Darien National Park

Darien National Park, in southernmost Panama about 325 kilometers from Panama City, protects a natural land bridge between North and South America that includes rocky coastline, sandy beaches, mangroves, swamps and tropical forest across some 5,790 square kilometers. Established as a national park in 1980 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, it is recognized as an Important Bird Area and is home to two native tribes, making it one of the few protected areas in the world still inhabited by indigenous people practicing traditional life within its boundaries. The park contains the Darien Gap, the only break in the Pan-American Highway between Argentina and Alaska, and its wildlife includes harpy eagles, spotted pacas, American crocodiles, and various monkey and sloth species.