The Beauty of Boquete

Volcan Baru:

I will definitely make another trip to Panama, and when I go I will definitely go back to Boquete, and when I get there I will definitely do another hike up Volcan Baru. That hike was by far the best experience I had during my two weeks in Panama, but I will let you browse my Volcan Baru journal for more information on that highlight, and focus on the other reasons to make Boquete a must-see in Panama.


People:

What made Boquete such an awesome place to visit was the people I met who were incredibly nice and helpful. From the tour guides to the restaurant owners to the hostel housekeeper - everyone had pride in their small town and were all about making guests feel welcome.

The first day in Boquete, before I really understood how the rain worked there, I was caught walking around when the skies opened up. I ducked into a sewing shop to escape the downpour and buy an umbrella. I was greeted by 5 wonderful women who instantly became like mothers to me, helping me get the necessary items I would need for my hike up Baru.

Un Poco Dinero:

Another really neat quality of Boquete is the cost (or lack there of). You can eat a very filling, very healthy, very appetizing meal for under . The climate around Boquete affords perfect conditions for growing vegetables, and they take advantage of that! I must say that I don't care for veggies, but I cleaned my plate at every sitting, broccoli and all.

Also due to the climate, Boquete is famous for their coffee - and for good reason. Tours are available to see the coffee plantations.

Activities:

Some notable things to do:
▪ Caldera hot springs
▪ Coffee tours (Cafe Ruiz or Kotowa)
▪ Tree Trek
▪ White-water rafting (Panama Rafters or Chiriqui Rafters)

Quick Tips:

Lluvia:

So how is it that Boquete is so beautiful? And how is it that the vegetables and coffee are so great here? And what about all those amazing waterfalls and rivers? Oh yeah, rain! In Boquete, the rain usually comes around 1-2pm and go until about 4-5pm. First tip is: invest in an umbrella. They can be purchased at any of the shops in Boquete and are around -3.

Because of the afternoon rain, it is best to do all your hiking and sightseeing in the morning, spending the rainy afternoon playing card games in your hotel or sipping some coffee at one of the coffee shops. Make sure the place you are staying at has hot water showers to help you warm up!

Chilly:

Boquete is at about 4,000 feet elevation and gets nice and cool at night - activities done after the sun goes down will likely require a jacket or sweater. Also, take a parka or extra clothes if there is a risk of getting wet, hypothermia is no fun.

If you are daring enough to hike Volcan Baru, bring warm clothing for the top, as you are exposed to the wind - trust me, it was cold!

Suggested Itinerary:

Give yourself enough time in Boquete to do all the fun activities you can without trying to cram it all into 2 days. I would suggest something like this:
▪ Day 1: 2 hikes or Tree Trek
▪ Day 2: White-water rafting
▪ Day 3: Coffee tour and/or Garden tour
▪ Day 4: Volcan Baru hike (leave at midnight) or Caldera hot springs + hike

Best Way To Get Around:

To & From Boquete:

David, located about 25 miles south of Boquete, can be reached either by air (, 30 minutes) or by bus (, 2 hours). Buses leave from David from 6am to 9pm every hour and cost under . The buses are school-bus type, but clean and comfortable enough for just an hour and a half drive. The two-lane highway from David to Boquete is well-kept and heavily used - and the scenery on the trip is interesting enough that the time goes by quickly. If you don't want to travel the 25 miles by bus, you can get a taxi (which gets you there sooner, under an hour) - but is more expensive.


Around Town:

After arriving in Boquete, I suggest staying in a hotel or hostal within walking distance of the main square area that you are dropped off in. Boquete is a small town, and walking around is very enjoyable - and inexpensive. If you must stay at the more lavish hotels outside Boquete, you will need to take taxis to/from the hotels. When walking around Boquete, especially if you will be out in the afternoon, you should take an umbrella (or be prepared to purchase one at a shop).

Most tourist activities (coffee tours, white-water rafting, hiking, bird watching, etc.) will provide transportation from your hotel or hostal. If you decide to hike Volcan Baru without a guide, you will most likely need a taxi to the East Entrance. Set up a time for that taxi to come back to pick you up (allow for 10-14 hours).

Where It Is:
When you get off the bus from David, head towards the yellow bridge spanning the Rio Caldera and turn left just before crossing the bridge. Hostal Boquete is on your right about a block down.

The owner of this quiet Hostal speaks English and is very friendly (he also lives in the upstairs room in the front). The rooms are clean, but the beds are not that comfortable (as expected). The showers are hot, which is important because Boquete is cold and you will undoubtedly get wet.

The housekeeper doesn’t speak English but is the nicest lady and is extremely helpful. For a small fee, she will do your laundry and when your shoes are wet, she will let you dry them by the dryer vent behind the dryer (works very well).

