Valley of the Flowers, Boquete

Welcome to the Valley of Flowers, Boquete. This post in the series on Panama will provide an introduction to Boquete, which is located in the highlands of the Chiriqui Province in western Panama. It is located on the Caldera River. 

If you are not familiar with Panama, you may want to check out the Panama Tourist Map. It provides a quick overview of the country and points out many of the key sights. You will also find Pananainfo.com very useful. 

You can reach Boquete by car, or if you prefer to fly you will fly into the airport at David.  From Panama City, you can take Air Panama direct to David. When we visited Boquete in 2008 we came from Bocas del Toro and arranged ground transport. It was long but very scenic and interesting drive. The roads throughout Panama overall are quite good and some of the best in Latin America. 

Boquete is almost 4000 feet above sea level. As a consequence the climate is a bit on the cool side. Many of the local Panamanians that live in Panama City will travel to Boquete to escape the summer heat. The town of Boquete is relatively small with around 19,000 residents. It is relatively easy to navigate, provides a nice selection of restaurants and if you need, ATM machines.

One of the highlights within Boquete itself is the residence of Eduardo Gonzales who has turned the gardens of his home into a whimsical world he calls the Villa Marta. It is open from 9am to 6pm, no entrance fee (at the time of this post) and the sign above the entrance states "Mi jardin es su jardin" (My garden is your garden). 

Entrance to the beautiful Villa Marta. 

The Villa Marta is filled with beautiful gardens and whimsical sculptures.

A private chapel for the family. 

One of the many whimsical figures at the Villa Marta. 

When we visited Boquete in 2008 we stayed at the Boquete Garden Inn Hotel, which is located just a bit out of the town's main area. There are about 15 or so other hotels to choose from as well. If you have rented a car (which we did not) it is about a 3-minute drive from town. It is a short and pleasant walk so long as you do not get rained on as we did!! Being in the highlands, light rains are a frequent occurrence in Boquete. 

The Boquete Garden Inn Hotel is a wonderful little boutique hotel.  

Beautiful grounds of the Boquete Garden Inn Hotel. 

Volcan Baru is the only volcano in Panama. At 11,398 feet is the tallest mountain in Panama. While it is very cloudy and lightly misting the while we were in Boquete it was worth a trip the Volcan Barau National Park. 

A nice little waterfall on the way to Parque Nacional Volcan Baru. 

We could not see the top of Vulcan Baru through the thick clouds.

The hiking trails in the park were worth the trip.

A typical farm in the Chiriqui Highlands. 

Panama grows some of the worlds best coffee and it is in the Chiriqui Highlands were much of it is grown. We toured the Cafe Ruiz and learned how coffee was grow, harvested and roasted. We had the opportunity to sample espresso brewed form coffee beans that had just been roasted the previous day. It was without a doubt, the best coffee I have ever tasted in my life, anywhere. 

Fresh picked coffee beans at Cafe Ruiz. 

Watching a small coffee roaster in action. 

Boquete in the Chiriqui Highlands is one of the most temperate and beautiful areas of Panama. it is a bit off the beaten path, but if your schedule allows it is worth the visit. If you are coffee lover then a tour of Cafe Ruiz is very much worth your time, and you will likely pick up a few freshly roasted bags to bring home. 

The next post in this series on Panama will explore the vibrant Casco Viejo (Old Town) are of Panama City.