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© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 259 Darién Province Mention that you’re going to the Darién and you will no doubt be greeted with everything from fear and panic to horror and disbelief. Bad press and grave misconceptions about safety in the region give the impression that the Darién is a no-go zone of Colombian guerrillas and narco-traffickers. While the dangers of the province shouldn’t be underestimated, they should at least be contextualized. There are certainly regions that shouldn’t be visited. However, these isolated sectors are easily avoided by anyone with the slightest regard for personal welfare. In a stroke of irony, the Darién has remained so pristine because of its volatile reputation. Home to a 5760-sq-km national park, in the southern Darién, the primeval meets the present with scenery that appears much as it did a million years ago. Even today, the local Emberá and Wounaan people maintain many of their traditional practices and retain generations-old knowledge of the rainforest. Parque Nacional Darién is also one of world’s richest biomes and is home to the legendary bird-watching destination of Cana. But while the southern Darién is home to Panama’s most spectacular rainforests, the north is home to scenes of habitat destruction. Although most news focuses on Colombian conflict at Panama’s borders, the real battle lines surround the province’s rapidly disappearing forests. The issues surrounding the Darién are complex and require careful consideration. But with the right planning, the Darién offers spectacular opportunities for intrepid travelers yearning for something truly wild. HIGHLIGHTS Spotting macaws by the dozens in the his- torical gold-mining town of Cana (p 272 ) Flying in on a chartered puddle jumper to Reserva Natural Punta Patiño (p 269 ), a lush jungle reserve on the edge of Golfo de San Miguel Reserva Natural Punta Patiño Mogué Interacting with the Emberá in Mogué (p 269 ), a traditional village by the Río Sambú Rancho Frío Hiking along the spectacular jungle trails Cana surrounding Rancho Frío (p 272 ), a ranger DARIÉN PROVINCE station on the edge of the national park Tropic Star Going for a world record at the Tropic Star Lodge Lodge (p275 ), a remote fishing lodge that’s the site of some of the world’s largest catches POPULATION: 45,680 AREA: 8653 SQ KM ELEVATION: SEA LEVEL TO 3478M 260 DARIÉN PROVINCE •• The Emberá & Wounaan lonelyplanet.com THE EMBERÁ & WOUNAAN though with the exception of language, the History groups’ cultural features are virtually identi- Living within the boundaries of the Darién cal. Here their stories part, as both groups pre- is the group commonly known as the fer to be thought of as two separate peoples. Chocóes, who emigrated from the Chocó Some historians contend that the Emberá region of Colombia thousands of years ago. emigrated from northern Ecuador and Anthropologists place the Chocóes in two lin- southern Colombia from 1830 and that the guistic groups – the Emberá and the Wounaan – Wounaan emigrated from the Río San Juan 040 km DARIÉN PROVINCE 0 20 miles 78º30'W 78º00'W 77º30'W To Panama City (95km) C Ustupo Lago o Bayano P a n a m á m R a ío Mansucum 9º00'N 9º00'N C r a c Isla Pino ña a zas Ipetí Tortí d Mulatupo Sasardí R Tubualá í e Cañazas o C A R I B B E A N S E A Higueronal C K u Caledonia Las Aguas h u n Frías c u a S n Y Punta e a q Carreto r u a r e S l a a e r R n r R a Puerto í í R o a í n o í Obaldía í a C o bri d m llo La Miel o e Santa Fe O e d C Sapzurro n so M e R g u l M í í o o R Capurganá o c D u I a g 1 í Aguacate l rga n t a j n e u r a s c Rufino é i i 8º30'N 8º30'N t a Punulosa é í s U n Puerto sa o e Acandí Metetí í R u Quimba í o T uq R Filo de Golfo de I n R Urabá LA PALMA Tallo t e í o r o Parque Nacional c Golfo de Canglón a hi Chepigana m C Darién C San Miguel Reserva e h r Forestal i u o Nazaret Titumate Punta c c í a u Canglón n Alegre a n R R a Reserva Natural ío R í o q R M í o a Punta Patiño T u sc o T e Altos de Mogué g u e u i r e é p Ensenada de a Yaviza Ya Garachiné í o D a r i é n El Real Pinogana R Taimatí L o Punta im La Chunga Unión Yape ur Garachiné Chocó c Capetí ú ón Garachiné Corredor ío P 8º00'N Sambú Biológico de la Boca de R Unguía Piji Cupe Serranía de Púcuro 8º00'N S Baisal a e Puerto Boca de Bagre Balsal y r Trampa Rancho Frío R í a r Indio R R o P a í El Naranjal í (Pirre Station) n o Paya Parque o í B Limón Nacional a o T Palo de a d Guina u Cana las Letras Los Katíos Playa de l a d a c R s Cerro r n u í Sautatá e i Muerto e a o ub l t C e R s Pirre u V í Parque Cristales G o l f o d e í (1491m) T S Pavarandó o Punusa o í Nacional a í t o Ciénagas de ó í P a n a m á p S n Darién R Bijao a a d Tumarandó o m R R b g u ú u í r Cerro o r Travesía u Setetule A (Puente A U g A (1200m) I América) t n M r o B a Tropic Star í u A t Lodge R J N M o A O La Honda Punta Piña l P L 7º30'N Bahía Piña e 7º30'N Punta Jaqué R ío d O Jaq C Jaqué u a é í í o Ríosucio n R S alaq uí a r r e Salaquí S Ciénaga La Pedeguita DARIÉN PROVINCE 78º30'W 78º00'W 77º30'W.

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