Barro Colorado Island Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
island
About Barro Colorado Island
The island has no permanent residents though there is a scientific research station on the island that is operated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Scientists have been studying life on the island for more than 80 years. The island covers an area of 15.6 square kilometers. The island came into existence in 1913 when Lake Gatun was flooded as part of the Panama Canal construction. The U.S. government designated Barro Colorado as a protected natural reserve in 1923. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute established their research center on the island in 1946 and the Smithsonian became the administrators of the island. After 1999, when the U.S. government pulled out of the Panama Canal Zone and turned the canal over to Panamanian administration, the island became part of
Barro Colorado Island Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 10 sections including: