Cerro Hoya National Park

Covering an area of 32.557 hectares, Cerro Hoya Parka was set up in 1985 at the south-western end of the Azuero Peninsula above the Pacific coasts of Panama. At 1.559 metres high, Cerro Hoya peak is the highest in all Azuero, along with neighbouring peaks at 1.534 and 1.478 metres. The park is of volcanic origin and is made up of the oldest rocks on the Isthumus dating from the Upper Cretaceous. The climate varies greatly from the coast to the peaks.
While on the coast, average temperature are around 26° C and precipitation about 2.000 mm annually, on the peaks they are 20° C and hydrological reserve in which the region's most important rivers, such as the Tonosì, Guànico, Cobachòn, Punta Blanca, Sierra, varadero and the Pavo, rise. These rivers have spectacular waterfalls and crystal clear pools.
The protected area comprises a coastal strip that stretches from the mouth of the River Ventana to the mouth of the River Restingue, including the Restingue Islands and the continental shelf surrounding them, with keys, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, islets and coastal cliffs. The higer parts contain low montane raiforest, and further down the slopes there are very moist low montane forests, premontane rainforest, very moist premontane forests and, in the coastal areas, moist tropical forest.
The most common forest species in the protected area are mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), 'espavé' (anarcadium excelsum), 'guayacan' (Tabebuia guayacan), 'cuipo' (Cavanillesia platanifolia), oak (Tabebuia rosea), spiniy cedar (Bombacopsis quinatum), silk cotton tree (ceiba pentandra) and barrigon (Pseudobombax septenatum). Over 95 bird species have been recorded there, including the threatended scarlet macaw (Ara macao), painted parakeet (Pyrrhura picta) from southern Azuero, the huge king volture (sarcoramphus papa), osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and mangrove black-hawk (Buteogallus subtilis). Besides large populations of white-tailed deer (Odoicoleus virginianus), agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) and paca (Agouti paca), the mammal community includes jaguar (Panthera onca) and ocelot (Felis pardalis).