What It's Got
My room had 2 beds, a closet with hangers, shower, sink and toilet, a few pictures, and little else. For my second night I was asked to change to a single room to make way for some British travelers. The second room was upstairs (more of a ladder actually), and had less water pressure, but had a small balcony that more than made up for it. At night, an open window will let in a cool breeze and the wonderful soothing sound of the Rio Caldera. Both rooms had televisions with reasonable reception, but come on - you can watch TV anywhere, go for a hike!

Why It's Good
I met some travelers who were staying at the Cabanas La Via Lactea, which they described as being "average," but they complained of being too far from town. Hostal Boquete is a block from the town square, which is the main hub for the buses, hiking, rafting, and bird watching. Dining, shops, and activities are all within walking distance, making this Hostel extremely convenient.

At only $11 a night, Hostal Boquete is a fantastic deal. When I return to Boquete, I will stay at Hostal Boquete again. I highly recommend this Hostel for anyone who doesn't mind a slightly uncomfortable bed and plain walls.

El Sabroson:

Located in the center of Boquete, on Central Avenue, El Sabroson is very convienent and easy to find. As there have been two other excellent reviews on El Sabroson, I will exclude some things to avoid duplication. Almost all of the locals eat here, and for very good reason. The food is excellent and the price couldn't be better. I ate at El Sabroson twice, once for dinner and once for breakfast.

For dinner I chose chicken, potatoes, rice, beans, some veggies, bread, and a coke. Total came to about $4. The chicken was very flavorful, as well as the rice. The potatoes were a little bland, but a few shakes of salt fixed that. The veggies were of course killer and I although I didn't eat the fish, I smelled it from the plate across from me and it made my mouth water.

El Sabroson opens around 6:30am, so it was perfect before my white-water rafting trip. For breakfast I had two eggs, scrambled, with some almost-hash brown things. The eggs were great, not too runny - but the hash brown thingys were bland (again a little salt fixed that). Add to that a cup of juice and my wallet was $3 lighter.

You can spot El Sabroson by the large blue Pepsi sign out front. Not much can be said for the decor of El Sabroson - but come on, you are in Boquete. You aren't here for fancy restaurants with froo-froo waiters and 21-piece table settings. All you need is some good, cheap food to fill your tank for your next hike.

The people working at El Sabroson are extremely friendy, especially with non-locals.
Dolores helped me with my Spanish while dishing out my food, and later the next day I saw her and she asked if I was the "gringo loco" who went up Volcan Baru.

Setting It Up:
While hiking the Mono trail, I ran into a couple from New York (T.J. and Bonnie) and the three of us decided that we would go white-water rafting together. When we got back to town and went to Panama Rafters to get signed up. As it turned out, there was another couple from Durango, Colorado who were signed up to go rafting, so we had a full boat.

Panama Rafters is within walking distance of the main town square, located next to Java Juice on Main street. We got sized for the water shoes and helmets, paid the $90, and signed the "I won't sue if I die" forms. We were told to bring sun-screen, a hat, some dry clothes, water, and our passport/ID.
To The River
The next morning, Kevin picked me up at my hostel in his van and after picking up the other rafters we headed south to David. At David, we turned west on the Pan-American highway towards Costa Rica.

Along the way, we ran over some palm tree fronds and got a flat tire - had to stop and change it, and then were back on our way. A little later we pulled off the highway and took a dirt road to the entrance to the Chiriqui River.
The Raft Will Never Flip
While the guides set up the raft, Kevin goes over the safety precautions and general rafting instructions. Having never rafted before, I didn't know what to expect, but when Kevin started explaining what to do if the raft flips over, I thought to myself "yeah right, we aren't going to flip over - give me a break."

Kevin knows a whole lot about Boquete and the Chiriqui area. He only hires quality English-speaking, friendly guides and cares very much about the safety of his guests. Panama Rafters have excellent rafts in great condition. It was a pleasure to meet Kevin and I will gladly give him my business the next time I am in Panama.
The River
After a good long rain the day before, we were assured that the Rio Chiriqui Viejo would not dissapoint, and from the very beginning I was extremely impressed. With my original expectation of looking around at the scenery and paddling every once in a while, I was delightfully surprised to find that I didn't have many opportunities to take in the beautiful landscape around me. Even with my digital camera in it's underwater housing secured to my life jacket within easy reach, I did not have more than half a dozen chances to snap a picture before I was being commanded to row again.

The river was almost non-stop rapids. Thankfully, Kevin had taught us the less-tiring way of paddling (using your whole body vs using your arms). Minute by minute the rapids kept coming, an hour later we were still paddling our way down the mighty river, giving paddle high-fives after each section we conquered.

