Hitting the Beach

Panama without a doubt has some of the most exquisite beaches in the world. And while it's tempting to want to buy a beautiful home with picture windows overlooking the ocean, we've decided it's far better to visit the beach than to live there.

Isla Gamez

Coastal temperatures in Panama, even with breezes coming off the water, are scorching. It's absolutely lovely if you're in a swimsuit sipping a frozen drink under a palm tree, but that kind of heat is not something we want to contend with every day.

The good news is there are dozens of spectacular beaches within easy driving distance of Boquete, including the world-famous Bocas del Toro archipelago of islands off the Caribbean side of Panama. In February we stayed at the Red Frog Beach island resort on Isla Bastimentos, one of the larger islands in the region. The coastal town of Almirante, where you catch the ferry to Bocas Town, is about 175 km away or a three hour and 15 minute drive from Boquete through scenic mountains.

Closest to us, about 65 km away or an hour and fifteen minute drive through the city of David, is the Las Olas beach resort on Playa La Barqueta. Another great getaway is the Show Pony beach resort on Playa Las Lajas, also on the Pacific, about 126 km away or a two-hour drive.

One of Dave's favorites is Boca Chica, a small fishing village that juts out into the Gulf of Chiriqui surrounded by dozens of tiny islands. It's about 95 km away or an hour and 35 minute drive from Boquete. In January we stayed for a few days at the Bocas del Mar resort, which has a fabulous swimming pool, excellent restaurant and hammocks overlooking the water. We took a day trip on a small boat to the tiny, uninhabited Isla Gámez, which has a picture-perfect swimming beach.

Las Lajas

In March, we crossed the border into Costa Rica to stay at the Hotel Banana Azul on Playa Negra, near the charming beach town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The area is above the Bocas del Toro region on the Caribbean side, in the Guanacaste province in Costa Rica. While there we spent a day on Playa Punta Uva, which has spectacular clear, turquoise water and white sand.

Generally, beaches on the Pacific side of Panama are best for relaxing under an umbrella or walking, but not swimming. There are strong currents and undertows that make swimming a challenge, if not dangerous. Beaches on the Atlantic/Caribbean side are usually perfect for swimming, with clear water and smooth sandy bottoms.

Still, location makes a big difference. On an earlier trip to Bocas del Toro, we had a lovely day in the water on Starfish beach, off Bocas Town, as well as the beach in front of our rental on Isla Carenero. But big waves and pounding surf at Red Frog beach prevented us from getting in the water there.

At the end of the day, all the beaches we've been to have had extraordinary sunsets, and equally as beautiful sunrises. So there's no wrong choice when it comes to beaches in Panama.

Red Frog Beach, Bocas del Toro

Hotel Banana Azul, Costa Rica

Outdoor Adventures

Boquete well deserves its reputation as one of the premier tourist hot-spots in Panama. Incredible weather, lush rainforests, world-class coffee plantations and gorgeous mountain views attract Panamanians and foreigners alike.

Over the past nine months, we've taken a number of hikes on our own and paid for guided tours as well, particularly when our college-aged son has come to visit. Easily the most spectacular was the guided trek to the top of Volcan Baru, the tallest mountain in Panama at 3,474 meters (11,398 feet), and twelfth highest peak in Central America.

The town of Boquete lies in a valley at the foot of Volcan Baru, which last erupted in 1550, or 472 years ago. A side note, we took a geologic tour of the valley led by Paul Myers, a retired University of Wisconsin professor, who lives in the area. Myers says that while this volcano usually erupts every 400 years or so, we'll all have plenty of warning.

Top of Volcan Baru at sunrise

Although some very fit hikers attempt to climb the volcano from the bottom, we paid an experienced, native guide to drive a modified 4x4 truck up the insanely rock-filled path (I'd hesitate to call it a road) almost to the top. Our guide picked us up at 3:30 a.m. for the roughly two-hour drive. Near the top we got out and hiked in the freezing cold for about 20 minutes to the peak, where we watched the sun rise.

On a clear day you can see both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans from the peak of Volcan Baru. The sunrise and views were absolutely breathtaking, and we met travelers from Europe who had come specifically to hike this volcano. Shout out to the bilingual folks at Boquete Outdoor Adventures for top-notch guides.

Hiking trails abound through the rainforests surrounding Boquete, and many trails pass by spectacular waterfalls. We've been on some well-maintained trails with steps and handrails, and some overgrown trails that require a GPS map to find. And because of the incredible variety of birds, animals, flowers and plants, we've downloaded a few apps to our phones to help identify the more interesting species.

Waterfall hike

Within a couple hours driving distance, we've jumped off canyon walls into the river at Los Cangilones de Gualaca, and soaked in the natural thermal pools of the Caldera Hot Springs. We took our son zip-lining over the rainforest canopy at Boquete Tree Trek, high up in the mountains. While there we took a guided 4.5 km hike where we crossed six different hanging bridges suspended between the mountains.

