The
Canopy Lodge in
El Valle de Antón, a project of businessman and conservationist Raúl
Arias de Parra, was finished in the fall of 2005. El Valle
is about 60 miles from Panama City. For many years this has been
the favorite
vacation spot for residents of Panama City. It is also the home
of one of the best craft markets in Panama. Known as the "Sunday
Market", locals sell their crafts all week long, and this
is a good place for souvenir shopping. El Valle is also called
Crater Valley,
as it sits in the crater of an extinct volcano that exploded 5
million years ago. The resultant scenery is quite dramatic: a steep
valley
surrounded by jagged peaks and filled with flowers, streams and
verdant forests.
The Lodge
is built next to a lovely mountain stream and adjacent
to the protected area of Cerro Gaital Natural Monument.
The
Accommodations
The
Lodge consists of four buildings. The main building has the
kitchen, dining room, library and living room. It is completely
open and
the birds fly in and out at will. Raul Arias' sister is a
celebrity chef
in Panama and has designed the menus. We think you'll be
happy with the delicious and creative food, utilizing local produce.
The
library
has an extensive collection of bird guides and other natural
history books. Another building houses eight beautiful and
large
bedrooms,
each with two queen beds, private bath with hot water and
hairdryer. The rooms have huge windows, and doors that open to
large patios
overlooking the gardens and stream. A limited number of
smaller single rooms are
available in the adjacent Canopy Cottage, and they share
a bathroom.
The Activities
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Barbara's
Tips
for
Canopy Lodge
Here
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A
Socially And Enviromentally Responsible Lodge
Lodge Mission:
Fostering appreciation and excitement about the neo-tropical rainforest, using
birds as the focal point,
with the purpose of generating enthusiasm for its preservation as well
as generating employment in a
sustainable activity.
