Location

Cocobolo Nature Reserve is located near Las Zahinas village in Chepo District, Panama Province, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) northeast of Panama City.

The reserve is on the southern slope of the continental divide, the mountainous backbone of Panama, about halfway between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

 

How to get there?

While the distance to Panama City is short as the crow flies, it takes between 1.5 to 3 hours to get to Cocobolo by car. There are two main access roads, both requiring 4WD vehicles.

The West Access Road through La Mesa is the shortest and fastest way to reach Cocobolo, but it can only be used during the dry season.

The East Access Road through Las Margaritas is a longer road and entails various river crossings, but it remains accessible most of the year, except when the heaviest rains cause the Rio Mamoni to flood, making this river impossible to cross (usually in October-December).