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North of David rise the slopes of the Cordillera Talamanca , home to Volcan Baru , an extinct volcano that at 3475m is the country's tallest peak. These are the Chiriqui Highlands , a region of cloudforest-shrouded peaks, fertile valleys and mountain villages. The cool, temperate climate and stark scenery give the highlands a distinctly alpine feel, an illusion reinforced by the influence of the many European migrants who have settled here since the nineteenth century. Sadly, their agricultural success poses a grave threat to the survival of the region's spectacular cloudforests , which have been cleared at a devastating rate over the last fifteen years. Large areas are now protected by Parque Nacional Volcan Baru and Parque Internacional La Amistad , whose cloudforests are home to some of the country's most endangered wildlife , including jaguars, pumas, tapirs, harpy eagles and resplendent quetzals, and whose trails offer some of the best hiking in Panama. Two roads wind up into the highlands on either side of Volcan Baru. The first runs from La Concepcion through the town of Volcan to Cerro Punta , the highest village in Panama and the best base for visiting the cloudforests. The second climbs to Boquete , an idyllic coffee-growing town which has become a popular resort and is the best place from which to climb Volcan Baru. The trail that runs between the two, around the back of the volcano through the cloudforests, can be walked in a day.
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