Boquete, Panama
August 10th to September 21rst [2025]
Boquete is a hidden gem of Central America.
Its a sleepy town of 19,000 known for ideal weather, world class coffee and an incredibly diverse landscape showcasing exotic plants, trees, flowers, butterflies and birds. Its one of the few places on earth where you can can enjoy the tropics without the annoyance of repressive heat or the irritation of invasive insects. A truly beautiful corner of our planet receiving a fraction of the attention associated with destinations of equal quality.
Boquete (pronounced Bow Ket Tay) lies along the Caldera River in the Chicuri Provence of Northern Panama about 3300 feet above sea level. Its been on my watch list for over four years but never evolved into a visit due to its distant proximity to other cities I found more intriguing. In fact, I almost wrote it off completely after spending the past two years bypassing Central America in favor of the Southern American Continent.
Fortunately, I was confronted with an opportunity to alter my travel plans from Bolivia on a route through Panama City and onward to this `Valley of Flowers`. The reroute became possible when Aurelie - my part time travel partner of the previous three years - decided to leave Buenos Aires in pursuit of a new adventure across the Pacific to the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia.
To make this happen, she secured an invitation to sail from Cartagena, Colombia, tracing the northern shores of South America, passing through the Panama Canal, and continuing on to her final destination in the South Pacific. Part of the plan involved an extended stay near the Canal, which gave me the perfect excuse to visit—and eventually make a run for Boquete further north. Once her plans were confirmed, I mapped a route of my own connecting La Paz, Bolivia, through Puno, Peru on the shores of Lake Titicaca and on to the ancient city of Cusco by bus before catching a flight to Panama City.
Boquete`s charm came as a surprise - I had minimal expectations. The town itself is unassuming, built around a main street that mimics the rivers flow, a central square and a steepled church representing its singular architectural highlight. But the primary show begins just beyond its urban perimeter when nature takes on the leading role. All colors of the spectrum begin to unfold as you venture onto the peripheral roads and narrow trails of the valley. My morning hikes were met with a chorus of birdsong and the playful dance of butterflies—a three dimensional canvas of light, motion and sound. It never got old.
Finally, this is coffee country. Chicuri Provence embodies the ideal blend of altitude, volcanic soils and microclimates capable of producing some of the worlds most complex coffee representing layers of nuanced flavors. The region is known for producing many varietals of beans but the prize amongst many is Geisha. Notes of Jasmine and stone fruits like Mango and Orange are common within a coffee made from this bean. And the finish, decisively acidic and bright. If you love a good cup of coffee, Geisha is transcendent.
