KILLING TIME IN PANAMA CITY - SUMMIT BOTANICAL GARDENS

There have been a few times in the last several months in which we have had to 'kill some time' in Panama City.  Boquete is a good 7-hour drive from Panama City, and this drive can often take much longer due to traffic and road construction.  In lieu of driving, many people opt to take the short 45-minute plane flight from Panama City to David, followed by an easy 45 minute drive to Boquete.  While flying from Panama City to David is a great option, it can be challenging to make flight connections, and during our time here in Panama we have become accustomed to finding fun things to do in Panama City as opposed to spending hour upon hour sitting in an airport.

This time, after traveling in Panama with Tutu and Papa Linden, we decided to spend our time between flights checking out the Summit Botanical Gardens, and we are so glad that we did!

SUMMIT is a Zoo and a Botanical Garden of 250 hectares (620 acres) with more than 15,000 exotic plants and animals, some of which are considered to be endangered species.  It is known for having a diverse collection of palm trees, and the zoo's most prized exhibit is the Harpy Eagle, Panama's national bird.

Matt has wanted to see a tapir ever since we arrived in Panama.  While he still hasn't seen one in the wild, he did get to see this one at the Summit Botanical Gardens.  He was pretty excited!

The Summit Botanical Gardens is known for its diversity of palms.  These specimens with red berries are particularly beautiful.

Palm Tree Garden

I love looking up at palm trees from the ground up - such an impressive sight!

These flowers from a Bala de Cañon tree (cannonball tree) are both interesting and beautiful.

One of the highlights of our visit was seeing the Harpy Eagle, Panama's national bird.

Harpy Eagle

Harpy Eagle

In this picture I'm walking along one of the many paths at Summit Botanical Gardens.  The tall bamboo trees are impressive!

Geoffroy's Tamarin Monkey

More tropical flowers

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