2008 Floods close the Los Quetzales trail
Saturday, February 14, 2009 12:55
Due to the major flooding experienced in various regions of Panama, and especially within the Chriqui region has resulted in the Panama National Environment Authority (ANAM) closing the Los Quetzales trail, due to the danger of landslides as well as due to the destruction experienced to bridges and parts of the trail.
According to ANAM the trail has been affected in various sections along the route, which makes it exceptionally dangers for anyone on the trail. ANAM regional director, Harmodio Santamaría, has stated the trail will only reopen once all safety issues have been repaired and attended to. The issue that now arises is whether or not the trail will in fact be restored due to the significant damage to surrounding areas and budgetary requirements being allocated to primary resources first. The trail also experienced a fair amount of controversary in 2007, where disagreements and misunderstandings between contractors and the ANAM resulted in contracts being cancelled.
Up until November of 2008, the trail had attracted over 4,500 people and has a significant impact on the region in terms of tourism. Unfortunately people who had planned to enjoy the trail in 2009 will not be able to, and according to locals it really is a shame to lose or not have access to the trail to be experienced by visiting tourists.
Liked this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
