Chiriquí Province Places

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, and other businesses spread along a north-south route, from which roads to east and west lead to residential areas. This is where residents of Bambito and Cerro Punta come to shop and pay bills. As you drive north from the Interamericana the road descends onto a plain and heads into the center of Volcán, where the town's one stoplight marks the right turn for Bambito and Cerro Punta; the road continues northwest to Río Sereno.

Bambito and Cerro Punta are more attractive and have the area's best hotels, so there is little reason to stay in Volcán except that it's much warmer than Cerro Punta, which can get cool at night between December and March. It is also a convenient jumping-off point for summiting Barú Volcano via the southern route or bird-watching at Finca Hartmann. This is an ideal base for white-water rafting on the Río Chiriquí Viejo, since you can join rafting trips in Concepción, 33 km (21 mi) south.