Fort San Lorenzo National Park is a nearly 12,000 hectare (29,000 acre) protected area of forests, pastures, and mangroves. The park was established in part to protect the old Spanish Fortress built on a grassy knoll overlooking the Caribbean. The fort was largely destroyed in 1670 by a contingent of pirates led by Joseph Bradley under orders from Henry Morgan, the infamous English pirate of the 17th century. It was subsequently rebuilt by the Spanish, and the ruins of its stone walls are now a tourist attraction for visitors.
The northern section of the park is the site of the old fortress and is more open habitat than the southern section. Tree-lined roads, mangroves, and grassland offer an opportunity to see the more common birds of these habitats.
The best birding is in the forested southern section, especially along Achiote Road, which is the site of Panama Audubon Society's world-famous Christmas Bird Count, where up to 340 species are regularly found within a 24-hour period. The habitat along the road is relatively open but the scattered trees, shrubbery, and wet pastures are excellent for finding trogons, flycatchers, and tanagers. The first part of the road is one of the most reliable places to find Blue Cotinga. Trogon Trail accessed from Achiote Road is an easy, level trail through the forested area in the southern section of the park. The trail offers some of the best birding on the Caribbean side of the Canal Zone.
