The boat ride
Past canal ships.
Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA — CC BY 2.0 · Chad Carson — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Christian R. Linder — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA — CC BY 2.0 · Milton Solano — CC BY-SA 3.0
Barro Colorado Island is a forested island in the man-made Gatún Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. It covers 15.6 square kilometres and lies about 40 km north-west of Panama City in a straight line, about 16 km from the town of Gamboa. The island formed in 1913, when the Chagres River was dammed to create the lake: the water covered much of the forest, but some hilltops stayed above it as islands. It was set aside as a nature reserve in 1923, and since 1946 the Smithsonian has run it as part of the 54 square kilometre Barro Colorado Nature Monument. It is among the most studied tropical forests in the world, with a permanent Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute station that has worked here for more than eighty years. Monkeys, agoutis, colourful frogs and countless insects live here, and it is an Important Bird Area. The island can only be visited on a guided tour booked in advance with the institute, starting with a boat across the lake past ships moving through the canal. Trails are muddy and humid, so bring proper shoes, water and insect repellent.
Past canal ships.
Guided trails.
Monkeys and agoutis.
Gatún Lake, Panama Canal, Panama
Yes, in advance with the institute.
Shoes, water and repellent.