Camino de Cruces Madden to Venta de Cruces
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 6.47 mi
- Elevation gain
- 860 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 1,037 ft
- Max elevation
- 611 ft
- TrailRank
-
74
4.3
- Min elevation
- 70 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 4 hours 31 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1494
- Uploaded
- February 23, 2015
- Recorded
- February 2015
near La Furnia, Panamá (Republic of Panama)
Viewed 3868 times, downloaded 85 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
We cross the intersection with Camino de Plantación.
It is roughly 10.5 kms and can be done in less than 5 hours total including breaks and a lunch.
A couple of small river crossings, small rivers, you don´t even get your feet wet.
Take at least 2 litres of water and some light snacks.
Make sure to have set up a pick up when you reach Venta de Cruces since it's either a boat or swim across the Chagres river.
As of 2015 the boatmen charge you $10 a head to take you back to the public peer.
As far as difficulty my 64 year old mother did it with no real difficulty.
Waypoints
Picnic
500 ft
Camino de Cruces Start at Madden
Beginning of the Camino de Cruces trail at Madden Road (Ave. Omar Torrijos)
Waypoint
534 ft
Cruces Stop 1
Take a break
Waypoint
558 ft
Cruces Stop 2
Take a break
Waypoint
375 ft
Cruces Stop 3
Take a break
Waypoint
406 ft
Cruces Stop 4
Take a break
River
402 ft
Cruces River Crossing 1
Small river, even during raining season you can cross by barely getting your feet wet.
Waypoint
198 ft
Cruces Stop 5
Take a break
Waypoint
397 ft
Cruces - Plantación Intersection
This is the intersection with the Camino de Plantación Road. Any need to back off and go back to a main road this would be a good spot. The way south on this road is almost car friendly so easy to walk.
Ruins
91 ft
Venta de Cruces
Venta de Cruces was where the boats would arrive navigating the Chagres River from Fuerte San Lorenzo on the Atlantic shore. Here we take a boat ride to port. We can find some small ruins of what was at some point a tavern or maybe customs. The outline is clearly noticeable all around and also some stairs leading to that once upon a time edification.
River
275 ft
Cruces River Crossing 2
Second river crossing, may be a little more water in the rainy season and you will get your feet wet to your ankles maybe. You may even still be able to find a way to hop rock to rock and not get wet at all.
Waypoint
88 ft
Cruces Intersection going North to...?
The Camino de Cruces shows signs that there is a fork here going North. I am yet to explore what is up there and where it leads to.
Comments (3)
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Check out the Virtual Hike on my Youtube Channel:
http://youtu.be/ijhCp6Rj9t4
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Hi Cedric Carrere.
We went there today, it's a great hike but after 500 meters one of the guarda bosque / ranger stopped us to and told us that a lots of robberies happened in the first 3km of that trail. So we decided to come back and ask one of the guy to come with us.
There are always a couple of guards and even though you don't see them at the first place they will come to you.
They are often ambushing potential thief. They have been really helpful and we did about 4km of that trail. The rangers won't take you all the way to Gamboa but at least they can escort you the first 3km, i you agree to give them a small propina that they really deserve. So the first 3 km of that trail is apparently not really safe! Thought it was worth mentioning.
Also bring a GPS with you you can easily get lost not all the trail is very well marked.
I have followed this trail verified View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Hello, I did the trail on both ways, because at the end there was anyone to cross the lake with. Take food and drinks counting on that, the trails on some parts one can easily lost direction, take the trail on the app and watch. I crossed with 5 groups of monkeys and some more wildlife, it was great.