Built in 1965, Canopy Tower is located on the top of Semaphore Hill in the midst of Soberanía National Park. The five-story tower is surrounded by the best birding spots in Central Panama. Each level offers a different view of the forest where you can observe hundreds of species right from your window and from its roof you can see the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and the skyline of Panama City all 30 minutes away. In the Canopy Tower there is an observation deck where a guide with a 20 x 60 mag Kowa telescope will help you identify wildlife.

The Canopy Tower level by level:

Flat roof (5th floor) - is a great place to watch the canopy, as well as the Panama Canal and, in the distance, the skyline of the city.

Top floor (4th floor) - is used as the main dining area, and is completely surrounded by panoramic windows. It is covered by a 30 feet high geotangent dome (a variation of Bucky Fuller's famous geodesic dome).

Third floor - houses six two-person bedrooms with large windows and a full bathroom with hot-water showers each.

Second Floor - is a mezzanine with more windows adds viewing opportunities of the lower levels of the forest canopy.

Ground floor - houses exhibits about the environment and the surrounding forest and the animals that live in it.

Once a radar lookout for the US army, the distinctive Canopy Tower sits at an altitude of 900 feet above sea level The Canopy Tower is located in the heart of Soberanía National Park, and virtually surrounded by the best birding spots in Central Panama. Most of these hot spots are a mere 10 minute drive from the Tower, and others, such as the Metropolitan Nature Park or Madden Dam, are less than half an hour away.

The Canopy Tower is located on the Atlantic Slope, but very close to the continental divide. Therefore, it is a great place from which to get a good sense of the differences in habitat between the two slopes, and the different birds that inhabit them. The Canopy Tower is also ideal for those with a general interest in exploring the tropical forest. Giant, iridescent Morpho Butterflies flash their blue wings at you as you ride up the twisting road up to the Tower. Howler Monkeys startle you with a sudden roar overhead. Each shrub, tree and flower seems to be different from the last, reflecting Soberanía's extraordinary diversity.