Boquete is the perfect destination for lovers of the mountains. Within a short distance from the main town, there are more than ten great hikes in Boquete ranging in distance, and difficulty. Lots of the hikes have waterfalls and they all have great wildlife. Boquete really is one of the top destinations in Panama for avid hikers and daytrippers. Many bird-watchers frequent the hikes in Boquete hoping to spot the famous Resplendent Quetzal bird up in the canopies.
THE BEST 8 HIKES IN BOQUETE
It is almost 2000 meters above sea level and has a cool climate, which makes it perfect for daily adventures. I originally planned to stay in Boquete for a week but extended my stay to almost three weeks as I found there was just so much to do. In my entire three weeks, I managed to do a hike in Boquete or visit a waterfall every single day!
1. THE LOST WATERFALLS TRAIL
On one of the most stunning jungle trails in Panama, we searched for the lost waterfalls of Boquete. Through the luscious jungle, we trekked. Over muddy paths, we slipped and stumbled. From one patch of wildflowers to the next we discovered. Until we reached three, breathtakingly powerful and mind-blowingly beautiful waterfalls. The Lost Waterfall Trail is one of the best hikes in Boquete and even in the whole of Panama.
It is one of the most popular hikes in Boquete for obvious reasons. The Lost Waterfalls Trail is the first thing most visitors do in Boquete. It is a $7 entrance fee but is quite easy to get to and only a short hike it gives great value with three amazing waterfalls. It is the crowd pleaser and great for those who want a bit of an adventure, a waterfall but only half a day’s worth of effort. For those who want to see epic waterfalls, beautiful jungles, and wildlife but only spend a few hours out in the wilderness, this is your trail.
View the full blog post: THE LOST WATERFALLS TRAIL HIKE
3 MOST POPULAR TOURS IN PANAMA
These are the three most popular activities for tourists in Panama. Personally, I love the San Blas Islands boat trip!
- San Blas Islands Boat Trip: Explore the tropical paradise of the San Blas Islands, the most beautiful region in Panama. Easily the most amazing activity I did in Panama.
- Taboga Island Catamaran Cruise: Admire Panama from the water on a sightseeing catamaran cruise to Taboga Island. Admire the city skyline, dive from the boat for a swim, relax on a beach in Taboga, and enjoy snacks and an open bar.
- Half-Day City Tour & Panama Canal: Connect with the beautiful and modern Panama City on this shared or private city tour. Stroll the narrow streets of the Old Town and watch ships sail through the Panama Canal
2. THE PIPELINE TRAIL
The Pipeline Trail is another great hike in Boquete in the Bajo Mono region. We walked alongside the river through the jungle until reaching a massive yet slow-descending cascade at the end of the trail. On the way, you will discover a thousand-year-old tree and some unique wildlife. The trail takes about two hours and is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon when you are staying in Boquete town.
The Pipeline Trail is a nice short walk through the jungle, with a great chance of spotting a Quetzal bird. They say this is one of the best things to do in Boquete for spotting the Quetzal. we also spotted a snake, caterpillars, and lots of beautiful plants along the way.
The waterfall is quite high but more of a trickle than an aggressive flow like those on The Lost Waterfalls Trail.
View the full blog post: THE PIPELINE TRAIL
3. EL PIANISTA TRAIL
El Pianista Trail fast became my favorite jungle adventure and one of the most unique hikes in Boquete with its narrow canyon-esque path. The trail is just 4km out of Boquete town and is a 3-4 hour out-and-back trail with more than 2000 feet of elevation. The trail leads you into a cloud forest, which essentially means at least half of the trail is inside the clouds. This turns the scenery into a dripping rainforest, where life is buzzing, water droplets are falling to the floor from every leaf, and wildflowers and birds are plentiful. I honestly loved being inside this rainforest!
We felt like the path was leading us through an undiscovered land. It was a truly immersive hike and being in the cloud forest was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. I’m sure there are plenty around the world but I will really be seeking them out from this point onwards.
View the full blog post: EL PIANISTA TRAIL
4. LA PIEDRA DE LINO HIKE
It is one of the shortest hikes in Boquete but La Piedra De Lino will hurt your legs the most! This hike was a grueling 434 meters in elevation during just 1.3km of distance. That means for every three meters you walk forward, you walk up one meter. That is a painful equation. However, the view of Boquete from the top rock is worth the climb.
La Piedra De Lino means the rock of Lino. Lino is a small section of Boquete only about four kilometers from the center of Boquete town. There was a lot to see on the way up with flowers, berries, and glimpses of the view as we made our way to the top of the rock. Every time I turned back to look at the incline was an epic little view. There was no one else on the trail at all and we felt like we were out in the jungle even though we had views back towards Boquete town!
View the full blog post: LA PIEDRA DE LINO (THE ROCK OF LINO) HIKE
5. LA PIEDRA DE ARTILLERIA HIKE
La Artilleria hike is a beautiful trail up to one of the most epic viewpoints in all of Boquete. However, it is a strange one. The hike is suggested as a hiking trail on a poster in Mamallena hostel but apparently on private property, which the owner wants no hikers coming onto. We were rejected by the owner of the property but managed to sneak our way to the top of the viewpoint. My philosophy is always if you aren’t doing anyone or anything harm, there should be no harm in doing it. If I have to bend the rules a little as long as no one is negatively impacted in the process. Having said that, you can decide where your morals lay with trespassing!
At the top of the trail, we scrambled up the rocks and watched the clouds part to show us an amazing view of Boquete! It was definitely one of the best views from the hikes in Boquete and something I will never forget. In the opposite direction, we had rolling mountains with several layers and even a rainbow appeared. It was a day where everything seemed to turn out perfectly although this is one of the things to do in Boquete that won’t be recommended at your hostel.
