Jungla de Panama Wildlife Refuge — Attraction in Palmira

What an incredible place and what a dedicated family. I stayed there with my husband and small son for a week and was totally blown away by how big their hearts were and how much they love these animals. I was so touched by Dorothy and her dedication.

I wanted to leave a wonderful review, especially because I noticed they received a few poor reviews, and that actually broke my heart a little. I feel that the writers of those reviews have totally missed the point and passion of this fully registered, family run animal rehabilitation centre and santuary. They do their absolute best with the resources that have and I feel that these poor reviews have actually damaged and caused suffering to the family that quite frankly need all the help they can get, as so much of what they what they do here comes out of their own pockets.

Every animal here has been rescued and every one has a story, and every other day new animals arrive, a boa saved from near death for eating a farmers chicks, a box full of baby kittens or motherless puppies. Despite knowing that it will cost her more time and money Dorothy doesn't turn anything away, she really cares.

All wild animals able to be rehabilitated and released are, the kittens/cats and puppies/dogs are cared for, spayed/neutered, vet checked and eventually adopted out to caring new homes.

There are a few permanent residents that can never be returned to the wild for their own safety, and these are the characters you most likely will see, pet and feed, they adore the attention, lol.

Personal favourites are Pedro and Pedrito the Owls, sweet little Daisy the Spider Monkey who loves to curl her tail around your ankle and hold you hand, Pebbles the blind pony, Cassy and Patrón the red bilingual Mackaws... there are others, unique characters all them, and so much fun...

One of the most curious ones, is Lolita the Coati. When I first saw her, she was in her enclosure, and I figured that was her she lived, but no. Lolita was a rescue, who was healed and released, and now lives in the wild, in the trees close by, but every morning she leaves her jungle home and enters her old enclosure and waits for the visitors to arrive at 11am for snacks! She has a nap, then goes back to her wild and free existence until the next day. Now there's a clever animal who knows a top hotel when they see one

The pandemia has not been kind to La Jungla and anyone willing to make a donation, however small, via their website would be helping them a lot. Every visitor's entry and tour fee goes toward food and medicines for the animals and anything left over buys materials to cover improvements and repairs.

I highly recommend a visit and a tour, so fun and educational, great for children and adults alike, conducted in both spanish and english.

And if you have more time, consider staying longer, we did. We spent a wonderful week as foster carers for the new kitten and puppy arrivals, it wasn't a requirement, but something we wanted to do, and it was a joyous experience. An action packed week, especially for us as we are a homeschooling family.

They have a huge bungalow for rent, and a dormitory style hostel with a shared kitchen, rustic but priced accordingly. Volunteers are welcome, and should contact Dorothy for a chat.

We loved our stay and will most definitely stay again. Thank you so much Dorothy and family for a truly wild and beautiful experience

La Jungla is easy to get to, you can take a bus from Boquete Central plaza to Palmira for $1 per person, or a yellow cab from Boquete to Palmira for approx $4. La Jungla is a few meters from the main plaza stop and local shops in Palmira. You can ask the driver to drop you off...

We discovered Jungla de Panama Wildlife Refuge somewhat by chance while traveling through the Boquete region. What initially seemed like a small, unassuming sanctuary turned out to be one of the most authentic and educational wildlife experiences of our trip.

Unlike polished commercial operations, this family-run refuge is genuinely dedicated to animal rehabilitation and release. Our guide, a young woman who has grown up working with the animals, provided detailed explanations of each rescue story and their rehabilitation process. Her knowledge was impressive and her passion unmistakable - you could tell this was more than a job for her.

The refuge houses a variety of animals including spider monkeys, owls, parrots and other birds. What sets this place apart is their commitment to releasing animals back into the wild whenever possible. They described their careful, step-by-step process for teaching animals like Beaker (a tropical screech owl) to hunt before releasing them. The guide explained, "If you throw an animal out before it's ready, it won't survive. And if you throw it out way too late, then it won't leave."

You'll have close encounters with the animals, even holding parrots and feeding them, but everything feels respectful rather than exploitative. The care they provide is impressive considering they receive no government support and operate entirely on donations.

Some practical tips: The entrance fee is $25 per person, cash only Tours last 45-60 minutes They welcome additional donations as everything goes to animal care The refuge is run by a small team, so consider making a reservation They also offer virtual tours for those unable to visit in person

While it may lack the slick presentation of larger attractions, the authenticity, educational value and genuine conservation work make Jungla de Panama a truly special experience. If you're interested in wildlife and want to support local conservation efforts rather than just seeing animals in captivity, this small refuge is absolutely...

Just don't - backpackers beware! This place is cool if you want to pop in and see the animals, it's not much of a tour, just one of her kids giving you a banana and taking you to the cages, no explanation of the animal or its rehabilitation or plans to be released. The cages are incredibly small, it's sad to see the animals stuck in them without room to fly or move. The hostel however is a nightmare, you really can't even call it a hostel, it was a bed under a roof. When we arrived there was no toilet paper, hand soap, dish soap or a clean dish rag to clean with. The kitchen hadn't been cleaned in probably 10 years, it took 3 of us 6 hours each to clean the kitchen just so we're could use it. We had to go buy all our own soap, toilet paper and dish cloths as when i asked for one the lady looked at me and literally said no to which i told her the provided sponges were disgusting and bacteria filled. There was no running water the week we were there and having spoken to people who had stayed there the month before there was no water then either. The animals aren't properly cared for, they are starving!! The only time they were given fresh water was when i filled their bowls. One of the animals had an infection while i was there and they refused to get medical attention for it. The place is overrun by a pack of underage kids - her kids and their friends who drink and smoke underage and use the community hangouts - bbq, outdoor bar, firepit as their party ground keeping you stuck in the the kitchen of the hostel. There is also a bar/restaurant attached to the hostel which blasts karaoke till 3 in the morning at which point once closed the staff attempts to exit through the hostels locked and gated doors making tons of noise. Just don't - it was a terrible experience, it was the most stress i had felt while on my travels and the woman who runs the place is insane! The hostel is a dump with no kitchen amenities or water and starving animals with tiny cages but she lives in a mansion...