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18 Awesome Things To Do In Boquete, Panama: The Bucketlist

18 Awesome Things To Do In Boquete, Panama: The Bucketlist

Boquete has fast become one of my favorite adventure towns. It is nestled in the province of Chiriqui, which is in the north of Panama only a couple hours’ drive to the Costa Rican border. At almost 2000 meters above sea level, Boquete has a cool climate, which is perfect weather to explore all of the awesome hikes and waterfalls in the region. Boquete is also one of the best places to spot the famous Resplendent Quetzal bird in the canopy of the many forests.

I extended my one-week stay for a total of two weeks exploring all of the hikes, waterfalls, and things to do in Boquete. I personally went on all of these adventures solo and with my friends throughout the two weeks in Boquete. This is the Boquete bucket list!

el pianista trail boquete

18 THINGS TO DO IN BOQUETE: THE BUCKET LIST

In this blog post, I’ll share my favorite things to do in Boquete. You can click the link in each segment for a full, detailed blog post on that specific activity.

THE LOST WATERFALLS TRAIL

On one of the most stunning jungle trails in the world, we looked 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 Hike is one of the best things to do in Boquete and even in the whole of Panama.

The Lost Waterfalls Trail is the first thing most visitors do in Boquete. It is $7 to the entrance but quite easy to get to and only a short hike but 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. This is easily the most popular activity in the region and one of the top things to do in Boquete.

View the full blog post: THE LOST WATERFALLS TRAIL HIKE

the lost waterfalls boquete
the lost waterfalls boquete

THE PIPELINE TRAIL

The Pipeline Trail is another great hike in the Bajo Mono region just outside of Boquete Town. Walk alongside a river through the jungle until you reach 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. This was one of the top things to do in Boquete.

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

pipeline trail boquete hike
pipeline trail boquete hike

EL PIANISTA TRAIL

El Pianista Trail fast became my favorite jungle adventure 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. For hiking lovers, this is a must-do activity in Boquete.

We felt like the path was leading us through an undiscovered island. It was a truly immersive hike and being in the cloud forest was like nothing I’ve 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

el pianista trail boquete
el pianista trail boquete

LA PIEDRA DE LINO HIKE

It may be one of the shortest hikes in Boquete distance wise but La Piedra De Lino will hurt your legs the most! This hike was a grueling 434 meters in elevation over just 1.3km. That means for every three meters you walk forward, you walk up one meter. 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 were lots 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

la piedra de lino rock hike
la piedra de lino rock hike

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 my 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 wrangle 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 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 the best view we had during our hiking 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

la artilleria hike boquete

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la artilleria hike boquete

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

LA PIEDRA DE LA INDIA VIEJA HIKE

La Piedra de la India Vieja hike has in my opinion, the best views of any hike 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

la piedra de la india vieja
la piedra de la india vieja

ROCK CLIMBING WALL

On the way to Bajo Mono, the location of the Lost Waterfall Trek, and many more, there is an epic Basalt rock climbing wall. The best part about it is that is completely natural. Josh and I used to run here in the morning and work out on the grass amidst the beautiful mountains. However, in the late mornings and afternoons, there were rock climbing tours that would set up and take tourists through their paces at climbing the wall.

things to do in boquete

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

sendero los quetzales panama
sendero los quetzales panama

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 the full blog post: 27KM VOLCAN BARU HIKE OVERNIGHT FOR EPIC SUNRISE

volcanoes in panama, volcano panama, volcano in panama, volcano baru, baru volcano, volcan baru hike, voclan baru panama, volcan baru national park, parque nacional volcan baru
volcanoes in panama, volcano panama, volcano in panama, volcano baru, baru volcano, volcan baru hike, voclan baru panama, volcan baru national park, parque nacional volcan baru

THINGS TO DO NEAR BOQUETE (BUT NOT QUITE IN BOQUETE)

Those are all of the hikes, waterfalls, and activities that I got up to in Boquete. However, while in Boquete I made a few day trips. None of these trips were much more than an hour by car. It is quite hard to rent a car and DIY by bus isn’t the easiest but is possible. Many of the following activities are available on tours. I was lucky enough to make some local friends who showed me these places. Panama is still developing its tourist route, which means you get a lot of natural beauty but also some things to do in Boquete and surrounding regions are logistically difficult.

