Those who like adventure or a good hike will have a great time in Boquete. The town is surrounded by mountains, jungle, rivers, waterfalls and other beautiful scenery.
Of course, there is a lot to do here, in this article I give you 15 cool to-do’s for your stay in beautiful Boquete. From activities for adrenaline junkies to easy hikes and even visiting bounty islands. Plenty of choice for everyone!
Activity #1 Go to the top of India Vieja
This 6-kilometer hike is quite tough, but very unique in the region. On most trails, you hike through the forest; here you climb the mountain for stunning views of Boquete’s peaks.
I must admit that I was not super fit, so I did suffer for a while. But how beautiful it is! The reward when you reach the top is truly golden. Powerful to stand in a place, 1,642 meters above sea level, where so few people have actually been! Because other people, except your own small group, you don’t see here.
You can do this hike only with a guide. I did this hike with guide Josue from Full Adventures Boquete. This piece of land belongs to his family so he can tell you a lot about it! You will be picked up and returned to your hotel and given a bottle of water. The cost is $50 per person.
For the India Vieja hike, you need a good basic fitness level as well as good hiking boots. Despite the altitude, I didn’t feel cold, but next time I might put on long pants. Purely to protect my legs from the twigs I encountered while scrambling.
Activity #2 Hike The Lost Waterfalls Trail.
The most beautiful hike in Boquete? That must undoubtedly be The Lost Waterfalls or “Las Tres Cascadas.
During this hike you will encounter three beautiful waterfalls. First you go to waterfall number 2, then number 3 and finally number 1.
This is not an arduous hike, but there is some scrambling at times where you have to use the ropes on the trail. Walking shoes are therefore recommended, as it can be a bit slippery at times. At waterfall number 3, you can jump into the water and also stand behind the waterfall. The last waterfall you can only admire from behind a fence, this is also the highest waterfall and the most difficult to reach.
The trail takes about 2 to 3 hours if you hike properly. But of course, we recommend taking the time to take beautiful photos and perhaps picnic in a nice spot.
Entrance to the trail costs $10 per person. You can take a cab to the starting point, or a collectivo (shared minivan) from downtown Boquete. You can do this hike with a guide, but it’s not really necessary. We even saw people with small children doing this hike.
Activity #3 River rafting
Adrenaline junkie? Then whitewater rafting might be for you!
Boquete has several rivers on which you can raft, for both beginners and experts. A day of rafting on the Chiriqui Viejo River costs about $65 per person.
For more information, visit the Boquete Outdoor Adventures website.
Activity #4 Search for the Quetzal on The Pipeline Trail
A very easy but beautiful hike is the The Pipeline Trail. Here you also immediately have the best chance of spotting the rare bird Quetzal. What is special about this hike is that you go into the cloud forest. One moment you are standing in bright sunshine, and the next in mist. And then you immediately see the advantage of that haze: greener is almost impossible.
On the trail, you will always see small paths to the left, where you can deviate from the trail for a while and often spot beautiful butterflies or other wildlife. At some point you come to a thousand-year-old tree. Don’t rush past that, as you’ll often find the Quetzal here. We didn’t see it there, but we saw it a little earlier. So look up well!
Near the end of the road you cross a stretch of water and can climb up. There you see a sign that says in Spanish that you are not allowed to go any further because it is dangerous. We were good and turned around, but as a result we missed the waterfall! So learn from our mistake, ignore the sign (at your own risk) and hike up to the waterfall 😉
For this hike, it is recommended that you bring a rain jacket. Sometimes it rains a little harder, but that shouldn’t spoil the fun because the trees do provide some protection. Good walking shoes are also useful because it can be a bit slippery at times. And if you have binoculars or a long lens, they should definitely not be missed here. If you would like to see lots of wildlife, it may be opportune to hire a guide.
If you feel like an active day, you can combine The Lost Waterfalls and Pipeline in one day, as they are close to each other. Admission to The Pipeline Trail costs $5 per person.
Again, the collectivo (shared minibus) comes from the center of Boquete. But you can also take a cab, which will cost you a few dollars.
Activity #5 Visit a coffee plantation
The region of Boquete is known worldwide for its good coffee beans, so you will find lots of coffee plantations. Good news: you can visit some of those plantations!
During such a visit, you will learn all about the coffee plant and see how the beans are grown, harvested and processed. Of course, at the end you get to taste the different kinds of coffee!
Often these coffee plantations are also located in beautiful, mountainous surroundings, and you have a good chance of encountering indigenous people from the Ngöbe-Buglé tribe, who work here. You can recognize them by their beautiful, traditional clothing.
Undoubtedly a must-do for coffee lovers! A coffee tour costs $35 per person. More information about this tour can be found on this website.
Activity #6 Go ziplining with a view of the volcano
At Tree Trek Boquete, you can zipline 12 times over a 4.5-kilometer course. You glide among the trees, with a beautiful view of Volcano Baru.
Denis did this zipline course and was very excited! If you like an adrenaline rush combined with beautiful views, this is really for you!
Photographs are also taken while ziplining, for a nice souvenir afterwards.
Ziplining at Tree Trek Boquete costs $65 per person. Do you want the USB with photos? That one costs $15.
Fancy an even bigger andrenaline rush, where you fly through the jungle lying down, head-first? Then book the Superman tour.
Activity #7 Hike up volcano Baru (or take a 4×4)
The highest peak in Panama? You’ll find those on Volcano Baru. One of the most famous hikes in Boquete is the ascent of the volcano. But beware, this tour is not for everyone! You need to be in super good shape if you want to do this hike, as you will spend about 12 hours in total!
