Province of Darién Travel Guides | Inhabitants, Flora & Fauna

The Darién Province, a remote, sparsely populated expanse of tropical rainforest and swampland along Panama's eastern boundary with Colombia, is considered Central America's last grand, untamed wilderness. Home to nearly 0.8 million hectares (2 million acres) of protected land, the Darién includes La Reserva Natural Privada Punta Patiño and the Parque Nacional del Darién, the largest national park in Central America and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. All of this wilderness is commonly called the "Darién Gap," which refers to the roadless swath of forest that is the "missing link" in the Pan-American Highway from Alaska to Chile. Colombia would like to extend the road, but Panamanians fear widespread environmental destruction and an increase in drug trafficking.

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The Darién: It's a name filled with magic. In many people's minds the magic is of a dark and sinister kind. The Darién has historically been seen as a foreboding, dangerous place, a Conradian wilderness into which explorers venture, never to return. But the Darién is magical in many more positive ways as well. It is one of planet earth's last great bastions of pristine tropical nature. Its biodiversity is so incredible it's been named both a World Biosphere Reserve and a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The province of Darién is, at 16,671 square kilometers, by far the largest in Panama. It's extremely sparsely inhabited; only 40,000 people live in the entire province. Parque Nacional Darién alone is enormous, covering 579,000 hectares of wilderness that sprawl across the isthmus.

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This intriguing province is where the primeval meets the present. It offers spectacular opportunities for exploration by intrepid spirits who relish the chance to visit a traditional Emberá village or who are yearning for jungles and jaguars. Bad press and grave misconceptions about safety in the region would have you believe that the Darién is a no-go zone of Colombian guerrillas and narcotraffickers, but while the dangers of the province shouldn't be underestimated, they should at least be contextualized. Coverage includes: The road to Yaviza, Punulosa, Metetí, Yaviza, Parque Nacional Darién, La Palma, Reserva Natural Punta Patiño, Mogué, Río Sambú, El Real, Rancho Frío, Boca de Cupe, Cana, Tropic Star Lodge.

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