Soberania National Park

Soberania National Park is one of the most accessible from Panama City. You can visit it on a day trip full of nature, perfect for the whole family. Just 30 minutes from the city, this park is located near the banks of the Panama Canal, in the canal construction zone, and extends across approximately 22,000 hectares. The park contains dry tropical forest, countless species of animals, and the Chagres River, which runs through it.

When you go, be sure to visit the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center. This bastion of ecotourism and environmental education has a spiral staircase that elevates you above the canopy of the rainforest, its upper deck reaching 32 meters in height.

Hiking options abound in Soberania National Park. If you like birds, you should start on the Pipeline Road. This road holds the record for the most bird species observed in a 24-hour period: 357 species, to be exact. This number includes exotic birds such as toucans, trogons, motmots, flycatchers, woodpeckers, hawks, and tanagers, along with extremely rare birds like red-bellied woodpeckers, crested eagles, black-cheeked toucanets, syrystes, rufous fantails, rufous-vented ground-cuckoo, and harpy eagles, an endangered species.   

If you want to enjoy a particularly beautiful hike, take the Plantation Trail. This is a gentle, sloping 13 km trail where you will find viewpoints to appreciate waterfalls, wildlife, and interesting tropical plants such as cacao, rubber, and coffee.

If you prefer a hiking adventure with a bit of history, take the Cruces Trail. This trail was built in 1527 to connect Panama Viejo with Venta de Cruces, the port on the banks of the Chagres River. At this site, goods such as textiles, spices, gold, and silver were loaded onto ships to be sent back to Spain. Today, you can still see some of the original stones of the road. The complete route reaches the Caribbean coast, but you can also walk shorter sections.

Finally, enjoy and relax with your family on the El Charco trail: you will find natural pools, beautiful trails, and many areas for picnicking. It is located just 1.6 km from the Summit Municipal Park on the outskirts of Panama City.

Getting There

To reach Soberania National Park, take Av. Omar Torrijos towards Gamboa. Once you reach the fork in the road, you'll be in front of the administrative office. From this point, you can decide whether to continue Av. Omar Torrijos or take Carr. Madem, depending on the trail you want to hike.

If you are using public transportation, take a local bus from the Albrook Transportation Terminal. Buses going to Chilibre and Bahia D have stops in front of the park's administrative center.