The Darién Gap is a geographic region in the Isthmus of Darien or Isthmus of Panama connecting the North and South American continents within Central America, consisting of a large watershed, forest, and mountains in Panama’s Darién Province and the northern portion of Colombia’s Chocó Department.
The “gap” bisects the Pan-American Highway, of which the 106 km (66 mi) between Yaviza, Panama, on one side, and Turbo, Colombia, on the other, have not been built. Road-building through this area is expensive and detrimental to the environment.
The political consensus in favor of road construction collapsed after an initial attempt failed in the early 1970s, with a proposal in the early 1990s halted by serious environmental concerns.
As of 2023, there was no active plan to build a road through the gap, although there has been discussion of setting up a ferry service.