Most people start the hike at midnight. You will hike up the volcano in the dark, so be sure not to forget a headlamp. Also bring thicker clothing, as it can be chilly here! Around 6 a.m. you finally arrive at the top, where you can watch the sunrise! With any luck, if the clouds move away, you will then see the two oceans as well! To your left you see the Caribbean Sea, and to your right the Pacific Ocean. Then you hike back down again in 6 hours.
Not in great shape, but want to stand on the volcano during sunrise? Then you can also take a 4×4 to the top. In just two hours, you’ll be at the top. This does cost $120 per person, but it saves you 12 hours of hiking 😉 You can book the 4×4 tour through various providers such as Boquete Outdoor Adventures.
Activity #8 Visit the waterfall Charco La Cascada
The area around Boquete has super many waterfalls. Not all are easily accessible, but the waterfall Charco is. For a few dollars, you park your car on the grounds and climb a staircase to the waterfall. Here you can chill on the stones and watch the waterfall, or go up and jump off the waterfall!
P.S. Don’t be afraid of the man with the machete. He doesn’t scam you, he just collects the money so you can enter his land. A machete is not usually a weapon here 😉 I mention it here because the reviews on Google give a wrong picture. This is just private land and the man charges money for entering it and maintaining the path, which is the most normal thing in Panama.
Activity #9 Cool off in the mini canyon Los Cangilones De Gualaca
A place you can combine well with the waterfall Charco, is Los Cangilones De Gualaca. This is a cliff break or “mini canyon” where you can cool off delightfully.
Good to know: there are also organized tours to this place that will cost you about $35 per person. If there are more than 2 of you, it is cheaper (and more fun) to rent a car and drive there yourself. Car rental tips can be found at the end of this blog.
Parking at Los Cangilones De Gualaca costs $2.
Hungry when you get outside, and in the mood for a local meal? Then stop at Fonda Tipica Lili(location), where you can eat delicious food for a few dollars.
Activity #10 Hike to the waterfall Cascada Bregue o Trueno de Agua
Those with a more adventurous spirit should definitely consider the waterfall Bregue o Trueno de Agua.
This beautiful waterfall can be reached with a 20- to 30-minute hike, but with many inclines and a fairly high level of difficulty. There is little to no signage, so it’s easy to get lost in the dense jungle here.
So be sure not to go alone, but in a group. Make sure you have good walking shoes on and also get some information from locals.
Those who get as far as the falls say it is the most beautiful place in the province. #fomo
Activity #11 Go to the islands in the Gulf of Chiriqui
Had enough of the cloud forest and waterfalls for a while? Then you might like to visit the islands in the Gulf of Chiriqui!
It’s about a 1.5-hour drive to Boca Chica, and from there you’ll head to the Gulf of Chiriqui National Marine Park. There you will be spoiled with beautiful beaches, wildlife and a rich underwater world.
You can of course organize this yourself with your rental car or by public transportation, but you can also book this as an organized excursion from Boquete, through Boquete Outdoor Adventures, for example.
Activity #12 Hike the Pianista with a guide
The Pianista trail is a beautiful hike, but has a dark history due to the disappearance of the two Dutch girls Chris and Lisanne. Since the disappearance, it is recommended to hike the trail with a guide.
Looking for a good guide? We can recommend Full Adventures Boquete. For $45, you get a guide, water and transportation. The hike is about 9.5 kilometers long and in total you will be on the trail for about 5 hours.
Activity #13 Hike to the waterfall Cascada Macho de Monte
The Macho Monte Canyon is a beautiful landscape formed during the last eruption of Volcano Baru. If you have a car available, are very adventurous AND have the right equipment with you, you can try this hike on your own.
But even better, for safety reasons, do it with a guide. He also immediately has the right equipment with him, because for the ultimate experience you have to abseil here.
Now this is really the beauty of Panama. In other places in the world, such a place would be turned into a tourist attraction in no time. And here you still have to make some effort to experience this natural wonder up close.
Volcan Eco Tours offers a guided tour to Macho De Monte on Mondays and Sundays.
Activity #14 Walk across suspension bridges
The “suspension bridge” or “hanging bridge” tour is a beautiful hike in Boquete that is about 4.5 kilometers long. During this hike, where you will walk across 6 different suspension bridges, you will come to beautiful places with views of rivers, waterfalls and the volcano Baru.
This hike is fairly easy, but a guide is required. A guide costs $30 per person and can be booked here.
By the way, this hike is close to Tree Trek’s zipline trail, so you can combine them if necessary.
Activity #15 Eat tacos at Taco Rudos
After all that walking, you deserve some tacos!
Fortunately, Boquete has many good Mexican restaurants and Taco Rudos is one of them! Between $9 and $14 you already have 3 tacos. But of course you can also go there for enchilladas, nachos and cocktails!
This restaurant gives you a nice view of Boquete’s little park.
Car rental tip in Boquete
Some of the activities in this list require a car. Do you do everything in Panama by public transportation? Then, like us, we recommend renting a car in Boquete for one day anyway.
You can do this at Cowboy Cars Boquete. This car rental company is run by a super-friendly Belgian couple who have lived in Boquete for a long time. Here you get the best car insurance you can get in Panama, at fair prices.
We normally rent cars through Sunnycars, but they don't have a location in Boquete. The nearest Sunnycars location is David.