El_Real_de_Santa_María
El Real de Santa María
Corregimiento in Darién, Panama
El Real de Santa María is a corregimiento in Pinogana District, Darién Province, Panama with a population of 1,183 as of 2010.[1] It is the seat of Pinogana District.[1] Its population as of 1990 was 1,201; its population as of 2000 was 1,185.[1]
The town of El Real is on the Pirre River, a small tributary of the Tuira River. It is 17 kilometres (11 mi) by boat to the town of Yaviza, the terminus of the Pan American Highway.[2][3]
The town was founded by the Spanish as a fort in 1665 to protect their gold mining interests in the area.[4] The English Buccaneer Bartholomew Sharp took over the town and fort in 1680, but found the Spanish had removed most of the gold they hoped to seize, and left after a few days.[5]
El Real Airport is an airstrip serving the area.