A Close up Look at Deforestation – Sarigua National Park

One of the more rewarding things about getting to travel is all the opportunities that we get to visit places that are outside of the norm. These are the places that tell a story. They help us to understand the world as a whole and our place within it. Sarigua National Park in the Herrera Province of Panama is one such place.

Where is it? 

What is Sarigua National Park?

Sarigua National Park encompasses an area of around 18 square miles along the Pacific coast of Panama. For a country covered with so much rainforest, Sarigua is shockingly dry, and much of the land is essentially, though not technically, a desert. But it wasn’t always this way. Rather, the area owes its distinctive desert landscape to humanity’s impact. 

A long time ago…

While the views of dry ground are the main pull for tourists today, Sarigua National Park actually hosts one of the most important pre-Colombian sites in Panama. Archeological evidence points to this being the location of a small fishing village more than 11,000 years ago, making it possibly the oldest such settlement in Panama. 

People continued living in the area for thousands of years, and Sarigua eventually also became the home of Panama’s earliest farming community, around 1,500 years ago. The land was fertile, and it remained that way all the way until the early 1900s. 

Devastation

In the early 20th century, the allure of fertile farmlands led to the clear-cutting of the entire area that is now Sarigua National Park. This land was intended to be transformed into fertile pasture land, but without the trees to hold it in place, much of the life-giving soil was washed away by rains, winds, and tides. The result was the widespread salinization of land that had been occupied for millennia. 

The plants that made this land value to farmers and ranchers could no longer grow, and the area was abandoned for greener pastures. 

Sarigua remained, barren and dry, for decades. It was a stark reminder of the damage that can be done when men value a quick profit over the very land they live on.  

Signs of hope

In 1985, Sarigua was made into one of Panama’s national parks, and efforts to reforest the area began. 

Today, to the untrained eye (mine), Sarigua National Park still looks the part of a desertified landscape. Volcanic stones pock the dry, broken ground, and dunes of sand jut above the surrounding plains. 

But trees are slowly taking back the whole area. Acacias line the park’s pathways, and vines hang low from many branches. The area is considered to be a dry tropical forest, and the land is slowly healing. 

It’s a sight worth seeing.

What is there to do at Sarigua National Park?

While there’s still not a ton of activities to check out Sarigua National Park, it’s definitely worth a day trip. A number of trails will take you out to flat, sandy landscapes, and let you see the damage up close. Minerals in the dirt cause a variety of colors to appear, painting the ground in beautiful ways. 

Do note that even though Sarigua isn’t technically a desert, it is still very dry and very hot. Be sure to bring water with you while you’re hiking, and leave some extra in the car, if possible. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and sun hats are also good ideas.

Takeya Water Bottle

RIVBOS Polarized Sports Sunglasses

If the sun isn’t too hot during your visit, the desert-esque landscape makes a wonderful backdrop for a nature walk. Animal tracks left in the ground hint that the area isn’t as dead as it looks, and if you keep your eyes peeled you may spot lizards, snakes, or insects wandering the sands or hiding in the shade. 

Near the entrance to the park, an observation tower gives guests to the park the ability to gaze out to the sea.

All in all, the part of the park that is open to the public doesn’t take a lot of time to see, but there is something powerful about seeing the effect that we can have on the earth around us. A reminder of the hurt that we have caused, but also a glimmer of hope that those hurts can be healed. 

I think that’s worth it.