If you mention any of these to your hotel staff they will likely know where you are talking about and be able to point you to a guide, or tour company, or even help you DIY it. I have added directions and helpful information with an individual blog post to all of the activities above and below to help you also. So, below are the waterfalls, hikes, and places I visited while in Boquete that aren’t technically in the Boquete region.

ROMELIO & KIKI WATERFALL

I’m standing behind a waterfall, watching the droplets majestically float down right before my eyes. I feel like I am inside the earth, inside a chamber watching the raw power of mother nature from the inside out. I am within the heart of Kiki Waterfall in the Ngäbe-Buglé region, Chiriqui. It was the second waterfall of the day after visiting Romelio Falls earlier with two local tour guides and a group of new friends.

These two waterfalls are a little tough to reach but if you can organize a crew it is an epic adventure for a day of waterfall chasing. I have linked the details of the guides in the full blog post which is linked below.

View full blog post: ROMELIO & KIKI WATERFALL IN NGÄBE-BUGLÉ REGION

kiki waterfall romelio waterfall chiriqui panama
kiki waterfall romelio waterfall chiriqui panama
kiki waterfall romelio waterfall chiriqui panama
kiki waterfall romelio waterfall chiriqui panama

CHOCLON WATERFALL

Choclon Waterfall is a beautiful twin falls at the end of a small gorge. The tiny amphitheater is the perfect place for a short hike and to hang out in the afternoon with friends on a sunny day. The water has a beautiful blue tinge to it and vines grow all around the walls of the waterfalls giving this spot a magical atmosphere.

View full blog post: CHOCLON WATERFALL IN CHIRIQUI

CHOCLON WATERFALL IN CHIRIQUI, PANAMA
CHOCLON WATERFALL IN CHIRIQUI, PANAMA

CASCADA DEL TRUENO WATERFALL

When the destination of the day is ‘Thunder Waterfall (Cascada Del Trueno) you know the crew is heading somewhere aggressive, powerful, and possibly a little bit extreme! Bundled into the back of a pickup truck, we wound our way through Chiriqui to Cordillera to begin the short trail. The 30-minute hike led us down into the amphitheater of dreams as the Thunder Waterall lived up to its name, slapping a rage of spray at anything that came within a 20m radius with pure fury.

View full blog post: CASCADA DEL TRUENO (THUNDER WATERFALL)

CABELLO DE ANGEL WATERFALL

After jumping a few barbed-wire fences, we made it down to the river in about fifteen minutes. It was here that we could hear the sound of the howler monkeys who weren’t happy about us invading their river. They never came too close to us. I stood and watched them for about 20 minutes. Every time I moved position slightly, they would climb around the trees and find a little hole to view me from. If we made eye contact they would jump away and climb to a new vantage spot. We played this game for a while and eventually I managed to grab a frame of one of the monkeys before they leaped away.

Cabello de Angel waterfall was huge! It flowed from two different sides and then converged into one, an almighty powerful force that rocketed into the pool below. The mist blew everyone and the rocks were incredibly slippery, which made it a fun experience but incredibly hard to shoot.

View Full blog post: CABELLO DE ANGEL WATERFALL

Cabello de Angel Waterfall Chirqui
Cabello de Angel Waterfall Chirqui

CANGILONES DE GUALACA

Los Cangilones de Gualaca is a natural canyon slot in Chiriqui. It has stood the test of time and is thousands of years old. It’s a great spot to hang out with friends, cliff jump, and swim! Cangilon means bucket in Spanish or deep vessel for collecting water. This canyon is one hell of a long bucket and an epic spot to visit in Chiriqui.

View full blog post: LOS CANGILONES DE GUALACA

los cangilones de gualaca
los cangilones de gualaca

SINDIGO WATERFALL

Sindigo Waterfall in Chiriqui Panama is a great little spot with cliff jumping, a rope swing, and beautiful blue water. What I am saying is… welcome to paradise!

The waterfall is in the Gualaca region and is unmarked from the road. We jumped a barbed wire fence and headed down a small path.

The scene was magical. Moss-covered boulders created a swimming pool, which a sweet little waterfall poured into. From the top of the boulders, you can jump in from about 4 meters. This epic little spot even had a rope swing, which flung you all the way out into the middle of the pool.

