Darien, the Panamanian Amazonia

Darién is a province that is getting popular among tourists because of it adventure possibilities and cultural diversity.

It is a huge area with plentiful rivers, a very thick rain forest, heavenly beaches and mountains, a diverse flora and fauna, and different human groups.

The region is also known as "the Darién Gap", because this is where the path between North and South America is interrupted It is the largest and least developed province in Panama. It´s very isolation, and its place in the history of Panama has made it a place of interest.

The National Park of Darién is the largest park in
Panama and the second most extensive in Central America.

Darién is composed mainly of four human groups: Chocoes or Emberá Wounan, Kunas, Afro-colonial and mixed race, who play an important role in the identity of the region.

The province has a surface of 1,803 square kilometers and a population of 43,832.

The capital is La Palma, although it has other prominent towns like El Real de Santa María, Yaviza, Sambú, Santa Fe, Metetí, Jaqué Unión Choco, Paya and Tucutí.

Darién is one of the richest regions of Central America for its ecology it has been nicknamed "the Panamanian Amazonia". Its natural resources are protected by the National Park of Darién. It is the largest park in Panama and the second most extensive in Central America with a surface area of approximately of 579,000 acres.

A humid tropical climate prevails. It also has the Tuira-Chucunaque basin, the most extensive and important of the country.

In Darién, visitors can admire native carved handcrafts, shaped like animals made out of "cocobolo wood", baskets and tagua sculpts -also known as "the vegetable ivory", which is obtained of a seed of a plant of the region.