View full blog post: LA ARTILLERIA HIKE
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6. LA PIEDRA DE LA INDIA VIEJA HIKE
La Piedra de la India Vieja hike has in my opinion, the coolest viewpoint of all the hikes in Boquete. However, it also has the worst trail or from what I found… no trail. My legs had many a battle scar after this hike but boy was the rock viewpoint at the top worth it all and more. If you are up for an extremely tough jungle adventure, go for it. Otherwise, enjoy my photos and head to one of the other beautiful hikes in Boquete. That’s genuine advice, not a challenge. This was one of the toughest things to do in Boquete!
At the summit, the view was totally unexpected. A jagged rock wall curved around right beneath me while mountains in all directions created an immensely atmospheric backdrop. Despite the rough journey up and the imminent rough journey down, I felt like I was on top of Boquete and I really was out here alone. I hadn’t seen a soul and I’m pretty sure no one is hiking this trail for good reason! I hung out up top for just under an hour shooting the mountainscape from a multitude of angles.
View full blog post: LA PIEDRA DE LA INDIA VIEJA HIKE
7. SENDERO LOS QUETZALES
Los Senderos Quetzales, translated to the Quetzal Trail, is one of the most popular hikes near the small town of Boquete in Panama. The Boquete region has a variety of trails to choose from yet Los Senderos Quetzales remains near the top of the list for visitors. The popularity of Los Senderos Quetzales is because this trail, in the Volcan Baru National Park, provides hikers a great opportunity to spot the elusive Quetzal bird.
The Quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala as it plays an important role in numerous types of Meso-American mythology. Additionally, the Quetzal is a very striking bird with impressive green feathers on its back while on its front it is covered in striking red feathers. The Quetzal also has a long tail. All of these features make it an attractive bird for bird-watchers to travel all the way to the Chiriqui region of Panama. El Sendero Los Quetzales is one of the most popular things to do in Boquete.
View full blog post: SENDERO LOS QUETZALES: THE TRAIL OF THE FAMOUS QUETZAL
8. HIKE TO THE SUMMIT OF VOLCAN BARU
At 11:45 pm we set off in darkness, climbing a steep path into the mist of the night. Our mission was to reach the highest point in Panama in time to watch the sunrise from our viewpoint above the clouds. We were attempting the strenuous, overnight hike up Volcan Baru near Boquete, Panama.
After 13km of hard work, we made it to the summit! All that effort in the cold and the dark and now we were on top of the world. We looked out over to the horizon and all we could see was a blanket of clouds below us, the sign was trying to break through, and then, it did just that.
This was one of my favorite things to do in Boquete and if you like a bit of adventure this one is definitely for you! I hope you get a beautiful sunrise.
View full blog post: 27KM VOLCAN BARU HIKE OVERNIGHT FOR EPIC SUNRISE
WHERE I STAYED IN BOQUETE (FOR 20 DAYS)
Throughout my two weeks in Boquete, I stayed at Mamallena Hostel. I first stayed in a private room, which was on special for $21 a night, and shared that with my friend. Then when my friends left I moved into the dorm for the price of $11 a night. Mamallena hostel is the main hostel of the town and is in a perfect location. It is right near the main street where you can get a taxi, colectivo van or bus. It is within one-minute walking distance to the grocery stores, bank and several cafes and restaurants.
Mamallena Hostel has a kitchen, which you can use to cook. Lots of the guests cooked their meals to save money but I hate cooking. I ate out at the same restaurant for every single meal. It’s called Sobrosons. All of the locals eat there and it is kind of a cafeteria style restaurant where you choose rice, pasta, chicken, salads, lasagna, empanadas, platanas and more. It was pretty cheap and we each meal was about $5-6 USD. Even if you only go once it is a good local experience and one of the cheap things to do in Boquete when you aren’t hiking.
WIFI IN BOQUETE
Fear, not fellow digital nomads. Boquete is awesome for WiFi. Not only are their awesome things to do in Boquete but you can stay online easily too. As I said, at Mamallena Hostel, the WiFi was perfect I was daily blogging. I didn’t try other places around town but normally if one hostel is good they are all okay as it usually depends on the overall region. If you want, you can also get a sim card. I bought one later on in my trip in Santa Fe, where there was no wifi at my hostel for the most part. For 7 days of unlimited LTE data, it cost $5 and it worked pretty damn well. I assume Boquete, which had good WiFi would be similar.
HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT MY OTHER PANAMA GUIDES
- 70 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN PANAMA: The ultimate guide to exploring the whole country!
- 26 AMAZING WATERFALLS IN PANAMA: The ultimate guide to waterfall chasing in Panama.
- 6 BEST CLIFF JUMPING SPOTS IN PANAMA: The guide for thrill-seekers and adrenaline hunters.
- 37 AMAZING HIKES IN PANAMA: All of the best hiking trails. Many you’ve never heard of!
- 18 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN BOQUETE: Hiking, waterfalls, and volcanoes.
- 12 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN EL VALLE DE ANTON: My favorite place to base in Panama.
- 10 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN SANTA CATALINA: Surf, hike, swim, kayak, and explore.
I hope you enjoy my guides and have a great time exploring Panama!
Wayne Gretzky
Saturday 18th of February 2023
Thank you. MAPS would be very useful, as would 2. the hiking times for each trail segment, adjustments for "Advanced.. Fit, Moderate ability, Low Tolerance. 3. You write sometimes "a half day", what does that mean, per round-trip, camera & look out stops, etc. Also, 4. getting a cab or bus to start at the height of the trail and walk down: please be clear when a one-way hike is and is not an option. 5. I thank you and my knees thank you. Cheers.
Maria
Saturday 1st of June 2019
Absolutely the best pictures I have seen in my unknown country. Thanks so much
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