You don’t need to venture far from the capital to experience some of Panama’s beautiful patches of rainforest. As a matter of fact, the Parque Natural Metropolitano still sits within the city limits and can easily be reached by a short trip from downtown Panama City.
A visit to this park should definitely be on your agenda if you only have a couple of days in the country, but even if you’re planning on visiting some more remote areas afterwards (like we were), it’s a great first introduction to the country’s insane biodiversity.
There’s a good chance to see coatis, monkeys and sloths while hiking through the forested hills of the nature reserve. Plus, the views of Panama City’s skyline are pretty awesome, too. Read on for everything you need to know about the Metropolitan Nature Park.
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Guided Visits to Metropolitan Natural Park
We visited the park independently, and you definitely don’t need a guide to find your way, as the trails are well-maintained and sufficiently marked.
However, having a guide with you can definitely increase your enjoyment, as they can point out exotic animals and plants that may have escaped your attention otherwise. Especially birdwatchers should consider taking a guide – These guys have great reviews. Have a look below for more options.
How to Reach the Park Independently
The easiest way to reach the Park is to take the metro to its Western Terminus at Albrook Terminal, from where you can either get a taxi to the park or simply walk for about 20 minutes, like we did. Just walk east along Calle Doctor Eligio Salas, then north along Avenida Ascanio Villalaz.
What Animals Can You See in the Park?
We were surprised by the amount of animals we encountered in the park, considering how close it is to the city (not to mention the fact, that a road cuts right through the middle of it).
The resident creatures don’t seem to mind, though, and during our hikes we spotted agoutis, tamarin monkeys, turtles, loads of colourful birds and a huge group of coatis. If you’re lucky, you also have the chance of spotting sloths, armadillos and howler monkeys.
Hiking Trails in the Metropolitan Natural Park
There are a total of seven trails in the park, the majority of which are pretty short, so if you’re ambitious, you can do all of them in a few hours, as we did. Make sure to stop by the Visitor’s Centre to register and get a map.
Sendero El Roble
This trail leads through a pretty section of forest, but is mostly used to connect to the other bigger trails in the park – especially the popular Mono Titi trail.
A few hundred meters after the visitor centre, you’ll come across a small pond populated by plenty of slider turtles. The trail is a little under a kilometre long and takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.
Senderos La Cienaguita and Mono Titi
These two trails connect to a loop, which forms clearly the most popular hike in the park. If you want the trails mostly to yourself, I suggest starting early and hiking the loop in a clockwise direction, as we did. The whole loop took us about 1.5 hours, with a few stops for wildlife watching in between.
Coming up the La Cienaguita trail, we were a bit baffled by the pieces of airplane engines lying around in the jungle, but later learned that the park was used as a testing ground for aircraft engines during WW2. On the way, we also spotted plenty of colourful birds, as well as an agouti sitting close to the trail in the underbrush.
After 20 to 30 minutes, you’ll reach the top of Cerro Cedro, which has great views of the skyscrapers in Panama City’s banking quarter. The way down from the hill follows the wide Mono Titi trail. True to its name, we spotted some tiny Geoffrey’s Tamarin Monkeys in the treetops next to the path while walking down Cerro Cedro.
They were very quiet and mostly hid in the foliage, so you’ll have to really keep your eyes peeled if you plan on spotting some. That said, make sure to also take a look at the ground occasionally, as we spotted thousands of industrious leaf-cutter ants here.
Halfway down the trail, you’ll come across the covered wooden Los Trinos lookout. While we stopped to scan the jungle, we spotted fewer animals here than anywhere else in the park 😂. We were soon compensated for that by spotting a group of Coatis slinking along a meadow opposite the huge El Castillo Bunker at the lower end of the trail.
The huge concrete bunker was constructed in 1974 as a part of a large-scale aircraft maintenance facility and is a weird sight to say the least. Surrounded by the encroaching jungle vegetation as it is, it reminded us very much of the Isla Sorna Ruins from Jurassic Park.
Sendero Los Caobos
This short loop trail was already a lot quieter than the Mono Titi hike, and we only met two other groups of hikers here. On the way, we spotted some agoutis, as well as plenty of birds and dragonflies.
About halfway along the trail, there is a nice lookout with a great view of the city’s skyline. The trail took us about 30 minutes at a leisurely pace.
Sendero Los Momótides
Another short loop trail, the Sendero Momotides is found across the road from the visitor’s centre and leads through a pretty section of forest. Despite the name, we didn’t spot any Motmot Birds here, but instead plenty of colourful butterflies and beetles.
It’s also the only trail in the park where we didn’t meet any other people. It’s not really a must-see, but still worth checking out if you can spare the 15 minutes it takes to complete.
Senderos Dorothy Wilson and Los Guayacanes
These two tiny trails can be found in the direct vicinity of the Visitor’s Centre and only take a few minutes to finish. They’re level and well maintained, so they’re a good option for people who’re not physically able to tackle any of the longer hikes.
Along the Dorothy Wilson trail, there are some informative signboards about the park’s plants and animals, as well as a picknick spot. The Sendero Los Guayacanes leads past an open meadow next to a row of Guayacan Trees and to a little garden plot full of blooming flowers and butterflies.
Metropolitan Natural Park Trail Map
This map of the park shows all the different hikes described in this post.
How Much Is the Entrance Fee?
Entrance to the park is 4$ for foreign residents and 2$ for people living in Panama. You pay the fee when you register at the Visitor’s Centre at the western end of Avenida Juan Pablo II.
When to Visit the Park?
The Metropolitan Nature Park can be visited daily from 7am to 4.30pm (double-check the times here). I recommend going there as early as possible, as most animals are most active shortly after dawn. Also, there won’t be as many people around and the temperatures will be much more pleasant than later in the day.
Accommodation in Panama City
There are no hotels or guest houses near the park, but you can easily reach it from the city centre in under an hour.
One of the nicest areas to stay in the city is the Casco Viejo Neighbourhood. We stayed at the affordable Hotel Caracas, but there are also well-rated mid-range options available, like Las Clementinas, as well as luxury options like the American Trade Hotel.
For more options, you can check out my guide to the city’s top hotels: The 9 Best Hotels in Panama City for Different Travel Styles.
See Also
A Great 2-Day Itinerary for Panama City, Panama
Visiting the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks – What You Need to Know
A Guide to Panama’s Altos de Campana National Park