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Boquete's location: in the western mountains of Panama
The valley of Boquete is located in the western highlands of Panama at 1,200 meters above sea level in the lush province of Chiriquí. Situated near the Costa Rican border, this enchanted village is nestled in the foothills of the Volcán Barú amongst the country's most mountainous region. This peaceful town has harmoniously grown along the Caldera River and is widely recognized for its fertile lands, magnificent natural splendor and year round pleasant weather.
Boquete's surrounding hills and slopes are a mix of dense tropical cloud forest and shade grown coffee plantations providing the perfect habitat for an incredible amount of exotic birds, endemic wildlife, stunning flowers and exuberant flora. A mountain lover's dream in Boquete you will encounter stunning scenic vistas offered by its many panoramic peaks. Boquete is bordered by natural protecting reserves: the Barú Volcano National Park and La Amistad International Park are an invaluable ecological system that shields immensely rich and unique biodiversity.
The "Valley of the Flowers and the Eternal Spring", is home to 20,000 habitants whose cultural roots can be traced to Native Indians, Spaniards, Europeans and North Americans among other ethnicities. Its first settlers came from other areas of Panama, as well as other countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, Germany and North America. All give shape to the cultural melting pot that Boquete is today. Most farms and houses still have architectural styles that are reminiscent of these other countries.
On the sheer mountains that surround the valley of Boquete live the Ngöbe Bugles, an indigenous ethnic group who are highly skilled artisans, famous for their colorful chaquiras (beaded necklaces) and "nahuas", traditional dresses. The Ngöbe Bugles Indians (Guaymí) are also responsible for handpicking the specialty coffee of the region during the months of November through March and indigenous families from all over the province of Chiriquí make there way to Boquete during the harvesting season. The Ngöbe indigenous in their colorful dresses make the decorate the town with bright and rich colors.
If you come to Boquete you will never want to leave.
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Boquete is only 1 hour away from unspoiled white sand beaches in the Pacific and just 3 hours away from Bocas del Toro in the Caribbean, offering students plenty of opportunities to hit the beach during the weekend to enjoy the warmth of the sun and get to do some of the most amazing scuba diving, snorkeling and surfing that they could imagine.
Boquete: one of Latin America's top vacation destinations
One of Central America's best kept secrets, it is just being discovered by visitors who often return to stay. Come fast because the word is quickly spreading out. Boquete is safe, beautiful, inexpensive & exciting and can be easily accessed through 1 hour daily flights from Panama City to David, the country's second most important city, just 30 minutes away by car.
Recently exposed by ecotourism and adventure enthusiasts it is rapidly becoming one of the hottest vacation destinations in Latin America, attracting travelers from all over the globe (New York Times, August 2007, The Costa Rican Experience Moves Next Door).
Everybody is looking for an opportunity to raft Chiriquí's first class rivers, spot an elusive Quetzal in the cloud forest's footpaths and trails, conquer the top of the Barú Volcano, zip line above the canopy of its lush tropical forest, relax in it's tranquil hot springs, climb Boquete's challenging natural volcanic walls, stride peacefully over its mountains and into its valleys by horseback or just visit its world famous coffee plantations and taste some of the world's finest specialty coffee.
What's more, Boquete has been named one of the top places in the world to retire by prestigious publications such as Fortune Magazine, International Living (view pdf file about Boquete), and by the Amercian Association of Retired Person's Magazine: Modern Maturity, the world's largest circulation magazine.
Many citizens from different parts of the world have already made Boquete their second home and more are heading this way. Residential projects are beginning to grow and the surrounding regions (Palmira, Caldera, Potrerillos, Volcán, Cerro Punta, Bambito, Guadalupe) promise further development making the real estate market in and around Boquete an extremely attractive investment with an impressive potential.
David is the second largest city of Panama and is only 30 minutes away from Boquete. In David you can encounter several museums and of course plenty of nice discotheques, bars, shopping centers and restaurants.
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This precious gem has always been popular amongst Panamanian tourists who keep exploring Boquete's wonders. Internal tourism to Boquete mainly occurs during the Festival of the Flowers and the Coffee held in January of each year in which the locals come to lively celebrate Boquete's grandeur. The Orchid Fair in April also attracts a fair amount of internal visitors and Panamanians literally flood Boquete for Panama's National Holidays throughout the month of November.
