Mogue

Mogue is about halfway between La Palma and Punta Patiño. From either of these places, travelers will take a 30-minute boat ride in the ocean and then another 30-minute ride up the Mogue River to get to the village. The boat ride on the river is scenic and swampy. You might see birds like willets, whimbrels, and laughing falcons. The village is a 15-minute walk from the shore of the river.

Mogue was established by the Emberá in the 1960s and does a good job catering to tourists, especially considering how isolated it is. The villagers sell handicrafts and perform traditional dances for visitors. You can sometimes even get a jagua-juice tattoo, a temporary (2-week) tattoo that’s made from the extract of a local fruit.

There are hiking trails that lead through primary forests outside the town. On guided hikes, you might be able to spot a harpy eagle or crested eagle—the nests of both birds have been spotted here in the past.

Travelers that want to spend the night in Mogue can sleep in a traditional open-air, thatched-roof hut (although you will need a tent or a hammock to pitch in the hut). The hut is about 15 feet off the ground and has good views of the village and forest.