La Amistad International Park

La Amistad covers the Panamanian half of a transboundary park running along the Talamanca range into Costa Rica, and the two together were inscribed by UNESCO for holding the largest tract of undisturbed forest in Central America, with elevation running from lowland to over three thousand metres. Quetzals, tapir and all six of the region's cats occur. The Las Nubes entrance above Cerro Punta has the marked trails; most of the park has none.

What you actually see

• The cloud forest - the undisturbed Talamanca woodland the inscription was made for.
• The elevation range - habitat running from lowland forest to over three thousand metres.
• The quetzals - resplendent quetzals present in the highland forest.
• The Las Nubes trails - the marked routes at the Chiriquí entrance.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the only practical window for the trails. Rain is heavy the rest of the year. Mornings are best for birds.

Honest expectations

Only a small fringe of the park is accessible and most of it has no trails at all. Rain is frequent even in the dry months. Facilities are ranger stations with basic bunks and nothing else.

Nearby

Cerro Punta is below Las Nubes, and Finca Drácula is nearby.