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Travel Related
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TONOSI |
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 From
Cañas the road continues 25km west to TONOSI , a small town set in a
green valley ringed by mountains. There are several basic restaurants
and a couple of pensiones, but there's no reason to stay here unless you
get stuck on your way to Isla Cañas. Buses to Las Tablas cut through the
mountainous interior rather than following the coast via Pedasi. West of
Tonosi the southwestern tip of the peninsula is covered by Parque
Nacional Cerro Hoya , pretty much the last remaining area of natural
forest in the Azuero. Rainforest-swathed mountains rise from pristine
beaches to heights of more than 1500m, encompassing five distinct life
zones. The park's existence is challenged by settlers anxious to
continue logging and clearing land for cattle-ranching on its eastern
fringes, and partly as a result ANAM is keen to promote ecotourism so
locals can enjoy some of the economic benefits of conservation.
To visit the park you must first visit ANAM in Las Tablas for permission
and information; they may also be able to help with transport. There are
two routes into the park. From Tonosi you can get into the park by
renting a boat from the nearby coastal village of Cambutal to take you
to Cobachón , a coastal settlement just outside the park boundaries
where you can camp near the ranger station or arrange to stay with local
families. The easier approach however is by bus from Santiago , 98km
along the west coast of the peninsula to the village of Arenas , where
the park rangers will charge you the US$3 entrance fee and should be
able to arrange transport by boat further down the coast to Restingue ,
another ranger station set on a beautiful beach with a network of trails
into the surrounding forest. There's a basic refuge where you can stay
for US$5 and cooking facilities, but you need to bring bedclothes and
all your own food supplies.
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