Darien has an area of 11,896.5 square kilometers. It is located on the far eastern side of the country and is bordered to the north by Panama province and the Comarca Kuna Yala. To the south it is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the country of Colombia. It is bordered on the east by Colombia and to the west by the Pacific Ocean and Panama.

Darien province is made up of mountainous jungle with temperatures that vary between 63 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit making for a humid tropical climate. The primary vegetation of Darien are its forests. Darien's isolation and its rich diversity in flora and fauna, as well as in its indigenous peoples, create in the Darien jungle an enchanting Eco tourism destination. In the San Miguel Gulf, shrimp, fish, and lobster are abundant and fished and harvested by a fleet operating from Panama City. In the rivers of the interior of the province locals practice traditional fishing principally for their family's consumption.

The Darien area was discovered by Europeans in 1501. The first Spanish colony, Santa Maria la Antigua de Darien, was founded in the year 1510. Vasco Nuñez de Balboa set out from the colony Santa Maria to discover the Pacific Ocean in 1513. In 1698 a Scottish expedition founded a colony in the Darien, but the adventure ended in failure. In 1922 Darien became a province in the Republic of Panama.

Today the province is sparsely populated with communities primarily located along the banks of rivers which are the principal transportation routes. The population is made up of Mulattoes, blacks, Chocoe indigenous, and settlers from other areas of Panama. Among customs practiced by the Chocoe people are body painting, wood and seed carving, and basket-making. La Palma is the capital of the province located at the mouth of the Tuira River, famous for its market where indigenous people gather. The town of Yaviza is the final point of the Pan-American highway and also is the location of the ruins of the old Spanish fort that once protected the entrance to the Cana gold mines and the Turquoise River.

Darien province contains the Darien National Park, the largest park in Central America with a territory of 579 thousand hectares. In 1981 the park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as one of the most important ecologically-rich areas of the world. In the park are found species such as the macaw, parrot, tapir, and Harpy eagle. Visitors to the park will be charmed by the beauty of the forest landscapes. To visit the park it is recommended travel by plane from Panama City to the town of El Real which serves as the main entrance access to the park via river.