La Amistad International Park
LOCATED
Province of Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro.
SURFACE
La Amistad National Park has 207,000 hectares / 511,508 acres.
DESCRIPTION
Established in 1979, by an initiative of the governments of Panama and Costa Rica, La Amistad International Park, popularly known as PILA, stretches over an impressive massifs and mountains of the Cordillera Central, between the provinces of Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro. Its biological importance motivated the UNESCO to declare it as a World Heritage Site, in 1990.
From volcanic origins, as attested by a large number of volcanic rock outcrops, the park possesses a complicated topography with steep valleys, majestic cliffs and the highest and most spectacular peaks of the country, including noteworthy Cerro Fábrega (3,325 m), Cerro Itamul (3,279m) and Cerro Echandi (3,162 m).
CLIMATE
The climate varies notably from one zone to another of the protected area. Likewise, the average annual temperature fluctuates between 15º C on its high peak, to 24º C on the sedimentary plains of the Caribbean-facing slops. The average annual rainfall ranges between 2,500mm and 5.500mm, converting this protected zone in one of the most humid regions of the country.
