Panama Travel

Boquete in the Chiriqui Highlands

Looking like the Switzerland of Central America, you wouldn’t be surprised to see Heidi strolling the pathways through green flowered meadows along cold rushing streams, the rugged high peaked mountains in the background. If you’re a fan of British Colombia, Oregon or Colorado, or love a year around spring time temperature, you’ll love it here.

Boquete, which used be called a “village in a secret valley” isn’t so secret any more -- this is the area AARP named as one of the top four retirement havens in the world. Fortunately, the proclamation took nothing away from its charm ... in fact, it added amenities that weren’t there before while maintaining the things that attracted people originally ... gracious coffee plantations and copious orange orchards, hiking mountain trails, horseback riding in the valleys, white water rafting the rapids of Chiriqui River.

While in Chiriqui Provence, you can also head for Las Lajas to spend the day beach combing, swimming, and sunbathing on sparkling white sands shadowed by towering palms along the Pacific Ocean. Or, after all that horseback riding in Boquete, and river rafting down the Chiriqui, make a bee line for Caldera where their thermal springs are a perfect anecdote to whatever ails you.

David, the third largest city in Panama, is the air portal for the Chiriqui Provence. Be sure to set aside some time to admire its well preserved colonial architecture, and while away an hour or so in their popular Museum of History and Art Jose de Obaldia.

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