Why Boquete?

Although just 8.9 degrees above the equator, at 1,085 meters (3,560 ft.), the town of Bajo Boquete is cool, when compared to the nearby city of David. Boquete River Inn is to the left of km marker # 29.

Boquete is spectacularly set in the lush, always green hills bordering both sides of the valley of the Rio Caldera. Panama’s Central Cordillera (mountain range) is renowned for its’ fresh air, clean drinkable water, cooler temperatures, humidity-free climate, prolific flowers and verdant vegetation.

These conditions together combine to make Boquete’s coffee, grown in our rich volcanic soil, rated among the best in the world. Oranges and other tasty local fruits grow in abundance, and there are plenty of fresh, locally-grown, quality vegetables too.

HOLIDAYS

The rush of ‘dias feriados’ or holidays, starts off with a bang. There are 3 in November alone.

November 3rd is the celebration of Panama´s Separation from Colombia.

November 10th, called the Primero Grio de Independencia (mainly celebrated on the Azuero Peninsula).

November 28th, when Panama celebrates its’ Independence from Spain. Big parades, many bands in Boquete.

December  8th as Mother’s Day.

December 25th as Christmas and December 31st New Years´Eve. Don’t look for anyone in the bars until after midnight, as most Panamanians stay at home with the family, to celebrate the arrival of the New Year; then go out after midnight till way past dawn.

January 9th is Martyr’s Day. The annual Coffe and flower fair in Boquete surrounds that date.

February, March and April see revolving dates centered around the Lenten season. Carnival (Carnavales) runs February 13-15th,  and Easter (Semana Santa) April 1-3rd. In Mid-March the Feria International San Jose-David runs in near by David.

THINGS TO SEE/DO IN BOQUETE PANAMA

Boquete Tree Trek	Zip platform to platform through trees
White Water Rafting	¨You’ll wet your pants!¨
Caldera Hot Springs	Warm up and cuddle up
Panama Rock Climbing	Climb amazing rock formations
Bird-watching – see list at bottom of page	¨Shhh… Is that a quetzal?¨
Coffee Tours	See the story on the best coffee grown.
Horseback Riding	Clippity-clop… Now hold ‘er steady there!
Hike to the top of Volcan Barú	See both oceans
Hike over Volcan Barú to Cerro Punta	Work those legs, lungs..

BEACHES/DAY-TRIPS

* Soothe your soul in the warm Pacific waters at Las Lajas (1 hr. 50 minutes from Boquete… and/or Playa La Barqueta, 1 hr. away. These beaches are sandy, but lack the shelter of palm trees. Las Lajas offers a few ‘primitive’ places to eat and stay. La Barqueta, although closer to Boquete, is a bit sterile, with few facilities.

* Travel to Volcan and further up the ‘other’ side of Volcan Baru. Enjoy a meal at Los Quetzales resort. See Panama’s breadbasket, and take in spectacular views of crops grown straight up a mountain-side.

* For a view at how chaotic a border can be, travel to Paso Canoas, the principle entry point for goods (and tourists) arriving from next door Costa Rica. Lots of ‘duty-free’ shops who deal in either dollars or colones.

* Visit Los Cangilones in Gualaca. Unique rock formations provide a great opportunity for kids and adults to jump into the warm water pools below.

BIODIVERSITY

65% of Panama remains forested. That wasn’t always the case, but now, reforestation is taken seriously. The area around Boquete features a multitude of birds and butterflies. Often sighted are toucans, quetzals, the harpy eagle (our national bird), the king vulture, and hummingbirds. Birds are most frequent around dawn. Butterfly sightings begin right outside your cabin; others around our pool.
This country is an entomologist’s delight. Because of its location between the America’s, Panama presents more varieties of insects and birds than any other place in the western hemisphere.

BIRDS SEEN ON/FROM OUR PROPERTY

Red Crowned Woodpecker  Tropical Mockingbird Tropical Kingbird  Great Kiskadee  Red-legged Honeycreeper Palm Tanager Red-crowned Ant Tanager Blue and gray Tanager White-tipped Dove  Ruddy ground Dove Sulphur-breasted Flycatcher  Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Black & White Warbler

Yellowish Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Elaenia Lesser Elaenia House wren Plain wren Chestnut-sided Warbler Chestnut-capped Warbler Streaked Flycatcher Piratic Flycatcher Social Flycatcher Blue-chested Hummingbird Scintillant Hummingbird Rufous-tailed Hummingbird White-vented Plumeleter The common Potoo

Tropical Gnatcatcher Broad-winged Hawk Short-tailed Hawk White Hawk Lesser Goldfinch Panama Flycatcher Long-tailed Grackle Red-fronted Parakeet Orange-chinned Parakeet Baltimore Oriole Squirrel Cuckoo Common Paraque Blue-crowned Motmot Yellow Warbler Black-striped Sparrow

Chestnut-headed Oropendula Collared Swift Blue & White Swallow Olive Sparrow Yellow-throated Euphonia Whip poor Will Butt-throated saltator Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Eastern Kingbird Cattle Egret White-throated Robin Bay-headed Tanager Swaintan Hawk Peregrine Falcon Tennessee Warbler Summer Tanager