The Río Teribe [1] is the Caribbean gateway of Parque Internacional La Amistad (PILA) and the Palo Seco Buffer Forest [2] that borders it. Far up in the headlands of the Teribe there are still jaguars, harpy eagles, tapirs, and macaws. That’s because it’s brutally hard to get to this area.
The Caribbean side of PILA is far less accessible than the Pacific side [3], which lies in Chiriquí province and has some developed trails close to population centers.
Anyone who wants to enter the park from the Caribbean slope is in for a serious trek and needs a skilled guide and boatmen and considerable supplies. The terrain is steep, there are no trails, and the boat has to fight an increasingly fast and powerful river.
Even for the Naso [1], the upper reaches of the Teribe are becoming a distant memory. Getting to the Naso homeland of Palenque, a long-abandoned village, requires a full day on the river.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/panama/bocas-del-toro/mainland-bocas/rio-teribe-and-the-naso
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/panama/western-highlands/volcan/the-fortuna-road
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/panama/western-highlands/cerro-punta/sights/parque-internacional-la-amistad