Punta Patiño Nature Reserve

Punta Patiño is a private reserve of around twenty six thousand hectares on the southern shore of the Gulf of San Miguel in Darién, run by a Panamanian conservation organisation, and it combines dry forest, mangrove and coast in a region that is otherwise very hard to reach. Harpy eagles nest in the area and are the reason a number of visitors come. A lodge on the bluff above the water is the base for everything.

What you actually see

• The harpy eagles - the nesting birds the reserve is best known for.
• The mangroves - the extensive tidal forest along the gulf shore.
• The dry forest - the inland woodland behind the coastal fringe.
• The gulf setting - the reserve's position on the Gulf of San Miguel.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the practical window. Rain closes trails the rest of the year. Harpy sightings depend on an active nest being known.

Honest expectations

Harpy eagle sightings depend entirely on whether a nest is active and accessible that season. Getting there involves a flight and a boat and is expensive. Facilities are a single basic lodge.

Nearby

La Palma is across the gulf, and the Sambú valley is south.