Pirre Station has dense forests and some of Panama’s largest birding areas. It’s a secluded location, and as such, it is difficult to get to and is only for super adventurous travelers. The lodging is notably basic, though you can’t beat the location.
Pirre Station is a protected park near El Real. The best time to visit in March–April.
About the Place
The Rancho Frío area of Parque Nacional Darién is approximately 17k m south of El Real. Pirre Station extends into the lowlands of one part of Cerro Pirre, a mountain that has an elevation point of 5,400 ft.
Cana, the second entry point for the Darién National Park, is on another side of the mountain. Its base on Station VIII (sometimes named Pirre Station) is not to be confused with the station at the top of Cerro Pirre near Cana.
Rare bird species are seen there, for example: the crimson-bellied woodpecker, the striped woodhaunter and the white-fronted nunbird. It’s a riveting spot for birdwatchers and nature appreciators. The excellent trail network comprises a two-day trek to Cerro Pirre Ridge and a sixty-minute walk through the jungle to some waterfalls. The Cascada del Río Perresénico is about thirty minutes away on foot. You should not try to navigate the area without a guide. The area is not marked and you really do not want to get lost.
Visitors are required to complete forms in Spanish to Panama City’s Senafront about their travel intentions or purpose for visiting Darién.
Do carry photocopies of the form and your passport with you, as they may be requested at checkpoints. Depending on the security conditions, Senafront may ask visitors to go with a guide.
Eating Spot
Visitors are required to bring their own food supplies and purified water. Cooking fuel is limited, so the rangers do the cooking if ordered (about $15 USD a day for the service, if available, or if ordered).
Try to taste the zapote (sapodilla) fruit that grows in front of the resort. Its fleshy orange meat has the taste and composition of mango, leaving your mouth watering for more.
Barracks To Stay In
At Pirre Station, the barracks have a fold-out price for visitors, a small outdoor dining area beside a very primary kitchen, a palapa (open-sided shelter) with some chairs, and several flush restrooms with cold-water showers. Pay the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente beforehand in Panama City if possible (per person $15 USD).
Sleeping Area
At Rancho Frío (or Station VIII along the trail), there is a two-level dormitory inn with a total of fourteen beds that has the capacity to serve twenty-eight guests at a time. There is also a sheltered campsite if you wish to rent. Electricity is off of batteries and its usage limit is for a couple of hours, no more. Do carry flashlights and a charged lamp with batteries to be on the safe side.
Campsite Location
At the sheltered campsite, you can both pitch a tent for a group of four or string up a forest bed for two persons. Book the campsite by paying the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente shortly after entering Panama City (per person $6 USD).
Travel Options
The Pirre station can only be reached by hiking for four hours or more, depending upon your pace.
You can also reach it by a combination of boating and hiking or 4WD transportation (for $30 USD per person) and hiking from El Real or Pijibasal point.
Buses or vehicles can only go as far as in Pirre I, and that’s ninety minutes of travel from Rancho Frio. For those interested in hiking, the road offers minimal directions so it is considered best to hire a local guide for safer and smoother travel. There’s no lack of cheap and good wholesome eateries in the town.
Restaurante Lola serves shrimp or fish, criollo-style, in addition to barbecued meats, while La Paila del Pueblo Restaurante tenders reasonable meals, like a vegetable soup or meat with rice in a waterfront backdrop. You can stock up on groceries at this place if you are going upriver for an adventure.
Boat Services
The Boats to Puerto Quimba depart when it reaches full visitor capacity. It runs between 5:30 am and 5:00 pm with scheduled timings. Puerto Quimba’s point has buses to Meteti, from where you can avail tourist buses that go to Panama City or Yaviza. To charter a private boat and a guide, look in the nearby dock for a reliable captain with a seaworthy motorboat. Price ranges from $120 to $300 USD per day), gas inclusive.
The Following Species Have Been Seen in Rancho Frio
The forest at Pirre Station is inundated with plant and animal species. The birding here is especially vivid. Some of the best sightings include royal flycatchers, white-fronted nun birds, crimson-bellied woodpeckers, crested guan, laughing falcons, and scarlet-bowed tanagers.
Mammals include spider monkeys, howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, sloths and Geoffroy’s tamarins.
The list of species is long, and we have listed a few with their scientific name.
- Little Tinamou Crypturellus soui
- Great Egret Ardea alba
- Wedge-billed WoodcreeperGlyphorynchus spirurus
- Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea
- Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
- Buff-throated SaltatorSaltator maximus
- Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
- Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
- White-whiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis
- Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
- Variable Seedeater Sporophila Corvina
- Orange Chinned Parakeet Brotogeris jugularis
- Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus
- Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana
- Chestnut-backed Antbird Myrmeciza exsul
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
- Flame-rumped TanagerRamphocelus flammigerus
- Rufous-tailed hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl
Many species of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles can be seen around the Rancho Frio spot. We hope you have a wonderful time and a pleasant visit to Rancho Frio Park!
What’s Nearby?
