The Changuinola district has a land area of 3,994.7 kmē and 98.310 inhabitants according to the census of 2010, distributed in 186 villages. The population outside the city of Changuinola is predominantly indigenous: the Naso Djerdi live along the Teribe and San San rivers, in the Protector Forest of Palo Seco and La Amistad International Park. In the rest of the region the presence of ngobes is almost total.
There are two small urban areas, the first one limited to the city of Changuinola and the populations of El Empalme and El Silencio, and the second to the city of Almirante. 54% of the population of the district is located in rural and difficult to access areas.
Protected areas such as La Amistad International Park, shared with the province of Chiriqui and Costa Rica, Palo Seco Protector Forest and the Ramsar Wetland of San San-Pond Sack, give an idea of the ecological and tourist importance of this region, yet to be developed in the latter field.
Flowing rivers like the Changuinola, the Teribe, the San San and the Sixaola, form basins that extend throughout the region.
Different sub-regions stand out as attractive for tourism, including:
Teribe River
San San River
Changuinola River
Sixaola River
