A
pristine waterfall at El Montuoso. |
Although
the Azuero peninsula among the driest points in Panama, the area still
harbors a number of sites with great eco-tourist potential, such as
El Montuoso.
Located
in Chepo, district of Las Minas, province of Herrera, El Montuoso
Forest Reserve was created in 1978. Covering an area of 10,375 hectares
(2,000 of which are forests,) El Montuoso is the last major forested
area in Herrera. It is the source of five important regional rivers:
Mariato, Tebario, Suay, Gato and La Villa, the last of which is the
main supplier of fresh water for the provinces of Herrera and Los
Santos.
With an
altitude of 987 meters above sea level, the park’s highest points
are the summits of the Ñuquito and Alto del Higo hills, which
harbor two life zones: the humid, pre-mountainous forest and the humid
tropical forest.
In addition
to its hydrographic importance, El Montuoso also encompasses a number
of tourist attractions, such as the "Caritas Pintadas" ("Painted
Faces") archaeological site, where a number of yet-to-be deciphered
petroglyphs can be found. The area is also rich in flora and fauna,
harboring species such as Drosera Cayennensis (an insectivorous plant);
Podocarpus (a local species of pine tree); Quercus (mountain oak tree)
and a large variety of orchids, including Peristeria elata ("The
Flower of the Holy Spirit –Panama’s national flower).
The area
also bears tremendous scientific importance, since 140 medicine plant
species can be found in the area, especially near the source of Río
La Villa, the most important river in the region.
El Montuoso
features two nature trails, the first of which is located in the area
known as Tres Puntas (which leads to the head of Río La Villa,)
while the second starts at the Carita Pintadas archaeological site
and ends at Alto del Higo, one of the highest points of the park.
El Montuoso
is excellent for eco-tourist excursions, hiking, photographic safaris,
fauna and flora observation, horseback ridding trips, and specialized
tourist activities, such as mountain excursions across the provinces
of Herrera and Veraguas and recreational excursions at swimming areas
and waterfalls.
To get
to El Montuoso, visitors need to get to the city of Chitré,
the provincial capital of Herrera (250 km southwest of Panama City).
Once there, you can take a bus to Las Minas (departing from Chitré’s
regional bus terminal) and a second bus leading to the community of
Chepo.
