El Montuoso Forest Reserve

El Montuoso covers a few thousand hectares of hill country in western Herrera, protected because it holds the headwaters of the La Villa river that supplies much of the Azuero peninsula, and because almost everything around it has been cleared for cattle over the past century. What survives is a mix of remnant cloud forest and secondary growth on the ridges, with trails and a small research and ranger presence.

What you actually see

• The remnant forest - surviving woodland on the ridges above cleared country.
• The river headwaters - the source of the La Villa that supplies the peninsula.
• The contrast - forest surrounded by pasture cleared over the past century.
• The trails - the marked routes from the ranger area into the hills.

When to go

December to April is drier and the tracks are passable. Rain makes the approach difficult. Mornings are best for birds.

Honest expectations

The reserve is small and much of it is secondary growth rather than old forest. Facilities are minimal and trails are poorly marked. The access track is rough.

Nearby

Las Minas is below, and Cerro Canajagua is southeast.