The mountain town of Boquete in Panama’s western highlands is sort of like receiving a surprise bouquet of flowers. It’s unexpected, but delightful.

Boquete was unexpected, because on paper, it seems like the sort of place I hate to travel to. The town center is very gentrified. It’s a major hub for North American retirees. Boquete is the sort of place where the main road is lined with so many burger joints, pizzerias and craft breweries. You’ll hear almost as much English as Spanish. You might even forget you’re in Panama.

The delightful surprise is that Boquete has much more to it than retired boomers and their beers. A whole series of easily accessible trails wind through the misty hillsides just outside of town. Birds, insects and other wildlife flourish in the dense cloud forests. The cool mountain climate means the temperature is always nearly perfect for hiking. Boquete is a charming little town, and a must visit for nature lovers traveling in Panama.

What to Know About Boquete

Boquete is located in Panama’s western Chiriquí province, 37 miles or so from the border with Costa Rica. Indigenous groups have inhabited the area for centuries before the Spanish arrived, and you can still find communities of Ngöbe people around the area.

Boquete was, and still is, mostly an agricultural town. The higher elevation and cooler climate make the region an ideal place for growing coffee beans, so coffee is the most important crop. The town is famous for its so called “geisha” coffee, which I think is just regular coffee with a fancy name so they can charge more for it.

The coffee and the climate have attracted legions of North American retirees to Boquete, though. In fact, those retirees now make up almost 14% of the population. You won’t find many authentic cultural experiences here. However, it’s still a lot of fun.

Transportation to and Around Boquete

Getting to Boquete isn’t too difficult, but you’ll have to do some transferring. Whether you’re coming from Costa Rica, Panama City or somewhere in between, you’ll first have to make your way to the city of David. David is Panama’s second biggest city, and is about an eight-hour bus ride from the capital. From there, it’s only another hour or so to Boquete. Centrocoasting has information and schedules, but as always, check locally before you set out, since bus schedules in Central America tend to change regularly.  

The public buses in Panama are safe and easy to use. However, if you’re adverse to public transportation, or perhaps coming from Bocas del Toro or some other out of the way spot, it might make more sense to take a direct shuttle. Shuttles run regularly to and from Boquete, and you can usually book them through your accommodation or at tour agencies in town.

Boquete itself is fairly compact and walkable. Some of the hiking trails start from nearby villages, which you can reach via minivans or “colectivos.” These usually leave from the center of town, and the drivers and assistants are accustomed to helping lost gringos. They’re also much more affordable than taxis.

Where to Stay in Boquete

Boquete is well established on the beaten tourist path. There are plenty of hotels, hostels, Airbnbs and everything in between. Too many, really.

When my wife and I were in Boquete, we stayed at the Agaseke Lodge Boquete. The rooms were comfortable, and there was a decent kitchen for when you get sick of overpriced burgers and pizza. It was located at the edge of town, walkable but far enough from the center to be quiet.

The best thing about Agaseke Lodge, however, was the overall vibe of the hotel. It had an excellent balance of being quiet and sociable at the same time. It was a fun place to meet other travelers, while avoiding the pitfalls of a loud party hostel. You can click here to book your stay at Agaseke Lodge Boquete, and I’ll get a small commission at no cost to you.

What to do in Boquete

While I was very dismissive about the Boquete’s craft breweries, I have to admit that we did go out one night and had a great time. One place had a North American retiree rock band, playing all the classic rock hits. I had a lot of fun, and some of those old boomers still know how to rock and roll.

If beer and rock and roll isn’t your thing, Boquete has a number of very nice coffee shops. We never splurged for the fancy “geisha” coffee, but the normal coffee was quite good. A few coffee shops have a funky vibe and are a fun place to hang out for a bit.

Boquete’s main attraction, however, is the hiking. The surrounding lush green hills are filled with trails. We didn’t stay long enough to hike all of them, but below you’ll find my favorites. You can find more on Alltrails.

I’m generally a fan of booking tours through hostels or in person. However, sometimes that’s just not possible. If you want to book your activities in advance, Get Your Guide has a range of activities for a reasonable price. If you book through the following link, I’ll get a small commission at no cost to you, and you’ll support an independent travel blog. Click here to explore tours in Panama.

Hike to the Secret Waterfalls

The Secret Waterfalls, a.k.a. the Lost Waterfalls, trail is ironically probably Boquete’s best known hiking trail. To be fair, the locals don’t pretend they’re much of a secret. The Spanish name is “Last Tres Cascadas” which just translates to “the three waterfalls.” Despite not being secret, the trail is great and the waterfalls are gorgeous.

You can get to the Secret Waterfalls trail by taking a colectivo from the center of town. Look for the ones labeled “Bajo Mono” or “El Bajo.” Tell the driver you’re going to “Las Tres Cascadas” and they’ll get you there.

When you’re dropped off, you’ll see plenty of signs directing you to the trail. You have to pay $10 per person to hike. Some people complain about this, but I think the cost is well worth it. The money goes directly to the local people who own the land and maintain the trail, and it was still less than what we spent on beer and food that evening.

I would plan for a whole day to hike to the end. However, I tend to hike slowly and often get distracted by interesting plants or butterflies. Just make sure to bring plenty of water, bring out your trash and never, ever leave the trail.

Hike the Pipeline Trail

Boquete’s second most popular trail doesn’t pretend to be secret. The Pipeline trail weaves through pastoral farmland before climbing into the lush forested hillsides. It follows an old pipeline, as the name would suggest. You’ll find a thousand-year-old tree along the trail. The area is also habitat for the famous Resplendent Quetzal, one of the world’s most stunning and elusive birds.

We didn’t see a quetzal on the Pipeline trail, but we saw a lot of other cool nature. We did, however, already see quetzals in Guatemala and Costa Rica, so to be honest we weren’t really looking for them by the time we got to Panama.

Luckily, the Pipeline trail starts from the same place as the Secret Waterfall trail. Again, take the colectivo to “Bajo Mono”. Access costs $5, which is fair, since the trail is much shorter. I’d say it’s a very doable half-day hike.

Wander Around the Parque Biblioteca

When you’ve had your fill of hiking, but still maybe want to be outside, you can check out Boquete’s lovely city park. The park is just south of the center of town, and labeled “Parque Biblioteca” on maps. If you’ve taken Spanish 101, you might know that “biblioteca” means “library.” I’m not why they named it the “Library Park” but  it’s still very pretty.

Paved trails meander past ponds and gardens, some of which reminded me a little of what you might see in China. In the background you’ll see the mountains looming overhead. I imagine it’d be a lovely place to have a picnic. You’ll once again rub shoulders with some North American retirees out walking their dogs.

Is Boquete, Panama Worth Visiting?

Boquete has a lot to offer, even if you aren’t a retired North American boomer. In fact, Boquete might be my favorite place in all of Panama. I’ve been there twice now, and have thoroughly enjoyed myself each time. The hiking trails alone make Boquete worth visiting.

Boquete also has much more things to do than just the two hiking trails I mentioned. You could hike up Volcán Baru, the highest peak in Panama. You could also go rafting or zip-lining or tour a coffee plantation. Or, you could do what we did, and spend some time relaxing and enjoying the cool mountain air.

Just be sure not to drink too much craft beer while you’re relaxing with the retirees. You wouldn’t want to go hiking with a hangover.

Boquete is the best place in Panama. Want to find the second best place? Check out our travel guide: Passing Through Panama: A Travel Guide to the Country that Connects the Americas