Metropolitan National Park, Panama Province, Panama
4.5 (744 reviews) Spent 1-2 hours Ranking #18 in Panama City National Parks
Beautiful Park
This 265-hectare national treasure is located within Panama City’s Ancon district, and is the only protected area in Central America located within city boundaries. Standing along the Panama Canal’s eastern shore, it’s home to dozens of species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and trees. With lookout points, four well-marked trails, a scenic road and a Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute canopy crane structure, guests can explore on their own. The Park also offers guided tours to groups for a fee (five-person minimum) if booked well in advance.
Address
Avenue Juan Pablo II final, Panama City 0843-03129 Panama
Mobile
Website
http://www.parquemetropolitano.org
Current local date and time now
Saturday, May 04, 2024, 16:24
User Ratings
4.5 based on (744 reviews)
Reviews
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4Michelle T 5:00 PM Sep 15, 2022
Good Hike
It's amazing how you can have a rainforest park in the middle of the city! As of September, you have to make online reservations for a time slot and pay the entrance fee online. It's done via wire transfer, which we couldn't do, but we ended up being able to pay when we arrived. The park rangers speak English and are able to give you instructions in English or Spanish. They explain the different trails, how long they take, and the level of activity for each. We opted to do the one that gets you to the top in 45 minutes. It was a pretty easy trail with some uneven uphill parts. Only the first half is "paved" with stones and rocks, so wear proper shoes. Don't come here in flip flops. We did the entire hike in about 2ish hours, mostly because it started thunderstorming shortly after we got to the top so the way down was a bit slower as we had to avoid slick rocks and mud. All in all, it was a great hike. We saw some animals, including a deer and multiple coati. We learned later in the week that singular coati are usually males while the females tend to stay with the babies and young ones.
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4billyhockey 5:00 PM Jan 7, 2020
Nice park within the city
This rainforest park spans more than 200 hectares within Panama City. We took a taxi one morning from our downtown hotel to the park; the cost was less than $10. The trails are not overly challenging. We completed a small trail plus both of the primary trails (one of which was partially closed on our visit) in approximately 2 hours, which included a rest taken at a lookout point. We sometimes had to step over single-file processions of leafcutter ants (which were easy to spot because they were, after all, carrying bright green leaves!) walking across our trails. The highlight of our visit was the sighting of a troop of Geoffroy's tamarin monkeys in the trees above us on the Cienaguita trail. We recommend this park; it is accessible and affords an opportunity to exercise and spend time in a natural setting.
