Summit Municpal Park


Spotlight on Central America


Astrid González Nariño turns the spotlight on parks and attractions in Panama, the country that connects Central America with the South American continent, and also brings us up to speed with a new attraction coming soon to Costa Rica


A


s a country with a little more than one million inhabitants, Panama has only a handful of amusement parks, however visitors to the country


can also enjoy several natural attractions which fuse the ecosystems of both Central and South America.


Summit Municipal Park Located on the outskirts of Panama City, this important natural reserve of 56 hectares boasts a botanical garden that has a great diversity of species of plants, estimated to be around 1,500, some from tropical and subtropical countries around the world and others that are native species of Panama. The park also has a zoo with about 300 species, especially birds, reptiles and mammals, among with the harpy eagle, the national bird of Panama. This project was founded in 1923 by the former Panama Canal Company as the "Experimental Farm Summit", run at the time by the United States Department of Agriculture. In 1979, under the Torrijos-Carter Treaty, it began to be administered by the mayor of Panama and was redesignated as a so-called sovereignty national park. Currently, in addition to serving as a place of recreation and contact with biodiversity, it functions as a centre of education, conservation and research, where visitors can go hiking, practise photography or even work as volunteer. The


park's annual operating budget is estimated at about US$2 million.


Iron City Park


This amusement park/carnival operation founded more than 20 years ag by William Solórzano Villalobos is considered to be one of the most important of its kind in Panama. Headquartered in the province of Herrera, approximately 220 kilometers south west of the capital, it also tours to other places throughout the country including Santiago, Chitré, David, Panama City and Bocas del Toro. Iron City Park's operator also has agreements with site owners in with Costa Rica and Nicaragua, where it participates in several fairs throughout the year. When operating at full strength, the park boasts 22 rides


and attractions including the Tornado, Wacky Worm coaster, The Dancer, Mad Cobra, Wagon cars, Satellite, Kraken, Bravo River Train, Octopus, and the classics House of Terror and Carousel (as pictured right).


Icacos Adventure


This ecotourism park spans an area of more than 16 hectares in the city Penonomé, capital of the province of Coclé, about two hours by car from Panama City. The facility was inaugurated in 2011, challenging both Panamanians and foreign tourists to get back in touch with nature. According to Icacoc Adventure owner Ignacio Carrizo, the park seeks to promote contact with nature and domestic zoology through interactivity, experiential learning and fun. "We want to surprise our visitors with quality products, elaborated with the country's agricultural customs," he explains.


FEBRUARY 2017


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