el serpentario

We had to make special arrangements to get in, since they are not always open, but the effort was most certainly worth it. The owner is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. It was a wonderful lesson and experience for our kids and us. We would recommend a visit to learn and appreciate not just snakes, but the other wildlife of Panama.

Nice exhibit of reptiles and amphibians of the local area and Panama. The place is very laid back and easy to use. Folks visiting also have a chance to handle snakes if you like that sort of thing. The place is also owned by Mario Urriola who just happens to be the best wildlife guide in Panama. If you have the chance, you can hire Mario to take you on some amazing night wildlife hikes. Our night hike with Mario was filled with the great times exploring the forests near El Valle. We found frogs, toads, snakes, spiders, velvet worms, sloths, anole lizards,a nd other interesting giant leaf insects. Great times. Our thanks again to Mario for a wonderful night.

We had a nice 30mn tour with our guide. He explained us the importance of snakes in the local ecosystem in Panama. All the snakes from this center are actually rescued which makes this place even more special!

We had a very informative tour with a guy who translated everything into English for us. So we learned a lot about snakes and we could even hold one! It is a bit difficult to find, but the driver of the local bus knows, where he has to drop you off.

Very knowledgeable volunteer Bill gave us and awesome lecture of snakes and frogs and nature in general in Panama. Awesome place with such an amount of knowledge. You can touch couple of beautiful tame snakes. The place is also very beautiful with lot of trees, plants and flowers. Coul d not have been more happy to visit here!

They have some snakes, but the instalations are the same, no improvements so far. The people they have there have the knowledge and the speech is very interesting.

I was there - but unfortunately : it was not open - nobody could tell me whether or not the owners would show up... (as it was claimed they "show up when they want" by one of the neighbours)

This was a great little place to check out some native snake species, and the owner Mario gives a wonderful tour of the snakes. You can also see tarantulas and scorpions, which Mario explains about their importance in Panama. He speaks Spanish and English, and is very passionate about the wildlife conservation in Panama. A must for animal lovers!

This place was a habitat for snakes and spiders and turtles. Location was unbelievable, beautiful trail getting there. It was raining so the ground was quite wet so it made walking around difficult. The gentleman who runs it spoke english and spanish so he was able to explain about the snakes and where they come from. It looked like there were some interesting things to see if the weather would have been better. Fun just walking to it.

Being a reptile fanatic, I was excited to see what was in here, but also knew what I would probably be in for. It is a small place, the cages aren't perfect, and the snakes seemed like they were most likely plucked from the area. The owner was there and fed several snakes for us and an interpreter explained many of the biofacts they had available. They took out a snake for us to pet as well. It was a cool place, but don't expect the reptile house at the Bronx Zoo.

We must have spent 2 hours here. We got to handle a few of the snakes. The highlight was watching a Boa kill and eat a chicken. This may not be for everyone and we got lucky since they only eat once a week. When you park your car you may wonder if you are in the wrong place. Just follow the signs past the houses. Mario is also a fabulous guide, we hired him for a night hike. I highly recommend that experience.

It's also a small place, rustic...basic...and they basically get there snake when some people find them around there house...My guide was Mario and he speak a good english...He know a lot about the snake....You can also hold one in your hand...Like a lot of place in El Valle, go there with not to much of expectation and you will really like your experience...

O local tem diversos tipos de serpentes e repteis, nada muito surpreendente, faz parte do roteiro turístico!!!

Tienen varias serpientes entre boas, venenosas y no venenosas, los guías explican bien. El sitio puede mejorar en la decoración. Por lo demás esta bien.

Excelente oportunidad para aprender muchas cosas que no sabíamos de estos hermosos e interesantes animales. Un guía te expica y enseña fascinantes aspectos y detalles de las mismas.Se sugiere advertir a los muy menores adoptar un buen comportamiento durante la visita, no hay mic ni parlantes, por lo que se debe guardar silencio para aprovechar al máximo las palabras del guía.