Meteti is a small town in Panama's Darién Province and effectively the last settlement of any size on the Pan-American Highway before the road gives way to jungle. From here, the pavement continues a bit further to Yaviza, but Meteti is where most travellers heading into the Darién will stop to organise logistics, stock up on supplies at the market, and arrange transport by boat or on foot into the interior.
The town itself is basic — a handful of shops, simple comedores, and not much in the way of tourism infrastructure. But it serves an important function as the gateway to one of the most remote and biodiverse regions in Central America. The Darién National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies to the south and east, home to jaguars, harpy eagles, and indigenous Emberá and Wounaan communities.