The regions of Boquete: Panama's most productive lands
Known to produce some of the country's sweetest oranges and strawberries and the world's best coffee, the region of Boquete started attracting farmers from the surrounding areas (Dolega and Caldera) towards the end of the XIX century. By the first years of the XX century several villages had been populated: Lino, Quiel, Bajo Mono, Los Naranjos and Bajo Boquete and several foreign farming families fell in love with these lands and purchased large farming estates.
The district of Boquete was founded on January 17th, 1911. Today Boquete's district includes 6 corregimientos: Bajo Boquete, Caldera, Palmira, Alto Boquete, Jaramillo and Los Naranjos. Each of Boquete's regions has its own microclimate. In some are that are very near to each other it rains more, in others it is less humid. Take Bajo Mono for example: its average temperature is several degrees lower than Bajo Boquete and it is slightly more humid. Boquete's weather still remains uncharted in detail.
Boquete is within the province of Chiriquí. Panama has a total of 9 provinces of which Chiriquí has the highest mountains, longest rivers and most fertile lands. Chiriquí, named by the local Indians as the "valley of the moon", is home to the majestic Volcán Barú, a dormant Volcano which is also Panama's highest point and one of the few places on Earth where you can see both the Pacific and the Caribbean from the same point.
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The rich volcanic soil makes Chiriquí the bread basket of Panama: all sort of rich fruits and vegetables are cultivated and premium dairy and beef cattle are farmed. Chiriquí's red and green flag with its 13 stars representing its 13 districts is a proud reminder of the province's agricultural wealth in meat and vegetables.
Boquete's climate and weather (dry and rainy seasons)
Boquete, known as the best coffee producer in the world, enjoys a spring like, cool mountain weather, comfortable all year around, considered nearly perfect, with temperatures ranging between 60° to 80° F (16° - 28° C) making air conditioning and heating totally unnecessary. Thanks to its 3,000-foot elevation, the area's microclimates deduct 10 crucial degrees from the incessant and humid lowland heat allowing you to have Spanish classes in a suitable environment.
When is the best time of the year to visit Boquete? Each of its seasons has its strong points. Panama's dry season (what we call summer) is from December to April and the rainy season (what we call winter) is from May to November.
During the dry season it is highly unlikely that you will get wet days as rainfalls are somewhat sporadic, maybe only a couple of times each month. It is extremely rare if Boquete gets a strong rainstorm during the dry season. In this time of the year you will enjoy fresh sunny days with pleasant temperatures. In the chart you can see that there were no rainstorms last year during the dry season.
During the rainy season, precipitation is normally in the afternoon, allowing you to enjoy the sunny mornings. This is why it is a good idea to have your Spanish course during the rainy season in the afternoon. At certain times during the rainy season it can rain all day long. This usually happens during the first half of June, the second half of September, the whole month of October and during the first 15 days of November. This does not mean that it rains everyday; it just means that when it rains it really rains. The rainy season is a superb time to visit Boquete if you are into the outdoors: it is the best time of the year for white water river rafting and if you go on any hiking tour you will have an amazing opportunity to see everything in its most wild and lively state. The colors of Boquete during the rainy season are something really special.
You will be surprised by the quantity of rainbows that you will admire. Maybe this is why Boquete has so many treasures. It is not uncommon to devise two or three rainbows overlapping each other in a graceful dance of colorful lights across the skies. During different times of the year you may also experience a curious natural phenomenon, very similar to mist but not quite so: Bajareque. Bajareque is rain that is so light that it will not damp your cloth if you walk through it and it will not land on earth as it floats, but it will create ideal conditions for the perfect rainbow on a sunny day.
Boquete's wonderful conditions have made many believe that a healthy climate combined with a diet based on products that come from sustainable and organic farming practices is the secret to longevity. Many native Boqueteños have lived well on past their one-hundredth birthdays. This also makes Boquete an excellent place to relocate.
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Boquete's wonderful conditions have made many believe that a healthy climate combined with a diet based on products that come from sustainable and organic farming practices is the secret to longevity. Many native Boqueteños have lived well on past their one-hundredth birthdays. This also makes Boquete an excellent place to relocate.
Ecotourism & Adventure in Boquete: Tours & Excursions
Boquete is Panama's ecotourism and adventure capital. you name it, Boquete has it!
