Ancon Hill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ancon Hill is a steep 654-foot hill which overlooks Panama City, Panama. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the area.

It was under U.S. jurisdiction as part of the Panama Canal Zone for much of the 20th Century, and therefore was never developed like most of the surrounding urbanized parts of the city. The lower slopes contained residences and Gorgas Hospital. Higher up were the residence of the Governor of the Canal Zone, and Quarry Heights, where the U.S. Southern Command was located. Quarry Heights was named for being adjacent to a large rock quarry on one side of the hill, which left a visible cliff face on one side.

As much of it was undeveloped, it became kind of an "island" of jungle in an urban area, where wildlife still survived cut off from other jungle areas. It is not uncommon to see sloths, coutimundi or deer on Ancon Hill. Its status is now protected. Its name is used as an acronym by Panama's environmental group, Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ANCON).

When Panama first regained control of the hill following the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty, one of the first things the country did was fly a large oversized Panamanian flag atop the hill. Also at the top are two broadcast towers, and a small road that reaches these locations. Vehicular traffic is not allowed, but hikers can use the road to reach the summit, and it is a popular jogging and hiking trek. It takes about an hour to reach the top from the parking area in Quarry Heights. Along the path you can see all manner of vegetation and birds, including large number of orchids (all of which are protected by CITES.

When Henry Morgan sacked Panama City, his scouts first climbed Ancon Hill to gain knowledge of the local defenses. ^{[citation needed]} (This is disputable considering that Old Panama is more than 5 miles away. References talk about the use of the Sabanas hills for this purpose. Ancon Hill overlooks the site of the city constructed after Henry Morgan's destruction of Old Panama City). ^{[citation needed]}

Its name was also given to the first ship which transited the Panama Canal in 1914, as well as a township located on its lower slopes.

• Picture of Ancon Hill - showing contrast between the hill and surrounding urban area.
• Cerro Ancon - website dedicated to preserving Ancon Hill.