Discussion about entry: “Camino Real – La Ruta del Oro: Eje de Conservación y Desarrollo Sostenible del Alto Chagres, Panamá

If the situation of nature and National Parks in Panama is concerning, the situation of the cultural heritage is even worse. First, national parks face problems like invasions, deforestation, poaching, and it is normal that often live up to several thousand people within its borders. This applies also for the National Parks Chagres and Portobelo (with a combined area of about 1650 square kilometers), parks where the Camino Real and proposed project lies. Deforestation along major river valleys is critical, and threatens to split up the parks into two isolated areas, the remaining stretch of connecting primary rainforest measures only 6.8 kilometers, with all its consequences for the populations of monkey and cutting off “The path of the Jaguar”. East lies the majority of the Chagres National Park and West besides parts of Chagres and Portobelo National Park, the Sierra Llorona, an area without legal protection and high biological diversity.

Second, the situation of cultural heritage is even more concerning, cultural heritage sites are absolutely no priority in official policies, even sites with world heritage status face severe problems of conservation. A heritage like the Camino Real, which is widely unknown among the public in Panama and the world, confronts even more difficulties in its conservation. The Camino Real has no legal protection, characteristics of the trail are not considered as important heritage (it is often heard: “what matters some stones”), and the exact course of the trail was not known until recently. Only within the last ten years significant sections have been destroyed, mainly because of not knowing “where” it is and “what” it is. Now, remaining parts of the Camino Real lie almost entirely within the mentioned national parks, where it again faces threats of destruction, because of human activity within the parks. Furthermore the trail runs parallel the course of mayor river valleys of the area, exactly along the critical connection of two primary forest areas, thereby fostering heritage tourism along the Camino Real would also offer relief for the forests in this critical area.

What can be done? The key are human activities of people living under conditions of extreme poverty within the parks, development of geotourism will reduce their dependence on environment damaging practices within the parks and they will improve substantially their standard of living. How can the Camino Real contribute: by offering a unique tourist destination; by visiting the Camino Real one can really experience history, walk on an historical trail through the jungle, in the footsteps of “conquistadores” and pirates like Francis Drake, discover the history of maroon communities and the long history of Native-American people from Paleo-Indian times up to today. In order to realize this objective a reconstruction of a historical road station could be created or a museum village of pre-columbian cultures, interpretative trails to caves with Paleo-Indian artifacts and additional facilities that would bring history to life. Actions that shall benefit the local economy and communities and consequently improves the conservation of the heritage, creating a positive feedback circle of Tourism, Sustainable Development, Conservation and again Tourism (not to forget the several topics of investigation, from archaeology, sociology, tourism, biology etc. that can be realized). And in the end this may change attitudes in regard of (in particular cultural) heritage among the general public of the country, so they will appreciate what was not visible for long time.

By Christian Strassnig
Investigator and Explorer of the Camino Real