Ecotourism in Darien

The largest and wildest of the Panamanian provinces holds promise for the development of ecotourism and attracting investor interest.  Located on the Panama and Colombian border there are places where it has  the most impenetrable jungles in Panama.  You can get bitten, stung and even eaten by a big jaguar out there if you are not careful!!  Most tourists visit a local village and return with a different perspective of Panama

The Darien Province

The Darien region, with a total land surface of 16,803 km, is the largest province in Panama, the most sparsely populated, and the least well known. It is a region of dense tropical rainforest. Its indigenous population of Embera, Wounaan, and Kuna live in settlements scattered along the numerous river valleys. (The Darien Jungle has also been called “The Darkest Jungle”)  Until 20 years ago, there were no roads in the Darien; now there is a gravel highway cutting through its center down as far as the town of Yaviza, 100 km short of the Colombian border. This 100 km stretch is the only uncompleted piece of the Pan-American Highway, which connects overland commerce between North and South America.

Well known as a jungle barrier which makes the border between Panama and Colombia virtually impassable, Darien is a protected area and a national park that was globally recognized as a World Heritage site in 1981.

UNESCO declared the park a Biosphere Reserve for Humanity and in 1983, it was named in the reserve category of biodiversity due to its extraordinary biodiversity and genetic value and because it is home to indigenous tribes that still live there and practice their ancestral customs.

According to Capital.com Solomon Shamah, administrator of the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP), noted that “the Darien National Park, the forests, the rivers Chucunaque and Tuira, the Cana mines, and even the Embera culture, and other cultures of African descent, the cultural and historical ecological diversity of Darien, make Darien ‘an ideal holiday destination for the coming years.‘

The Darien reclaims all. This place grows faster than the jungles of Cambodia!

Shamah said that “although there is already a supply of hotel in this province, there is still more room for hotels and other tourist facilities to allow the promotion of Darien from a grander perspective, as in other provinces.”

Source: Capital.com.pa

The Darien Curse This is a great story of a crossing by some brave souls.

Here is a great video on the Embera  in Darien

And here is my favorite guy Anthony Bourdain on a recent trip to Panama visiting the scene of a couple of months seizure of cocaine that travels from Colombia through Darien to Panama where much of it is caught.