Darién National Park, National park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Darién province, Panama
Darién National Park is a vast protected area in Darién Province that covers dense rainforest, mountains, mangroves, and river systems spanning the border with Colombia. The park forms the largest connected forest reserve in Central America and includes diverse terrain from lowlands to higher elevations.
Spanish conquistadors discovered gold in the Cana region during the 17th century and launched mining operations that left traces still visible along present-day trails. These extraction efforts shaped the region's early colonial history until operations gradually diminished.
The Emberá and Wounaan people have lived here for generations and continue their traditional ways of hunting and fishing that shape daily life in their settlements. Visitors can meet community members and see how they maintain their customs within the forest.
Access to the park requires careful planning and permits from Panamanian authorities, with entry typically by small aircraft to remote airstrips or overland to frontier towns followed by boat travel. Local guides are essential for safe navigation through the terrain and to understand the area.
The park contains the Darién Gap, the sole interruption in the Pan-American Highway system that otherwise connects North and South America. This missing road link has kept the region remarkably isolated from the rest of the hemisphere.
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