Set
up in 1992 in panama Province, Camino de Cruces national park covers 4.590 hectares
parallel to the panama Canal. Situated between Soberańa national park to the
Norh and the metropolitan Natural parl to the South, it ensures the interrupted
flow of species etween both protected areas, and shuts off the natural corridor
that protects the eastern bank of the panama Canal and garantees its maintenance.
Moist tropical forest is a feature of this national park with ist gentle undulating
orography. Tehre are large specimens of cotton tree (Celiba pentandra), cuipo
(cavanillesia platanifolia), 'nance' (Byrsonimma crassifolia), wild plum (Spondias
mombin), oak (Tabebuia rosea) and 'guayacan' (Tabebuia guayacan), the spectacular
flowers of which appear in April and may indicating the end of the dry season.
Besides manificent royal palms (Scheelea zonensis), there are large fig trees
(Ficuss insipida), that have a symbiotic relationship with diminutive wasps
(Blastophaga sp) without which they cannot pollinate their fruits.
Among the
repttiles, the iguana (Iguana iguana) is the most numerous species. There are
many and varied birds, the crested eagle (Marphnus guianensis), pheasant cuckoo
(Dromococcyx phasianellus), the red and green macaw (Ara chloropterus), the
slaty-tailed trogon (Trogon massena)… in the tree stratum of these moist tropical
live the tamarin Saguinus geoffroyi and the elusive wary (Aotus ledmurinus)
while the red brocket deer (Mazama americana) and white-tailed deer (Odoicoleus
virginiasus) share these prtected areas with white-nosed coati (Nasua narica)
and agoutis (Dasyprocta punctata).
The wealth and variety of this national park's fauna and flora are complemented
by the grat histroic and cultural value of the colonial era Camino de Cruces.
The spanish transported merchandise and riches from Peru, Baja California and
Chile along the Cruces Road from Panama City (now Panama la Vieja, the first
city to be founded but the Europeans in the American Pacificm in 1519) to the
River Chagres, which flows into the Caribbean and crosses a large part of the
isthmus. In the park, in addition to a restored section of road, with its characteristc
cobbling, other important sections of this historic Spanish colonial road, which
gave its name to the national park, are kept open.
CAMINO DE CRUCES NATIONAL PARK