Destinations
Western Highlands
Rising from the Pacific side of the isthmus, these highlands are the habitat of the mysterious quetzal, the sacred bird of the Maya and Aztec peoples. Close to these forests is also where some of the best coffee in the world is grown.
A Beautiful Drive
East of Boquete, the road that links the Pan-American Highway to the Caribbean Coast is one of the most beautiful drives that can be made in Panama. As you gradually go up the mountains from the Pacific side towards the Caribbean, you’ll find yourself surrounded by giant ferns, orchids a bromeliads. If the weather is fair, there is a superb view from the top.
Then, descending towards the other side with small Guaymí indigenous villages left and right, in the middle of an amazingly exuberant vegetation, you finally reach the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea and the small town of Almirante. This town is Panama’s banana plantation center and the departing point of the fast boats that join mainland to the Bocas del Toro Archipelago. A bit further west, the road reaches Sixaola, bordering with with Costa Rica.
Boquete, Volcán and Cerro Punta
Boquete
This mountainous town is the main coffee producer in the country. Panama’s coffee, a high quality Arabica has won several international awards and recently its Geisha variety broke global records at the major international competitions. With its cool weather and rich volcanic soil, it is also possible to grow all kinds of vegetables and fruits, including strawberries!
The mountains in this region originate in the Talamanca range, and are almost completely covered with mountain and cloud forests and protected under La Amistad International Park (so called because the reserve is shared with Costa Rica at the other side of the border). It is home to a great number of rivers making it a prime destination for white water rafting. Between Cerro Punta and Boquete lies the impressive Baru Volcano, the highest peak in the country (3,474 m).
Boquete is a well developed tourist destination with many small hotels. With an elevation at 1,200 m above sea level and with its spring-like weather and quaint houses, it may remind you of a little Switzerland… except with Guaymi indigenous people wearing their colourful dresses! One of the highlights in Boquete is to visit coffee plantations and processing plants and the town also hosts a famous flower festival every year. Cloud forest hikes are also a must, the famous Quetzal Trail links Boquete to the small village of Cerro Punta, on the other side of the Barú Volcano. It is a 5-hour hike through mountain and cloud forest.
Tours and activities:
- Visit coffee plantations
- Jungle hikes
- Birdwatching
- White water rafting
- Canopy zip lining
- Hanging bridges rainforest tour
Volcán and Cerro Punta
Cerro Punta is a small town in the middle of flower and vegetable farms. It is also well known for its orchids. At an altitude of 2,000 m and right on the edge of the cloud forest, Cerro Punta is one of the best places in Central America to observe the magnificent quetzal, one of the most beautiful birds in the world.
Tours and activities:
- Jungle hikes
- Birdwatching
- Visit of orchid farm