Camino de Cruces Hike

DURATION

6 hrs. approx.

HIGHLIGHTS

Historic trail
Rainforest
Flora & Fauna

INCLUDES

Private Bilingual Guide
Private Transportation
Entrance fee
Lunch

BRING

Comfortable clothes and shoes

DESCRIPTION

Early in the morning you will be picked up at your hotel lobby by our guide for a drive of 45 minutes to the trail Camino de Cruces. You will then hike a 6 miles stretch of the trail within the Soberania National Park, which will take about 5 hours.

The “Camino de Cruces” is an 8 miles trail that connects two parks, the Soberania National Park and the Metropolitan Natural Park. This trail takes visitors through almost 10,000 acres of tropical forest where a variety of flora and fauna can be appreciated.

Originally, the Camino de Cruces linked Panama La Vieja (Old Panama City), located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, to the port Venta de Cruces, located on the banks of the Chagres river on the Caribbean Sea. It was built in 1527 by the Spanish to transport goods from South America to Spain. Panama was the trade center for Central and South America. Gold, silver, textiles and spices from South America were transported by mule across the Isthmus into ships sailing to Spain. Later in 1671 the pirate Henry Morgan raid Panama La Vieja by attacking and taking over Fort San Lorenzo, which guarded the entrance to the Chagres river. He led his band of pirates through the Camino de Cruces until they arrive to the old city and invaded it. In 1848 this trail was also used by thousands of fortune seekers from the east coast, New Orleans and New York, following the California Gold Rush. Until the first transcontinental railway was built in the mid-19th century, Panama was used by many people to travel across the east coast and the west coast.

Experience a challenging hike on the tropical rain forest!