Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos H.

This somewhat hard-to-reach park consists of more than 25,000 hectares of forested highlands stretching down the Pacific and Caribbean sides of the Continental Divide. Its full name is Parque Nacional General de División Omar Torrijos Herrera, but most people know it simply as El Copé, and that’s how it’ll be referred to here.

  The park was created to honor the late military dictator Omar Torrijos, who died in a mysterious plane crash in these mountains on July 31, 1981. Supposedly some charred remains of the plane are still intact on Cerro Marta, a peak you’ll see to the right as you enter the park, but you’d have to be a major bushwhacking mountain-climber to prove it.

  Because this park is hard to get to, it’s filled with thousands of acres of primary forest you’re likely to have to yourself. It’s a beautiful place with sweeping vistas, as long as it’s not too foggy. Even when it is, the morning mist rising off the mountains is quite dramatic.

  El Copé is about as far east as the bird life of the western highlands venture, so if you’re a bird nut and you’re not heading west this is a place for you. If you’re not an experienced bird-watcher or guided by one, however, you may not spot many species. El Copé is well known as a place to see hummingbirds, especially the snowcap and green thorntail. The rare bare-necked umbrellabird—which looks as though it’s wearing a thatch roof—has been spotted here in the last few years. Its call sounds like the roar of a bull.

  All the feline species of Panama are still found in the park, but chances are slim you’ll bump into any. Ditto for Baird’s tapirs, white-lipped peccaries, and collared peccaries.

  Yes, there are venomous snakes here, but as is true throughout the tropics you’re unlikely to see one and extremely unlikely to be bothered by one. That said, in the interest of full disclosure you should know that the day before my first visit, a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer nearly stepped on a deadly bushmaster while cutting a trail. The volunteer also once found an eyelash-palm pit viper coiled in the cyclone-fence wall of the shelter that served then as visitor quarters. These are cute little devils, but also venomous. And during one hike, a group of experienced hikers ahead of me thought they came across a coral snake. In other words, watch where you step and sleep. And let someone else go first.

  Note: This area gets rain and fog year-round and is quite a bit cooler than the lowlands, so bring warm, waterproof clothes. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get hypothermia even in this relatively mild climate.

Trails
There are several good, wide trails that start from the entrance to the park. Facing into the park, with the visitor shelter and park sign to your right, you’ll see two trails. The one to the left heads straight up to the top of a mountain with views of both oceans (about a half-hour’s walk). The one to the right heads down toward the Caribbean slope (endless). The latter trail is rocky and rutted, and you’ll have to cross several streams. Be prepared for ankle-deep mud. An hour into it there’s a far more rugged, strenuous trail that leads you back to the shelter. The umbrellabird has been spotted here (as have venomous snakes). Do not take this trail without a guide: You will get lost. It takes about an hour to get back to the shelter. There is also a half-kilometer interpretive trail that starts behind the shelter. There’s a rudimentary trail map posted on a signboard. The ranger may be available to guide you; as always, a small tip is always appreciated.