Sarigua National Park


Each of us dreams about rest: sandy beaches, colorful nature, comfortable rooms and colorful cocktails at the bar. Is it tempting? Then hurry up to buy a ticket to Panama ! This thin isthmus of land, washed by the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, will plunge you into the abyss of fun, carefree and aesthetic pleasure. The abundance of vegetation and the rich fauna of this state is an indispensable attribute of any tourist excursion. And this article will introduce you to one of the national parks - Sarigua.

History of the park

Sarigua is spread over an area of ​​8,000 hectares, nestling on the coast of Parita Bay, near the mouth of the Pariet and Maria rivers. It would seem that this is a direct prerequisite for prosperity, but no. This land was once very badly damaged by the hands of the colonialists and could no longer recover.

In the middle of the XX century, the green forest of the tropical forest was rampant here. But the colonizers had to graze sheep somewhere, and a huge section of the territory was scraped from the trees. The fragile ecosystem of Sarigua has collapsed overnight, and a drought has replaced the pleasant green. Today, this park is considered the most arid area of ​​Panama and the least fertile. The average rainfall is limited to only 110 mm per year, and the process of erosion and salt concentration in the ground has given the landscape a bizarre shape.

The National Park of Sarigua is a kind of monument of human negligence, when an incorrect decision entails irreparable consequences.

More about the National Park of Sarigua

But there are positive aspects of the Sarigua Park. If in your imagination the picture of a hot and arid desert has already appeared, it's time to correct it!

The territory of the park is conditionally divided into three parts: 3.5 thousand hectares of semi-desert, 3 thousand marine areas and 1.5 thousand hectares of detrital soils. Flora of Sarigua is represented by legumes, cacti, noble laurel, thickets of mangrove trees. A unique plant that grows only in these places is a nut-like gall.

The fauna of the National Park of Sarigua is quite diverse. Here you can find coyotes, armadillos, crocodiles, bats, wild cats. Coastal areas are teeming with fish and shellfish, and mangroves are an excellent habitat for shrimp. In addition, literally at every step there are iguanas and lizards. And in Sarigua, there are about 160 different species of birds, of which the most common are pelicans, white herons, frigates, partridges and pigeons.

The Sarigua National Park is not only valued as a wildlife sanctuary and a unique ecosystem, but also carries an archaeological value. In this territory are the ruins of the oldest pre-colonial settlement of the Indians. Surprisingly, his age is more than 11 thousand years! It is known for certain that the settlement belonged to the community of fishermen, and among the "treasures" of history, various articles of clay and stone abound. If you are lucky - you can quite find some ancient pottery from the pitcher as a souvenir.

How to get to the Sarigua National Park?

Sarigua is located 240 km from the capital of Panama . The nearest city is Chitre, and the quickest way to get here is through local airlines. In addition, you can always drive to the park, renting a car . In the vicinity of Chitre, it is difficult to get lost, since signs are everywhere, and you can get to the city by the Pan-American highway. It will take about 4 hours.