Chiriqui Cloud Forest Explorer

The western highlands of Panama are some of the most picturesque in Central America. The cool, humid cloud forests of this regions are home to a variety of birds, including Quetzals, Bellbirds, Solitaires and Redstarts and the countryside is dotted with flower, fruit and vegetable farms and coffee plantations. Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Amistad, visit Finca Dracula, taste Panama’s delicious coffee, enjoy the charming town of Boquete and the cloud forest trails around Finca Lerida.

DAY 1
Panama City – Cerro Punta

Early morning transfer to Albrook domestic airport to catch a 35-minute flight to David. Continue to the Western side of Baru Volcano where you meet your local guide at Finca Ceriana. Strategically located between the highlands and lowlands of Chiriqui, Finca Ceriana forms part of a privately protected area for the conservation of flora and fauna in the region. One of its unique characteristics is the number of bird species and other animals from the upper and lower mountain areas. The property is part of the biological corridor that hosts the famous volcano lagoons and a large variety of animal and plant species. The total area counts 10 hectares of protected land and nearly 2 kilometers of nature trails, in addition to one of the most beautiful views to Costa Rica’s Golfo Dulce, or sweet golf, and Osa pensinsula as well as to Punta Burica in Panama. Once at Finca Ceriana this morning, you will walk through 3 km of beautiful trails while your expert guide explains what you see, particularly, beautiful and rare birds of the 180+ species that live in this forest. Mid-way your tour, you will go up a nice Canopy Tower, where you will enjoy our great Janson Family coffee and savor our famous local butter cookies, while you admire the cloud forest and relax for as long as you wish. When you are ready, your tour continues through the trails up a hill where you will get to see a magnificent view of the low lands of Chiriquí, and weather permitting, The Pacific Ocean and Punta burica in Panama in addition to the Ossa peninsula and Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica. By noon you will start your descent to the lower part of the farm, where we will be expecting you for a gourmet picnic under beautiful Cedar trees. You will enjoy your home made lunch with a nice glass of wine and, again, relax and enjoy the view for as long as you desire. When you are ready, we walk some meters towards the sugar cane mill, where your guide will explain the sugar cane process and you will get to taste fresh sugar cane juice, and other sugar cane products. Drop off at your Hotel Casa Grande Bambito, late afternoon. L

DAY 2
Cerro Punta –  Boquete

Midmorning scenic drive through the small highlands towns of Cerro Punta and Guadalupe to learn more about the agriculture and local farming of this area which is the main provider of vegetables in Panama. Continue to Volcan to visit a local woodcrafter at his workshop Arte Cruz and observe the artists handmade products and works. Then you continue to the Eastern side of Baru Volcano to the quaint town of Boquete with its countryside dotted with flower, fruit and produce farms, coffee plantations and lush tropical cloud forests.

After lunch, you will have a very special experience that will give you a new and different perspective on nature, butterflies and the importance of bees in the lives of men. You will get receive an introduction to the honey and coffee production and then continue to the Ralph Dessau Butterfly House, which is a 200-square meter exhibit showcasing around 35 butterfly species from Chiriqui.

Afterwards you will be guided on a nature walk through the beautiful garden and organic farm with a large variety of plants, fruits and vegetables. Boquete Bees’ honey is unique considering its production of 40 different flavor profiles of natural honeys. This is possible because of the huge biodiversity around Volcan Baru. This afternoon experience ends with a honey tasting of the farm’s home-made production. Overnight at Hotel La Serrania. B L

DAY 3
Boquete

La Amistad is a bi-national park that stretches from Costa Rica into Panama, a small portion of which extends into the Chiriqui province encompassing mostly cloud forests. Here, the land rises in excess of 1,500m and warm air ascends the mountains where it meets with cooler air and condenses into a persistent cloud cover. Cloud forests exhibit a unique ecosystem with an astonishing diversity of flora and fauna. Towering trees reach towards the sun to form a canopy that creates a cool, shadowed, misty underworld on the forest floor.  It is noisy with the sounds of numerous insects, birds, and frogs but it is difficult to see them because of the ferns, tree ferns and epiphytes that crowd the lower and middle strata of the forest. During the 4-5-kilometer nature walk you will reach up to 1,700m (approx. 200m elevation gain) where you can take a refreshing swim in the waterfall.

After lunch, visit Sr. Tito´s Finca La Milagrosa in the Jaramillo region, one of the most respected and 100% organic coffee producers in the country. This small farm is not meant for large productions, and Mr. Tito’s specialty coffee is only destined for exportation to Europe and the United States. When Mr. Tito took over this farm from his father 30 years ago, he started without any machines or even coffee plants, and produced his first roasting machines with used pieces of his old Mitsubishi car, and even some computer pieces! His rather small 5-hectare coffee farm La Milagrosa (which means the miracle, in English), situated at 1500 meters above sea level, has been given its name because many people in this region did not believe that Sr. Tito could transform this land into a lucrative coffee plantation when he started 30 years ago, and today he produces one of the best coffees of Panama and has won many prizes. The world-famous Geisha coffee is one of the eight different types of coffee that Tito produces, which is one of the most expensive delicacy coffees in the world (sold for over $100 per pound in Japan for example). You will get to roast some beans on your own, and will taste a few cups of excellent coffee during your visit! Moreover, Sr Tito is a great economic help to the indigenous community, as he employs 22 Ngöbe Buglé Indians on his farm to help him collect and process the coffee beans. As you may know, the Ngobe Buglé Indians are responsible for handpicking the coffee grown in the coffee farms of Chiriqui. If you visit Boquete between December and April you will be able to see them in their colorful dresses harvesting coffee in Ruiz’s plantations and if you visit Boquete between October and March you will be able to see the coffee being processed. Overnight at Hotel La Serrania. B L

DAY 4
Boquete – Panama City 

You have most of the day to yourselves to visit Boquete or join optional tours. Late afternoon you will be taken to David Airport for your flight back to Panama City. Drop off at your hotel. B

Photo top page by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash.