Hiking in Panama is pretty undeveloped - signs are hit or miss, trails aren't always well maintained. That being said, hiking in Panama can be EPIC!! For very light hiking, you can try the Metropolitan Park in Panama City. If you are looking for more serious hiking, Chiriqui has excellent trails - just make sure to leave early in the morning, be well prepared and hire a guide. 

 

If you are looking for an adventure more than serious hiking, we recommend hiking in the Panama Canal! Kill two birds with one stone (no, not literally), and try a Canal Jungle tour - witness the boats in action, watch the incredible fauna that inhabits the Canal area and do a little bit of light Jungle trekking.... Make sure you don't just visit Panama... Come out and LIVE it! 

 

(Rainforest explorations are led by American military vet and jungle expert, Carl Davis. Guest out of the boat and into the wilderness, pictured.)

 

In Panama, you can go hiking to the Volcán Barú. There are hiking tours to the Volcán Barú that go on every day. There’s also a trail that connects Boquete to Volcán, called the Quetzales (named after the bird). People from Panama City come all the way to Chiriquí just to walk that trail. 

 

Most of the hiking activities in Panama focus on the Chiriquí area. There is a smaller hiking trail in the middle of...

In Panama, you can go hiking to the Volcán Barú. There are hiking tours to the Volcán Barú that go on every day. There’s also a trail that connects Boquete to Volcán, called the Quetzales (named after the bird). People from Panama City come all the way to Chiriquí just to walk that trail. 

 

Most of the hiking activities in Panama focus on the Chiriquí area. There is a smaller hiking trail in the middle of Panama called “India Dormida” which translates to “the sleeping aborigine.” It got its name because the mountain has the shape of a lady who is lying down. It’s about a 2-hour drive from Panama City, and is located close to the mountain town of El Valle, not very far from Coronado. 

 

As for camping in Panama, you can also do that in Volcán Barú, in Veraguas Province, or at the beach where you basically just go and put up a tent. In Veraguas Province there is this beautiful reservoir that has a lake and a very large green area where people go camping. These are the spots for camping in Panama.  

 

People don’t go camping in Darien. In fact, people don’t go to Darien because that’s where the military has set up a base to protect us from Colombian cartels, so if you’re there and you don’t speak the language, you may be mistakenly thought to be a criminal. Never ever go to Darien. Darien is the region in Panama up to the border with Colombia.

 

(Pictured: view from Lucero Country Club, near Boquete, Panama.)