With a remarkable diversity of wildlife close to the capital city, this rain-forest park protects much of the Panama Canal watershed and teems with animals. Birds ranging form red-lored Amazons to harpy eagles have earned Parque Nacianla Soberania a reputation for some of Central America’s finest birding.

Created in 1980 to preserve 22,104 ha of forest cover, Soberrania National Park extends south form the eastern shores of Gatun Lake to a few miles south of the Rio Chagres. Silk cotton trees, giant mahoganies, and smooth gray cuipo trees like silvery columns of light form a lush canopy over the forest, home to more than 100 mammal, 79, reptile, and 55 amphibian species.