The Darién Gap is one of the most mysterious and perilous places on Earth, a dense wilderness that interrupts the modern world’s longest roadway and is simultaneously the embodiment of beauty and danger. Stretching between North and South America, this unforgiving landscape has long resisted human conquest.
In recent years, the Gap has become infamous as a treacherous passage for people fleeing poverty, violence, and instability, hoping to carve a path toward safety and opportunity. But why is this part of our planet so treacherous? And if there are dangers lurking in the wilderness, why do people cross it? Click on to find out.