River Stats:
▪ 94 total rapids
▪ A couple class V
▪ Half a dozen class IV
▪ Dozen or so class III
▪ 17 miles long
▪ 4 hours of rafting time

About two hours down the river, we steered over to a sandy bank and stopped for lunch. Consisting of sandwhiches, pineapples, juice, and snack bars - the lunch was perfect. After a quick rest on the bank of the river, we boarded the raft and headed back out. At one of the class IV rapids, we pulled the raft over to the side to scope out which path to take. The guides agreed on how to best manuever this area and we attacked it.

Oh My Gosh The Raft Just Flipped!
It took me a moment to realize what had just happened when I hit the water. The raft flipped completely over without any warning whatsoever. In a second I was washing-machined 20 feet down the rapid before I was able to right myself and get my legs up (as Kevin had taught us). Bonnine was in front of me (which was upstream as I was going backwards) and she was in full-on panic mode. I have never seen eyes so big - I reminded her to keep her feet up and tried to calm her by joking about the flip, which helped a litte.

Amazingly, I still had my paddle and my camera, and now all I had to do was make it down the rest of this rapid and swim to the side - easier said than done. I will admit that a slight (very slight) amount of panic coursed through my veins when it looked like I wouldn't make it to the shore and would be going through the next set of rapids raft-less. I made it safely to the shore, as did Bonnie, and even though we were a bit shook up, we were all smiles.

Going through a class IV rapid in the raft is extremely exciting stuff - going through without the raft... pure adrenaline! I am 26 years old, so I have energy in place of wisdom - flipping over in a class IV rapid for me was fun - if you are older (and wiser) you may seek less-risky forms of entertainment. No one got hurt, and no one was unhappy that we flipped, we were all excited to tell our friends and families of the amazing experience.

An hour or so of still-exciting rafting later, we were back on land at the Costa Rican border, tired but satisfied. Kevin met us with the van and we loaded up the raft - eagerly telling of our adventure. We dried off and headed back to Boquete, napping in the van on the way back.

The Guide:
When I arrived in Boquete I met Tony, a local guide who speaks English (read more about him in my Where there's a will... review). After checking into my hostel, Hostal Boquete, I met up with Tony to go hike the Bajo Mono Trail.

Quetzal!
Not knowing much about birds, and not caring much either (sorry bird-watchers), I wasn't too worried about seeing the famous bird of Boquete - the Quetzal (pronounced "kate-zal"). I heard many stories of people dying to see one of these birds and hiking day after day just for a glimpse, disappointedly never seeing one. I probably make all those people very angry when I say that I got to see one after just 15 minutes of hiking. The bird is quite beautiful, and larger than I thought it would be - but honestly, I really don't understand the attraction to bird-watching (again, sorry).

The Quetzal flew above us and landed on a tree about 20 yards away. Before I had a chance to get my camera out, it flew off in a flash of color back into the cloud forest. "Did you see that?!?!", exclaimed Tony with a giant smile - "You are very lucky!" Well... I like to think that it wasn't luck; rather it was due to my panther-like prowess.

What I did find interesting were the very large, extremely old trees on the trail. Some, according to Tony, were over 500 years old! The lush jungle that the trail cuts through is spectacular, and those gigantic trees were amazing to see, the pictures I took of them really didn't do them justice. What was really strange about those large trees was that they were home to upwards of dozens of other forms of vegetation including vines, moss, and even other types of trees.
Fresh Water
Along the trail, there are moss-covered water pipes that lead back down the mountainous jungle towards Boquete. Fresh water supplying the town apparently, fed from the mountain spring water - there is no such thing as a water shortage in Boquete (as there in my hometown, Tucson).

The trail ends at the magnificent San Ramon waterfall. The water cascades down creating huge mist clouds that spread out into the jungle. The closer I got to the falls the wetter I became, and I was not able to get close-up shots of the falls for fear of damaging my camera. Time didn't allow much exploration around the falls area, but it appeared that there might be a way to hike to the top of the falls, providing, I am sure, an amazing view of the jungle landscape.
Rained Out
It started to sprinkle a little just after we reached the falls, and Tony suggested that we head back to town. As we started back, it really started to pour, and the jungle didn't provide enough cover to prevent us from getting completely soaked. Luckily, I had a plastic bag for my camera and wallet - and a dry set of clothes back at my hostel. Quickly but carefully so as not to slip, we made our way back to the main road back to Boquete.

This hike should have been done earlier in the morning. The afternoon rain cut it short and I did not have enough time in the Boquete area to do it again. When I return to Boquete, I will definitely venture up the Bajo Mono trail, but solo so I can take my time. There are also many other beautiful trails around Boquete deserving of exploration.