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I reached my hotel in Boquete in late afternoon. Boquete almost felt like a hill station wearher is lot cooler and less humid. My hotel Hostal Boquete located near a running stream and had a nice view when you sit with a cup off coffie . City center got decorated for Chrismass , I strolled around and had my food at the city centre . Next morning I had booked Boquete Tree Trek adventure. This is half day tour with 11 lines in and total distance of zipline in 3km. Tarzan, 21st century ! Who would have thought that a technology utilized hundreds of years ago by our indigenous people and later perfected by botanists and naturalists to observe and study the behaviors of wild creatures in their natural habitat, would be transformed into one of the most revered extreme sports. A harness, an ultra-resistant steel cable and gravity are the only elements necessary to suspend and propel the “fearless rider” in this incredible “adrenaline rush”.
After finishing the zipline , I booked for a coffee plantaion tour. Latin America has long been revered for its coffee-growing abilities. As of 2023, Latin America grows around 50% of all coffee globally each year. It’s not a huge surprise considering coffee grows in almost any area that has a warm tropical climate. But quality coffee needs elevation and nutrient-rich soil to thrive. Two things the mountains of Chiriqui have in large quantities. Until recently, Panama was often outshined by its neighbors Colombia, Costa Rica, and Peru who produce the bulk of Latin American coffee. But today, Panama is world-renowned for growing far superior, tastier coffee than most of its Latin American counterparts. The beans are mostly Arabica beans and have done incredibly well since their first introduction to Chiriqui.Arabica coffee is known for being dark, bold roasts (my favorite), with diverse tasting notes depending on the varietal. Since Boquete has a unique microclimate that includes lots of rain, high elevation, and cooler temperatures, it’s perfect for growing specialty varietals including like:
- Caturra
- Typica
- Bourbon
- Catuai
- San Ramon
- Giesha
We also saw some Humming Birds, process of pcking coffee beans roast them and at the end taste some of the varaities.
I came back to the town around mid afternoon and still plenty of time left. Someone form a local travel agency advised me to go for a lost waterfall hike. So, I managed to catch a collectivo , asked the driver to drop me at Las Tres Cascadas and after about 30 min I am at the roadside ready to commence the hike. There is a $10 per person entry fee. The hike is through private property so the fee goes to the land owner paying for access and also helps fund the maintenance of the paths; ensuring access remains and providing helpful bannisters and ropes for the steep, slippy sections. Fee is paid at the small sign-in hut at the entrance to the trail, which is about 1km from the main road where the bus dropped me. The whole hike, from the main road and back is only 3.4km so it’s not a long hike. There are some steep, slippy sections and no doubt time was needed to admire the falls . It was about 1.5 hours to complete the hike.
On the steepest, slippiest sections they have installed handrails and ropes to help you which we found particularly useful coming back down on the return journey. It is only a short section between waterfalls 2 & 3 that is like this, the rest of the trail is just uneven underfoot.
After coming back to my hotel and freshening up , I went to Big Dady Grill for dinner. It had great ambience , live music and some of the best fish tacos in the world.
At 4 AM next morning I was picked up from my hotel for a 4 X 4 drive to Volcan Baru. The majestic Volcan Barú with 3,475 meters high, with wonderful views and the opportunity to see the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This is narrowest point of Panama and on clear day one can also see Costarica . The adventure continues with a hike to the top and then we enjoyed a picnic that we have prepared for you, with coffee, hot chocolate, or tea while admiring this destination of great diversity and wildlife. The weather for me was cloudy with no view at all but it was worth a try anyway.
After this I checked out from my hotel and then took a bus to David. Bus took about 1 hr . Near the bus station I found a place to eat and then called a Uber to David airport . This was 25th Chrismas day but unlike in UK I had no problem in getting a taxi . Reached back to my hotel late evening in Panama City.
