Places to Explore

• Bambito

  Rather than a town, Bambito is a series of farms and houses scattered along the serpentine Río Chiriquí Viejo valley on the western slope of Volcán Barú, between Volcán... (more)

• Boca Chica and Isla Boca Brava

  Long a sleepy fishing port at the end of a bone-rattling road, Boca Chica now has a paved road and a small selection of hotels that serve the islands of Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí... (more)

• Boquete

  This pleasant town sits at 3,878 feet above sea level in the always springlike valley of the Río Caldera. The surrounding mountains are covered with forest and shade coffee farms, where coffee bushes... (more)

• Cerro Punta

  This bowl-shaped highland valley northwest of Volcán Barú offers some splendid bucolic scenery and is bordered by vast expanses of wilderness that invite bird-watchers, hikers, and nature... (more)

• David

  With almost 80,000 inhabitants, this provincial capital is Panama's second-largest city, yet it has almost nothing to offer travelers. With its businesses scattered indiscriminately among the residential... (more)

• Golfo de Chiriquí Islands

  The vast Gulf of Chiriquí holds dozens of uninhabited islands surrounded by healthy coral formations and excellent conditions for surfing, diving, and fishing. You can base yourself in the Boca... (more)

• Lago Fortuna Area

  The road over the eastern end of the Cordillera de Talamanca that connects the provinces of Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro passes breathtaking views and a large hydroelectric reservoir called Lago... (more)

• Parque Nacional Volcán Barú

• Playa La Barqueta

  Playa La Barquete, the closest beach to David, is a long ribbon of dark-gray sand that's popular with local surfers. The area behind the beach is deforested, and the sea is often murky due to a nearby mangrove... (more)

• Volcán

  A breezy little town, Volcán has the best view of Volcán Barú, several miles northeast. The town, also known as Hato de Volcán, is a dreary succession of restaurants, banks... (more)