One of the beauties of Panama is its rich endless rainforests and exotic wildlife. The typical tropical region has several nature reserves to protect the thriving ecosystems from destruction and among the many reserves found here, Punta Patino is the largest private reserve in Panama, spanning 30,000 hectares. (The largest reserve is the Darien National Park, which is protected by the government itself.) The reserve is managed and owned by the ANCON group which is an environmental non-profit organization in Panama.
It lies on the southern borders of the Gulf of Miguel on the Pacific Coast of Panama. The reserve houses a rich collection of natural ecosystems, including dense rainforests, mangroves, swamps, wetlands, oceans, and black sandy beaches. It mainly consists of primary and secondary forests.
Ancon Expeditions
The for-profit part of ANCON, called Ancon Expeditions, oversees most of the activities in the reserve. They also organize tours, treks, and trips for visitors. The three-day Darien explorer package is highly rated. Your visit to Punta Patino through Ancon Expeditions will include roundtrip airfare from Panama City, stay at the Punta Patino Lodge, night tours, boat rides, hiking through the wilderness and Embera village visits as well.
Precautions
Make sure you follow all the instructions given by your travel guide. The forests are home to predators and poisonous reptiles as well as the other beautiful creatures that dwell here. Do not venture out on your own. It is highly risky as you might get lost or trapped in the jungles. Do not harm any creature and serious actions will be taken if you are found to engage in such activity.
Flora and Fauna
This reserve is one of the best spots to spot the capybara, which is the world’s largest rodent. Gray foxes, three-toed sloths, jaguars, night monkeys, Geoffrey’s tamarins, tayras and peccaries also live here in plenty in the rainforest part of the park. On the mangrove and wetland side, you will spot lazy iguanas and caimans. A large number of rodents found here have resulted in thriving communities of crocodiles. The salty waters of the Gulf of San Miguel are home to bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, and humpback whales. You can also spot crab-eating raccoons strolling on the beaches. The black oropendola is another special inhabitant of this region; it has a higher population here than in elsewhere.
Beautiful Spot for Bird Watching
Along with other features, one of the main reasons why visitors are drawn to the reserve is credited to the bright tropical birds that make their home here among the thick canopies of the rainforests. Apart from Darien Park, Punta Patino is the next place where you can spot the Harpy Eagle, which is Panama’s national bird. It is the world’s largest eagle and the most powerful among the birds of prey. The species is currently endangered due to past deforestation activities and there are several conservation and protection programs that are aimed at protecting the species to ensure its perpetual survival. Keep looking up at the top layers of the canopy and with luck, you will spot one, perched majestically.
Apart from the Harpy, you will also find black hawks, frigates, Amazon kingfishers, woodpeckers, tanagers, brown pelicans, terns, blue and boat-billed herons, sandpipers and oystercatchers. The list is endless and the birds you spot here will keep you open-mouthed with their exquisite beauty.
Hiking Trails
The reserve is also a great spot for hiking and night tours with a travel guide. It is best to have an experienced person along with you as the paths lead into the forest and you might get lost if you are on your own. The Sendero Piedra de Candela, also known as the Flintstone Trail, is around four kilometers and is lined by reddish quartz in some parts of the trail, hence its name. The trail is looped and it will take you along the coast as well as through the secondary forests. Most of the other trails will pass deep into the primary lowland forests.
Native Village - Mogue
On the banks of the river Mogue, there are communities of Embera people who still continue to live there. The village here shares the same name as the river Mogue. The Embera are one of the friendliest tribes of Panama and they will gladly welcome you to their villages for a tour and home-cooked lunch. You can also stay there overnight, but you will have to ask a guide to check for accommodation. Though it is a common spot for tourists who come to the reserve, the village still follows the traditional lifestyle and customs. You can watch native dances, buy their crafts and also get yourself painted with jagua. Jagua is a juice that is similar to henna and fades from your skin gradually over two weeks.
Getting There
The reserve is not well connected to the rest of the country given its remote location. Because of this, you have only a few options to reach here. You have to either come here by boat or plane. There is a small airstrip that functions as a runway here and is paralleled by the ocean and grassy regions.
Another option would be to reach La Palma, one of the closest towns to the reserve. You can continue from there by boat.
Stay and Food
The only place you can stay in is the Punta Patino Lodge, which is run by the ANCON group. For other accommodations, you have to stay at La Palma. There are ten well-maintained cabins with air conditioning and attached private bathrooms. There is a dining room as well and a small chapel that dates back to the early part of the 20th century. They serve typical local food, which mainly consists of fresh tropical produce and seafood. There is a small bar as well. There are hammocks and seating areas for you to just relax and take in the intensity of nature around you. And what’s more, you get a pretty decent cell phone signal as well, but the lodge does not offer Wi-Fi.
The lodge is set on a highland that overlooks the Pacific Ocean on one side and tropical vegetation on the other. You will have breathtaking views of the endless ocean and forests. Close to the lodge, there are mangroves along the coastline where you can spot a good variety of coastal birds. Herons, brown pelicans, gulls and frigatebirds are most commonly found. Offshore whales and dolphins can also be spotted occasionally.
The lodge is also situated close to the Mogue River, which serves as a great birdwatching spot. Birds like the ibis, osprey and roseate spoonbill nest on the river banks. There is a Harpy Eagle nest as well, but you can spot one only on rare occasions. You can listen to the sounds of the rainforest as well as waves crashing on the beach. At night, you might hear howls as there are wild dogs and sometimes foxes that pass by. Do not fear as the lodge is very safe unless you try venturing out on your own, which is not at all advised.
What’s Nearby?
