No Access to ‘La Cruz’ in Volcán Barú National Park for Several Days

The Ministry of Environment (MiAmbiente) announced this week that access to the area known as La Cruz, the highest point in the country located in the Barú Volcano National Park (PNVB), will be restricted to visitors for several days.  According to the entity, this closure will be for a period of 45 consecutive days starting next Monday, June 17.  

They explained that it is 300 linear meters of trail with rocky features and broken topography, where adjustments will be made to ensure the safety of hikers, including domestic and foreign tourists, park rangers, scientists and telecommunication technicians.  The regional management of MiAmbiente in the province of Chiriquí urged tourists, tour operators, tourism agencies, hotel sector and the general population to respect this administrative decision to avoid incidents. 

According to statistics from the section of Protected Areas and Biodiversity, more than 10 thousand visitors have made this expedition to the summit through the trails of the Plains and Camiseta in this year.  In addition, MiAmbiente indicated that during this management several improvements have been made in the park, such as the installation of handrails, stairs, pedestrian bridges, gazebos, interpretive and orientation signage, security devices and guidance lines, among others. 

The park is in the province’s protected area with the highest number of visitors in recent years.  Statistics from the Protected Areas and Biodiversity section of the institution indicate that from 2014 to date, 92,536 visitors have explored its attractions.