LA AMISTAD INTERNATIONAL PARK

Created in 1988 on the initiative of the goverments of Panama and Costa Rica, la Amistad International Park, popularly known as PILA, covers 207.000 hectares in the impressive massifs of the Cordillera Central Between the provinces of Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro. Its biological importance led to its being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990.
The park is of volcanic origin, as evidenced by the many volcanic tors. Its orography is complex, with steep valleys, high cliffs and the highest and most spectacular peaks in the country, including the outstandin Cerro Fabrega (3.325 m), Cerro Itamut (3.279m) and Cerro Echandi (3.162m). The climate varies considerably from one part of the protected area to another. Thus, the average annual temperature on its high peaks is around 15ªC while on the sediemtary plains of the Caribbean slope it reaches 24ºC. Average annual precipaitation ranges from 2.500mm to 5.500 mm, making this protected area one of the wettest regions in the country. The park has enormous hydric resources, protecting he headwaters and upper basins of the rivers Teribe and Changuinola (the latter having the gratest hydroelecric potential in Panama), as well as those of the rivers Scui, Katsi and Uren, tributaries of the River Yorkin and River Sixaola, all of which lie on the Altlantic slope, which is where most of the park's land is situated. On the Pacific side, the park protects the headwaters of the rivers Coton, Negro, Candela and Chiriqui Viejo. There is incredible biodiversity in La Amistad.
Seven of twelve life zones that occur on the Isthumus are found here. On the lowest sedimentary plains, there are very moist premontane forests. Further up the Cordillera Central, they change into very moist tropical forests with splendid specimens of cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra), 'nargusta amarillo' (Terminalia amazonica),'almedro' (Dipteriz panamensis) and Santa Maria (Dipteriz panamensis), along with abundant palms of the genera Socratea, Astrocaryun y Bactris.
There are overlooked further up the slopes by premontane rainforests, low montane rainforests and montane rainforests cotaining exceptional speciems of 'alemendros (Dipterix panamensis), 'bateos' (Carapa slateri) and oaks (Quercus spp). Finally there is subalpine pluvial paramo, which is only found in the area around Cerro Fabrega. The higest parts of the mountain range contain endemic trees such as Cetronia grandiflora, Sourquia seibertii and Ardisia crassipes. If its botanical diveristy is extraordinary, its wealth of wildlife is even more so.
Over 100 species of mammals, including many primates like the howler monkey (Alouatta palliata), black handed spider monkey (Atleles geoffroyi),white thoated capuchin (Cebus capucinus) and nicht monkey (Aoutus lemurinus) are found there. The park protects threatened populatins of tapir (Tapirus bairdii), olingo (Bassaricyon gabii) and shrew (Cryptotis endersi).
The five species of cats found in Panama also live in here. 91 species of amphibians have been recorded in the park, including the arlequin frog (Atelopus chiriquensis) and spiny toad (Bufo coniferus). Among 61 species of reptiles are the spectacular mountain salamander (Bolitoglossa compacta), the deadly coral snake (Micrurus mipartitus), and the oropel (Bathrops nigroviridis). Of the 400 bird species recorded to date in the park, the most outstanding are the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), endemic glowtrhoated hummingbird (Selasphours ardens), magnificent quetzal (pharomachrus mocinno), unique umbrella bird (Cephalopterus glabricollis), threewattled bellbird (procnias tricaruculata), whose call resembles the sound of a bell, and the crested eagle (morphunus guanensis), one of th largest and most threatened birds of prey in the Neotropics. There are several natural trails leading into the park's interior, the La Cascada and El Retoño trails being of particular interest.