Boquete

Little did we know we saved the best for last! It was the final destination of our “Good Life” tour when we stayed a week in glistening Boquete at 3,900 ft. (1,200 m). While only two hours drive from Las Lajas, and just a half hour from David, Boquete is a cool respite from the typical tropical climate. A new discovery for us, Boquete is a blend of the Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous culture, the friendly, hard-working Panamanians and a significant population of generally well-heeled North American, and other, expats.

It’s coffee country. We discovered Circuito del Cafe, a new tourist bureau marketing effort to attract more interest in Panama’s renown coffee products. So we toured some the coffee circuit visiting quaint coffee farms and sipping their wares. We visited Cafe Ruiz, Princesa Janka, Elida Coffee Estate and Janson Coffee in Volcan in the adjacent valley. Think bucolic outings to wine vineyards and tea plantations. A lot of caffinated fun!

We stayed in Valle Escondido Resort (go to our Panama page for more about our accommodations) an exceedingly well-done development where anything and everything grows. While too cool for some expats we found to be about perfect. We avoided the windy season and skirted the rains. We’d do it again — only for longer!