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Description
Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos, is located about 20 minutes from El Cope. Created in 1986 to protect the cloud forest and watershed between the Panamanian Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the park spans 25,000 hectares (nearly 62,000 acres) and is named after the former President of Panama, General Omar Torrijos. Higher areas of the park are low mountain forest, lower areas are submontane rainforest, and the lowest parts are very humid tropical rainforest along the more wet Caribbean slope. The park's highest point at 1,314 meters is Cerro Punta Blanca.
You can get to the park entrance on a four-wheel-drive road from El Copé and this area is a popular birding destination. Once you reach the main gate, you take a walk up the park road up to the park visiting centre. From here you can explore the dense rainforest by either taking a shorter or longer route. It is the shorter route that is shown below.
Both are very rewarding and along the way you might be able to spot Clay-colored Thrush , Crested Oropendola , Dusky Turtle-Dove, Grey-headed Chachalaca Green Jay (Inca) , Crested Caracara , Yellow-headed Caracara , Turquoise-browed Motmot , Roadside Hawk , Squirrel Cuckoo, the magnificent Keel-billed Toucan and the rare Strong-billed Woodcreeper and Surucua Trogon (Orange-bellied).
Among the endangered mammals found in Omar Torrijos are Panama's big cats include the jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay and jaguarundi. There are also populations of Baird-s tapir, collared peccary and white-tailed deer. In additions, you can also find some amazingly interesting insects, smaller mammals and plants.
Details
Access
Omar Torrijos is easily accessible by road, which is rocky and therefore not advisable for smaller cars. The park has a visitor center and a hiking trails, and on a clear day you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from a well-marked viewing point.
A four-wheel-drive vehicle is required for access. But once you have reached the park gates you can then take a very productive walk to the visiting centre.
It is a 3.5 hour drive from Panama City to Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos. There are also places to stay in and around El Cope.
Terrain and Habitat
ForestConditions
Hilly , WetCircular trail
YesIs a telescope useful?
Can be usefulRoute
Unpaved road , Narrow trailDifficulty walking trail
Average walkAccessible by
Foot , CarBirdwatching hide / platform
NoExtra info
There are quite a few places to stay in around El Cope and Vistas Cope Eco Villa, which is situated in seven hectares of its own rainforest, is a good base from which to explore this area.