Panama Has One of the Top 50 Ecolodges in the World

Canopy Tower Ecolodge Has Been Chosen as a World's Top 50 Ecolodge

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. November 20, 2008

PANAMA, November 20, 2008. According to the November edition of the National Geographic Adventure Magazine, The Canopy Tower Ecolodge located in the midst of the tropical jungle next to Panama City, has been chosen as one of the Top 50 Ecolodges in the world that have been ranked in terms of their lodging quality and ecological surroundings.

This impressive tower with a bird watching deck hanging at 900 feet above sea level and an awesome view of the Pacific side of the Panama Canal was built by the US military as a radar survelling facility in the Cold War times when a soviet attack to the canal was feared.

The Canopy Tower has achieved a worldwide reputation among seasoned birdwatchers as the only place in the world where the rare and beautiful "Blue Cotinga" can be viewed at eye level, and "all you have to do is get out of bed and look out the window!" In fact, this bird is the signature species in the rich catalog of birds of this ecolodge located in the neighborhood of the utmost famous birdwatching site, the legendary Pipeline Road.

Its owner Raul Arias de Para who had the vision of turning this former military watch tower into an outstanding and unique ecolodge for birdwatching expresses his pride for this distinction and adds, "This is just a sample of the quality tourist products us Panamanians can offer to the world."

Four Central America hotels were chosen among the Ten Best Ecolodge Hotels in the world: besides the Canopy Tower, there are the Lapa Rios in Costa Rica -which is located near the border with Panama-, Pico Bonito in Honduras y Chaa Creek in Belice, But the Canopy is the only one that features, besides the views of the Panama Canal and the most accessible tropical rainforest in the world(only half hour drive from Panama City), some 400 species of birds in the surrounding areas. The "Bird Watching in Panama" web site defines it like this:

"Panama ranks as one of the world's top bird-watching sites, with more than 950 registered species of resident and migrant birds - more than the US and Canada combined. Because Panama is a land bridge connecting two continents, birders are privy to viewing species from both North and South America. Many of the birds found here are "showcase" birds such as toucans, macaws, and the resplendent quetzal, which delight even non-birders. Keen birders often return home having seen dozens of "life birds," or their first sighting of a bird species. If you head out with a qualified birding guide, expect to see upwards of 100 or more in a single day."