A guide to Boquete written from inside its cloud forest: the hiking trails and Volcán Barú, hot springs, coffee, birds and wildlife, the valley’s history, and practical advice for getting here and getting around.

History and life in the mountains.

Organic Boquete: from Panama's First Certified Farm to Piero's Goats

Organic farming and organic vegetables in Boquete, Panama: from Finca de la Amistad Verde, the country's first certified organic vegetable farm, to today's markets.Read more →

Permaculture, from the Market Gardens of Paris to Boquete's Cloud Forest

The principles, techniques and philosophy of permaculture, the legacy of 19th-century Parisian market gardeners, a tour of permaculture farms across Panama, and the story of Wild on the Farm, formerly Finca de la Amistad Verde, in Boquete.Read more →

Coffee in Boquete: From the Portobelo Failure to a $13,700-a-Pound Geisha

The story of Panamanian coffee in Boquete: an early failure on the Caribbean coast, the great farms founded from the 19th century onward, and the almost accidental discovery of Geisha — the region's least productive variety, now the most expensive coffee in the world.Read more →

Volcán Barú: The Sleeping Giant Beneath Boquete

Volcán Barú, Panama's highest peak: its geology, two massive prehistoric collapses, the last known eruption around 1550, the summit hike, and the national park that surrounds it.Read more →

Boquete: Nine Thousand Years of History Before the First Coffee Tree

The lesser-known history of the Boquete valley — from the earliest traces of human occupation 9,000 years ago to the founding of the district in 1911, by way of European settlers, the railway, and a small-town hotel that once hosted a Shah and James Bond.Read more →

Boquete Activities: The Hot Springs of Caldera, or How Volcán Barú Warms the River

The natural hot springs of Caldera, Chiriquí — the geology behind Volcán Barú, where the hot water comes from, water temperature and properties, traditional therapeutic use, and the area's deeper history.Read more →

Hiking in Boquete: the trails, their history, and the one path less crowded

A guide to Boquete's known hiking trails — Sendero Los Quetzales, the Pipeline Trail, the Lost Waterfalls, Volcán Barú — their history, a map of the area, and where to find real jungle hiking far from the crowds.Read more →

Getting to Boquete — and where to find the quiet side of the cloud forest

How to travel to Panama, get from Panama City to Boquete, and why people choose Boquete for its cloud forest and nature — plus where to find real silence and hiking away from the crowds, at the edge of La Amistad National Park.Read more →

The Resplendent Quetzal in Boquete's Cloud Forest, Panama

For half the year, the resplendent quetzal fills our cloud forest with color and song. From courtship displays to fledgling flights, the life cycle of this magnificent bird at Wild on the Farm in Panama's Talamanca mountains.Read more →

Boquete Bird Watching Guide

With over 400 bird species across cloud forests and lush valleys, Boquete is a world-class birdwatching destination. From resplendent quetzals to harpy eagles, discover the best trails and spots to see Panama's most spectacular birds.Read more →