And after all that, we still haven't exhausted all the tourist activities in the area. We're told the upcoming rainy season is the perfect time to try whitewater rafting!

Getting Around in Boquete

Boquete, Panama, is a small town with big ambitions. We've only lived here since September 2022, and already we can see changes big and small happening all around us.

Old-timers fondly recall the slower pace of life in what was once rural Boquete, when caballeros rode into town on horseback. And while you can still see horses on side streets, and pull up and park at the front door of most stores in town, the main avenue through Boquete is often jammed with cars.

Horses on the side streets of Boquete

Boquete doesn't have traffic lights, and only a few stop signs that are largely taken as a suggestion. Taxis will stop in the street to pick up passengers, and cars are parked anywhere they can more or less fit.

Buses are the primary mode of transportation in the area: they're cheap, go everywhere, and will pick up and drop off anywhere along their routes. Big coaches and repurposed school buses run continuously from Boquete to the city of David, while 10-seater vans known as "coasters" connect neighborhoods and towns across the region.

Speeding buses and taxis, narrow streets, deep gutters, and pedestrians and animals walking into traffic are all common in downtown Boquete. Still, the expectation is that drivers wait, let others in, and pull around when necessary. Honking is more informative than angry.

There is a police presence in Boquete, primarily along the main highway that runs for roughly 40 km from Boquete to David, the second-largest city in Panama. There is a permanent police checkpoint on the highway about 10 km before you reach Boquete.

Speeds on the highway range from 40 km/h to 80 km/h without much notice or signage, and keeping up with traffic earned us our first speeding ticket in Panama this year. It was a pretty perfunctory stop though and tickets are recorded electronically, so easy to pay online later.

Rainbow over Boquete

The town of Boquete lies in a valley flanked by neighborhoods perched on the surrounding mountainsides, notably Jaramillo and Volcancito. When we first arrived and were searching for a rental property, we spent time exploring these and other high-altitude areas, and were glad to have our four wheel drive Toyota.

Most of the neighborhoods in the mountains surrounding Boquete are only accessible by narrow, winding, and sometimes gravel roads. More than once I had to grab the seat after looking over the edge of a road with no guardrails that plunged precipitously down the mountainside.

Bottom line, getting around this growing region requires a lot of patience and goodwill, as road rage will get you nowhere. Some drivers are fast and some are slow. We just shrug and remember, This Is Panama (TIP).

Moving to Boquete

Our second year of living in Panama began almost the same way as our first: showing up with packed bags and nowhere to live. Luckily we had picked one of the most popular tourist destinations in Panama as our next home, full of hotels and short-term rentals at least.

The valley town of Boquete is located in the mountainous Chiriquí region of western Panama, close to the border of Costa Rica. The town sits at an elevation of about 1070 m (or 3510 ft) above sea level, making it much cooler than the country's coasts and lowlands.

Before leaving the city, we rented for one week a small, three-bedroom house on the edge of town. We also hired Miguel Samaniego, a tour guide in Panama City, to load one of his passenger vans with our belongings accumulated over the past year, and to deliver them to our rental.

It's a roughly 6.5 hour drive (482 km or 300 miles) along the main Inter-American highway to get from Panama City to Boquete. It's a scenic drive though and one we've taken several times since moving, which includes going by the massive wind farm in Penonomé. 

Penonome Wind Farm

We had visited Boquete twice before while living in Panama City, and had read a lot about it. The town's temperate climate has long made it popular with retirees and expats, while hiking trails, whitewater rafting on the Caldera River, and zip-lining over the rainforest canopy has made it popular with tourists.

Those things also have increased costs and put housing in short supply.

Undaunted, we contacted a string of real estate agents about long-term rentals, posted inquiries on local listservs, and stopped by a happy hour in town to ask if anyone knew about places opening up. Days went by with agents telling us there just weren't properties to show us and that inventory was the lowest they'd seen in years.

Initially, we had envisioned renting a furnished, single-family home on the side of a mountain overlooking the town of Boquete, with lots of trees and a nice view of the sunrise. But with rentals in such short supply, we were forced to adjust our expectations.

Still, we knew what we had to have in an apartment: good internet, king-size bed, modern appliances, at least a decent view, and most important, an outdoor patio with a grill. Although our view of the bay in Panama City was spectacular, not being able to grill was traumatic.

Sunrise from the condo

Three weeks later, we settled on a second-story walk-up condo in a gated community called Boquete Country Club that met most of our checklist. Located in Alto Boquete, our neighborhood of mostly English-speaking expats is an easy 10-minute drive into town along relatively smooth, paved and lit roads, which are not at all a given in this region of Panama.

And while we initially wanted to be closer to town, the slightly longer distance means it's quieter and we can avoid festival traffic.