View full blog post: SINDIGO WATERFALL IN CHIRIQUI

sindigo waterfall

JOGUATA WATERFALL

After more than a week in the town of Boquete I had visited many waterfalls but none so far had a sizeable cliff jump. That all changed when I paid a visit to Joguata Waterfall in Caldera. An 8-meter jump from beside a waterfall into the pool below was enough to get my adrenaline pumping for the day.

To be honest it wasn’t my favorite cliff jump ever. The scenery was insane but I don’t like when I have to jump out over a ledge. Even if the ledge is small it still isn’t super fun when backflipping out over rocks. Having said that, I think I cleared it a lot. It isn’t dangerous but be careful as always. Jumping forward and feet first is quite safe and easy! The water is quite deep and the waterfall crashes into the pool so aim just to the left of that but check the conditions first as you never know what lurks beneath the surface.

View full blog post: JOGUATA WATERFALL CLIFF JUMP

joguata waterfall cliff jump panama
joguata waterfall cliff jump panama

MACHO DE MONTE

I never made it to Macho de Monte because it was quite hard to get to and I didn’t have a car. It was also the rainy season and it can be a bit dangerous. However, it is something I am sad I didn’t get to see. It is a canyon that you essentially hike through to an epic waterfall. If you get the chance to visit Macho de Monte, don’t pass it up!

CHORCA WATERFALL

The other great adventure I missed out on was Chorca Waterfall. With 18 days in Boquete, I did a lot but you can’t get to them all unless you stay for a long time. Chorca Waterfall is a popular waterfall spot that had a ledge at the top you can hang out on. It isn’t too hard to get to from what I have heard!

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!

Mamallena Hostel provides all-you-can-eat pancakes every morning and free unlimited coffee on tap. You make the pancakes yourself whenever you wake up but they have the batter ready to go. It seems to be quite common in Panama and Colombia to offer free pancakes.

The staff at Mamallena Hostel were super helpful and I asked them so many questions about things to do in Boquete and hikes that they never send any guests on. In fact, many of the hikes on this list were trails that they told me not to go on. They knew a lot about the area and all of the best things to do in Boquete. They helped everyone in the hostel plan their activities and helped different types of people decide what would be the best things to do in Boquete depending on their style of travel and fitness.

The wifi at the hostel was solid and I pumped out a blog every night without any issues. I really did enjoy the vibe at this hostel and as it isn’t a party town it wasn’t too loud. Most people were just adventuring during the day and hanging out at night.

This wasn’t a sponsored stay. I paid for every night of my accommodation here.

If you would like to check for an available private room or dorm room on Booking.com you can Click Here.

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 to 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.

WHERE TO EAT IN BOQUETE

Those that have traveled with me know when I find a good spot, I stick to it. I’m happy to try new things but I came to adventure and experience all the things to do in Boquete, not to taste test the food. Therefore, when we found Sobrosons cafeteria-style restaurant it became the go-to. The conversation wasn’t about where to eat tonight. It was what time were we going to Sobrosons. The lady at the front counter would ask me if I wanted one or two lattes today. It was as close as I get to feel local.

Therefore other than Sobrosons I can’t suggest much. However, there are lots of restaurants both local style and western in the area. There is also a local spot called the Boquete Brewery you may want to check out. I never got around to beer in my 3 weeks in Boquete. It was pure adventure, running, and pancakes!

TOP 3 THINGS TO DO IN BOQUETE

I hope you enjoyed this guide to the best things to do in Boquete. I loved all of these adventures and if I had to pick a top three things to do in Boquete I would say:

  1. Hike to the summit of Volcan Baru (Hope you get good weather)
  2. Lost Waterfalls Trek (Just can’t beat those three epic waterfalls for a short hike)
  3.  El Pianista Trail (I just loved the cloud forest!)

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT MY OTHER PANAMA GUIDES

I hope you enjoy my guides and have a great time exploring Panama!

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dREY

Friday 13th of January 2023

Thanks for plenty of infos about Boquete and at all about Panama. It really helps us to plan our trip.

Cheers bro :)

Sunday 27th of March 2022

Nice article. We will be in Boquete for a month in May and moving there permanently in 2023. I will definitely try a few of the trails. Thank you.

Tetyana

Saturday 26th of March 2022

Great guide. Thank you for taking the time.

Frank theTank

Friday 17th of September 2021

Great article! I hope to get to do a lot of the things that you described. They all seem so appealing.

Abraham

Thursday 7th of January 2021

Thanks a lot buddy! Hoping I can make it there.