Boquete is a mountain valley in a tropical country. Often referred as the "Little Switzerland of Central America", this small charming town is located in the province of Chiriqui, west of Panama, on the on slopes of the Volcano Baru. Its summit at 3475 meters (11000 feet) is the highest point in Panama. The Baru volcano has two touristic areas, Boquete on the easter slopes and the town of Volcan, Bambito, Guadalupe and Cerro Punta on the occidental side.
The area of Chiriqui is considered the region of the eternal spring for the beautiful and colorful flowers and trees that grow on the road banks. The mountains loop drives through the mountain range is of amazing beauty, with rivers running through canyons, green valleys at the foot of the mountains, and a rainbow in every corner of the road.
Boquete is famous for its good weather, one of the best in the world. It is said its healthy mountain sunny and cool climate, is the secret to its longevity population that have lived well on past their one-hundredth birthdays. The incredible views, the mountains, its abundant vegetation, the flowers and strawberries, make this place a national and international touristic spot destination. The most tasteful coffee from Panama is produced in Boquete.
The hillside of the mountains are covered with coffee plantations that are harvested between September and April. The work is done by the indians Guaymi (Ngöbe - Buglé) whose women wear a colorful typical dress called “Nahua”.
The greatest annual event is the Flower and the Coffee Festival. Coffee tours to the fincas, localy called "beneficios", are arranged where they explain the whole process of the coffee production. You will find flowers and gardens in all its splendor between December and May. It is possible to observe them throughout the year on the festival land, on the Caldera river banks, as well as on the plantations and flowerbeds.
The bird-watching is one of the principal atractions. Come to see the national bird, the Resplandecent Quetzal. The flora and fauna is equal to the cloud forests where you will be able to see the Three-Wattled Bellbird, hummingbirds, howler monkeys, agouti, and pygmy squirrel. It is less frequent, but sometimes sited, the puma, jaguarundi, kinkajou, the mexican porcupine, marguay, diverse monkeys, exotic birds and butterflies.
On the area you can enjoy Caldera volcanic Hot Springs, cascade waterfalls, the Quetzal trail and sheer volcanic cliffs. Boquete is the headquarter for rafting with rapids class II, III, IV and V. It is also a good spot for canopy, kayak, horseback riding through spectacular countryside landscapes, and 4 wheel tours to the foot of the Volcano Barú.
The volcano is located within a National Park and visitors have to pay an entrance fee. You can reach the entrance of the National Park by vehicle, and from then onwards there is a hiking of 6 hours to reach the summit. There are tours to the volcano starting at midnight, reaching the top at dawn and descending back to the city by noon. You can camp there but remember the temperatures are below 0 degrees (32 Fahrenheits). You can climb to the summit of the Volcano Barú and see the sunrise over the two oceans.
