Recreation

Bird-Watching

Panama [1]’s central Caribbean coast is prime bird-watching country. The Audubon Society once identified 350 species on a single day during its annual Christmas Bird Count. Especially popular spots for birding include what is now the Área Protegida San Lorenzo [2] and the Achiote and Escobal Roads, in Costa Abajo west of Colón [3].

The roads to Achiote and Escobal start just past Gatún Dam [4], though they can be tough to drive, particularly in the rainy season. Bird-watchers should go with an experienced guide.

Tours

Nattur Panama (tel. 442-1340, fax 442-8485, www.natturpanama.com [5]) offers a popular tour, the Conquerors’ Path, that includes a boat trip down the lower Río Chagres [6] to Fuerte San Lorenzo [2], a tour of the fort, and a trip to Gatún Locks [7]. The cost is US$85 per person with a four person minimum. It also offers tours of Portobelo [8], Gatún Locks [7], and (gulp) Colón [3], as well as fishing and birding trips.

Consider the birding trip if the owner, Willie Martínez, is leading it; he’s widely considered the best birding guide in the country. The group has a new nature lodge in Sabanitas.