Canopy Camp Darién: Always great, now even better!
Sometimes, Darién is regarded as a far-away paradise but with harsh and limited conditions. It does takes around five hours from Panama City to get there, but what about if we tell you that these are five hours of birding on the way, where you will have the opportunity to spot Crimson-crested, Spot-breasted, and Golden-green Woodpeckers, Olivaceous Piculet, Cocoi and Tiger-Herons, Barred Puffbird, Golden-headed Manakin, Black Antshrike, Gray-lined Hawk, and if we are lucky, even Black Hawk-Eagle. Our guides are experts at locating the regional specialties that inhabit this area and skillful at navigating the changing conditions of the region from season to season. Also, we make a delicious lunch stop at a local restaurant with beautiful hummingbird feeders where we can spot Black-throated Mango, Scaly-breasted, Snowy-bellied, and Sapphire-throated Hummingbirds, Garden Emerald, Long-billed Starthroat, and White-necked Jacobin while we enjoy a delicious local meal. After this exciting birding route, we will pass by Metetí, the closest town to the Canopy Camp, where many small businesses, hardware stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, a bank, and even different universities are found. From there, it is just 20 minutes to arrive at the amazing Canopy Camp.
At first sight, the Canopy Camp common area will impress you, because suddenly, the small road connecting Metetí with the Camp opens into a spacious clearing in the middle of the majestic and very unique forest of eastern Panama. The common area consists of the open dining room at one side and on the other side the very cozy, open-air library and lounge area with comfortable sofas, chairs, and hammocks where we usually spend time going through the checklists after the daily tours or just observing birds in the vicinity, as both areas are surrounded by beautiful gardens and hummingbird feeders where Pale-bellied Hermit, Blue-throated Goldentail, and White-vented Plumeleteer are common, and at times during the dry season even the highly sought Ruby-topaz Hummingbird and Rufous-crested Coquette make appearances! We also have some fruit feeders that attract many birds, and even some small mammals such as Geoffroy’s Tamarin Monkeys.
Recently, the roof of these open common areas was replaced by a special new panel that uses high technology. It is a sandwich-type roof, made out of two metallic-coated steel sheets separated by a layer of expanded polystyrene, which works as a thermal insulator. This thermo-panel is perfect to counter the typical environmental conditions of our lush lowland tropical forests of Darién. As a consequence, the common area will feel more comfortable and enhance your birdwatching and overall trip experience. Another concern at the Canopy Camp is the internet connection; however, high-speed internet is now available in the common area.
After acquainting yourself with this fantastic part of the Canopy Camp, you will be directed to another unique feature of this lodge: one of our eight African safari-style tents, which are the perfect accommodation for sleeping just a step away from one of the most diverse and least-explored regions of Panama. The tents are well-spaced and each is raised on its own platform above the ground – which also serves as a birding vantage point into the surrounding vegetation – and has a private bathroom with hot water. Also, the high-speed internet reaches the tents closest to the common area.
All this will be just the beginning of the birding journey of a lifetime, where you will have the opportunity to spot the spectacular King Vulture almost outside your tent at our King Vulture feeder, many marvelous birds rarely if ever found elsewhere in Central America like the Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Dusky-backed Jacamar, Black Oropendola, Spectacled Parrotlet, Gray-cheeked Nunlet, and Orange-crowned Oriole, and a great chance to see the magnificent Harpy Eagle. Remember, the Darién Gap is one of the least visited and most valued areas for birding and wildlife watching in Central America. What better time to embark on this unforgettable adventure and experience the incomparable beauty and diversity of eastern Panama while staying at our very unique ecolodge: The amazing Canopy Camp!
