Camino de Cruces


The National Park Camino de Cruces is a national reserve and is located in the province of Panama , 15 km to the north of the city of the same name. It was established in the early 1990s with the goal of preserving the ecosystem of tropical forests in a pristine state.

What is a nature reserve?

This park is rather unusual, because it is an improvised corridor connecting the cities of Panama and Nombre de Dios. Here are preserved parts of the old road Camino Real, built in the time of the Spanish rule. It was paved with cobblestone and at one time served to export gold bars from the New World to Spain. This territory also connects the national parks of Soberia and Metropolitano .

When you come here, be sure to take raincoats and raincoats with you: the climate here is warm though tropical, so rains that bring winds from the Caribbean basin are quite often. This explains the abundance of vegetation in the park in which grow:

Among the representatives of the fauna there live snakes, including the warty snake, iguanas, alligators, monkeys and other monkeys, agouti, white-tailed deer, jaguars, armadillos. In the park you can see a lot of varieties of butterflies and birds (macaw and other kinds of parrots, hawks, eagles, pheasants, toucans, and also typically Panamanian birds - visitaflores and guichiche).

In total in the Camino de Cruces there are about 1300 species of plants, 79 species of reptiles, 105 species of mammals and 36 varieties of freshwater fish.

The nature reserve trails are for routes of medium complexity. The soil in some places is quite slippery, so when you visit it is worth wearing sports shoes with non-slip soles. In the park you will find a lot of big rocks, small rivers, lakes and even waterfalls . The best time for sightseeing is from January to March, when the minimum amount of precipitation falls.

It is recommended to inspect the reserve, accompanied by a guide, without fail, taking with them clothing that covers the hands and feet, insect repellent and raincoats. You have to be extremely careful with personal things, as there are often robberies here. The admission fee is $ 3 for local residents and $ 5 for tourists. In the park there are both walking routes and routes for cyclists. To walk around the entire Camino de Cruces, you will need about 10 hours.

How to explore the park?

The territory of the reserve begins in the Panama Viejo region and ends at the ruins of Venta de Cruces. To get to the park, you need to drive along the Omar Torrijos Road, turn onto Madden Road and go for 6.3 km. There you will see a parking lot, behind which begins a hiking trail through the park.

If you are coming from Panama , stick to the Gaillard road leading to the village of Gamboa , which takes you to Albrook Mall and further to Madden Road. You can also take the bus going to Gamboa, get off at your final destination and walk about 4 km to the entrance to the park. For convenience lovers it is best to order a taxi from the capital, however the price of the trip will be quite high.