Soberania National Park

Things to do in Panama

Soberania National Park is located close to the eastern banks of the Panama Canal and it is only a 25 minutes drive from Panama City. The park area is around 55,000 acres and it extends all the way to Colon Province.
 
This park has one of the richest diversity of species you can imagine including 105 species of mammals, 79 reptiles, 55 amphibians, 36 freshwater fishes and its main attraction is 525 bird species.
 
Between the rare birds species you can spot here are: the crested eagle, the red-lored parrot and the guianan trogon.
 
The park is quite popular for hikers because it offers several great trails that allow you to be in touch with this magnificent tropical forest and its rich biodiversity.
 
 Pipeline trail (Camino del Oleoducto): 17km long, originally built for the pipeline maintenance during World War II, and now worldwide famous as one of the best spots for bird watching in Panama.
 
 Plantation trail (Camino Plantacion): 6.5km long (one way), originally built for cocoa and coffee plantations and later used for military training. This trail is good to spot howler monkeys and trogon birds.
 
 The Natural Pond trail (Sendero Natural El Charco): It is 0.8km long and there is a small pond with clear waters where you can swim. There is also a picnic area for your use. This is the perfect place to spend some family time in the nature.
 
 Cruces trail: Originally built by the Spanish on the 17th century to take gold between the two oceans. This is a difficult trail and it is 10km long.
 
 The Forest Spirit trail (Espiritu del Bosque): It is 1.7km long, easy to walk and very well sign posted.
 
 Bike path trail (Cicloruta Distancia): This is a mountain biking trail, 17.5km long. You can access it 2.5km from Soberania National Park.
 
 
 
IMPORTANT: You must visit the administrative office (address shown on profile) in order to get your hiking permit unless it has been arranged in advance by a tour operator.
 
Opening hours:
 
Administration office is open everyday from 8am to 4pm although the trails can be done from earlier to later once you get the hiking permit.
 
Admission fee (hiking permit):
 
Adults: USD 5
 
Children younger than 12 years old: USD 0.50
 
You can also get a camping permit at USD 5 but there is not really any developed camping facilities in the park so going early is a best alternative.