- Area: 8000 square meters. km
On the border of Panama and Colombia there is a territory that has been included many times in the ranking of the most dangerous places on earth - the Darieni gap. It is a site of a territory undeveloped by man, on which there is nothing but impenetrable jungles and swamps. Only the most desperate tourists dare to cross this territory on cross-country vehicles, motorcycles or even on foot.
Geography of the Darien Blank
The Darieni gap is located at the turn of the province of Darien (Panama) and the department of Choco (Colombia). This area is known for its impenetrable swamps and moist tropical forests. Such a terrain creates unfavorable conditions for the construction of the road. Even the world's longest road, known as the Pan-American Highway, breaks off in the Darien Gap.
The southern part of the Darien gap is occupied by the delta of the Atrato River. It creates periodically flooded swampy areas, the width of which can reach 80 km. In the northern part of the territory are the Serrania del Darien mountains, the slopes of which are covered with damp tropical jungles. The highest point of the mountain chain is the Takarkun peak (1875 m).
One of the first to cross the Darieni space was officer Gavin Thompson. It was he who led the auto expedition, which in 1972 successfully passed through this inhospitable area. According to the officer, during the trip, the members of the expedition had to pass through the swamped malarial jungle, in which at every step were poisonous snakes and blood-sucking bats.
The Pan-American gap in the Darien Gap
As already mentioned, the world's largest highway, the Pan-American Highway, breaks off on the territory of the Darien gap. The length of this gap is 87 km. On the territory of Panama, the road ends in the city of Javisa, and in Colombia - in the city of Chigorodo. The site of the land located between these two cities is reserved for the national parks of Parque nacional natural de Los Katíos and Parque nacional Darién. Both parks are the sites of the World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.
Over the past 45 years, several attempts have been made to unify these sections of the Pan-American Highway, but each time they ended in failure. The reason for this was the threat of serious damage to the ecology of the Darien gap. Therefore, to get from Colombia to Panama, tourists have to use the ferry service between the city of Turbo and the Panama port .
Tourism in the territory of the Darien gap
You should visit the Darieni gap in Panama in case you want:
- feel like a pioneer of unexplored land;
- take part in cycling, motorcycle racing and trip on all-terrain vehicles on difficult terrain;
- to get acquainted with the culture of the Indian peoples of the Kuna and Choco living in the immediate vicinity of this territory;
- to study the flora and fauna of this region.
You should remember that traveling through the Darien gap can be extremely dangerous, besides it is a favorite meeting place for members of drug cartels. Many criminal communities use this territory as part of drug trafficking.
How to get to the Darien gap?
In the Darieni gap you can get from the city of Ciman, which is located 500 km from Panama, or from the city of Chigorodo, located 720 km from Bogotá. In these towns have to abandon the usual transport and change to one that is adapted to off-road conditions. In order to cross the Darien gap on foot, you have to spend at least 7 days.
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