Tacarcuna

Tacarcuna refers to a mountainous region in the Darién area of northwestern Panama and eastern Colombia. It lies within the Darién mountain system near the Darién Gap, a sparsely inhabited corridor that separates Central and South America. The terrain is rugged, with dense tropical rainforest, steep ridges, and high rainfall, contributing to high biodiversity and complex hydrology in the watershed that feeds several rivers.

The area around Tacarcuna is traditionally inhabited by Indigenous peoples, including the Embera and Wounaan communities, who maintain cultural practices and subsistence livelihoods in the region. Access is difficult, and travel often requires river routes or overland treks through the rainforest. The region is of interest to conservationists for its biodiversity, as well as to researchers studying biogeography and rainforest ecosystems that bridge Central and South America.

In conservation and regional planning terms, Tacarcuna is associated with discussions of the Darién Province and Darién National Park in Panama, and with cross-border environmental connectivity between Panama and Colombia. The remote status of Tacarcuna has also made it part of broader conversations about border security, deforestation pressures, and sustainable development in the Darién region.

See also: Darién Gap, Darién National Park, Embera and Wounaan peoples, Serranía de Darién.