- For extreme adrenaline, world class river rafting in Chiriquí's Rivers: Chiriquí Viejo, Chiriquí, Caldera, Gariché, Dolega, Majagua and Estí
- For coffee connoisseurs, coffee tours to coffee farms and processing plants in Palmira , Palo Alto and Alto Quiel
- To admire the greatness of the tropical cloud forest, Zip Line Canopy Tours on the border of La Amistad International Park
- For a challenging hike and chance to view both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea from Panama's highest point, guided tours on a quest ton conquer the top of the Volcán Barú
- For the most enchanting footpath, hike the Quetzal's Trial from Cerro Punta to Boquete
- For a relaxing and peaceful afternoon, the Caldera Hot Springs
- For the western type, Horseback Riding through Caldera's valleys and hills
- To admire nature's abundance, Bird Watching Tours
- For extreme sports enthusiasts, Rock Climbing & Rappelling at Los Ladrillos in Bajo Mono.
- If you feel the need for speed, Four Wheel ATV tours
- To meet the Ngöbe Bugle Indians: Indigenous Villages Tours
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Habla Ya Language Center Spanish students get special discounts for every ecotourism and adventure tour in Boquete. If you don't believe us, compare our prices with any other tour operator in Boquete.
Boquete's hotels, restaurants and nightlife
In Boquete you will find hotels that will meet any type of budget. You can stay at youth hostels, mid range priced hotels and bed and breakfasts or luxurious estate inns. Travelers can stay in town and be close to restaurants, bars and shops, or outside of town in a more mountainous and quiet setting (the furthest hotel is within a 10 minute drive by car). During the Flower and Coffee Festival, Christmas and November National Celebrations hotels in Boquete usually sell out so plan ahead of time to make your reservation.
LISTINGS OF BOQUETE'S HOTELS WITH PHONE NUMBERS, WEBSITES & LOCATION »
Boquete has more restaurants per capita than any other city in Panama. As you may expect from a highly cosmopolitan country in Boquete you will find restaurants specializing in cuisines from many different parts of the world: Scandinavian, new American, French, Italian, Peruvian, Mexican, Mediterranean, Thai, Greek and obviously Panamanian. There is fine dining available for romantic evenings and celebrations or inexpensive but large meals for after a long day full of tours. You can have a pretty decent meal for as low as $3 or a more extravagant yet refined dish for up to $20.
REVIEWS ABOUT RESTAURANTS IN BOQUETE WITH DIRECTIONS & CONTACT NUMBERS »
Like nightlife in any part of the world: it's about the people. If you find people who know how to party, you will find good parties. As Boquete is a small town, you do not have to look that hard to find the young people who know and like to party.
BOQUETE'S NIGHTLIFE: WHAT TO DO WHERE TO GO TO DANCE, CHILL OUT AND PARTY »
Boquete's Gardens, Spas and other attractions
In Boquete, Valley of the Flowers and Eternal Spring, you will find enchanted magical gardens. Mi Jardín es tu Jardín, El Explorador and Paradise Garden are just some examples of beautiful gardens that you will find in Boquete.
MORE ABOUT BOQUETE'S GARDENS COMING SOON »
If your body and soul need urgent pampering, come and spoil yourself in Boquete. Boquete has world class staff with international training and experience at several spas where you will be able to indulge yourself, relax and meditate, leaving the stress and worries of a busy life way behind.
MORE ABOUT BOQUETE'S SPAS COMING SOON »
CEFATI, also know as the IPAT building, means "Centro de Facilidades Turísticas e Interpretación". In other words (in another language) CEFATI gives tourists who cannot speak Spanish information about the area. The building is situtated at the very entrance fo the valley on the right across from the hideous fountain and in front of the arch over the road.
It is open from Monday to Saturday from 8 a .m. to 4 p.m. (it closes an hour earlier on Saturdays). You will find many tourist brochures and on the second floor there is a wonderful exhibit on the history of Boquete with beautiful photographs of the area and people who originally settled in Boquete.
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At Habla Ya Langauge Center we consider ourselves experts about Boquete, so if you need info about what to do, come and visit us and we will help you make the most out of your stay in Boquete. Paying us a visit will be the best decision you will make in your vacation to Boquete.
hablaya@hotmail.co.uk
+507-720-1294
+507-6-480-4506
