Some of the most beautiful places on Earth are also the most treacherous, which is why this mesmerizing yet dangerous national park in Panama is best avoided.

My stop here in Panama’s remote Darien National Park is part of a week-long Smithsonian Journeys cruise through Central America aboard Le Bellot, a small ship in the French-based Ponant line.

Panama's government hopes to turn the Darien National Park into "the main eco-tourism destination in Central America," according to the country's 2020-2025 master plan for sustainable tourism.

Panama has announced an initiative to combat environmental degradation in the Darién Gap, but entrenched criminal groups in the region will make these measures difficult to implement. Panama’s ...

Last year was an “unprecedented year” where a total of 248,284 people crossed the Darién National Park, she said. 2023 now looks set to outstrip that number as the year continues.

Yet it also shelters Darién National Park, where Moreno's efforts are focused. At 2,200 square miles, it's the country’s largest protected area—an intact, almost out-of-the-Jurassic jungle.

Last year was an “unprecedented year” where a total of 248,284 people crossed the Darién National Park, she said. 2023 now looks set to outstrip that number as the year continues.