Anyone been to Boquete?

oopsie-daisy · 01-24-2007

Has anyone heard of this place? It is a small town in Panama, located in the country's only volcano, Volcan Baru. It is 45 kms away from David. It is also known as the "Valley of Eternal Spring" because its flowers that bloom all year round. If you came to Panama to relax and enjoy nature, this is the best place to go hiking, sightseeing, birdwatching and water rafting. I am myself a nature lover and I love waters and greens so much. Anymore to add?

Dan · 04-23-2007

Yes, many of us have been there, and can't wait to get back! Do a Google search for "Boquete, Panama" and you'll learn plenty. Also check my website Boquete real estate - Panama's perfect retirement area for information on the area, land prices and helpful links.

Lalaguayaba · 08-02-2007

I spent most of March, this year, in Boquete. My mother was in the process of landscaping and settling in, so I went down to check it out--it didn't take too much persuasion, as D.C. in March fairly sucks, weather-wise.
It reminded me a lot of the Colorado foothills, with sunny and warm to hot days, and cool nights. It was the dry season, but the bajareque, the afternoon misting that floats down from the volcano were still showing up everyday @ 4 pm. It really is just this light, wet fog that drifts down and cools everthing off, and keeps things from being too dry.
I managed to get a marvelous tan during the perfectly clear days, and do a lot of amazing star-gazing due to the crystal nights and lack of light pollution--David is 45 minutes away, and the local lights can't dim the brilliantness of the sky. A nice thing about amateur astronomy in Boquete is that its altitude provides for many clear evenings, and for a visitor from the north, its latitude shows off a lot of the southern hemisphere constellations that are new and interesting.

On the down side...
A lot of retired gringos are visible everywhere--in the markets, in the restaurants, walking around town. So its pretty obvious where all the money and impetus is coming from for the new building boom; a new 'town center' building was going in, new banks and businesses were also prevalent. In chatting with some locals, I got a real sense that all the developement was bittersweet. While it was bringing in a lot of money locally, there was also a sense that the secret was out, and now everyone was having to put up with people who did not speak Spanish. Where my parents live, in Valle Escondido, is basically entirely American--you can walk around all day, play golf, go to the country club, etc. and not have to speak Spanish at all. I attended a resident's board meeting, and one man (who was seated next to me) actually asked if all the future staff hirings could be made up of people who spoke English fluently, that he was tired of 'not being able to make sense of the guards.' I turned to him and asked him why he moved to a Spanish-speaking country in the first place; it just ticked me off. There seems to be a lot of that sentiment going around on both sides, the locals--who, in my opinon, have every right to want new residents to speak some Spanish, and the gringos--who, because they can pay for it, expect everyone to speak English. It was a little disheartening to say the least, but with such a beautiful town and perfect weather, no surprise that ppl want to live out their golden years in Boquete.

My mother and I both speak Spanish, my stepfather is trying his darndest to learn--but will probably always need my mom for that. She is currently attempting to set up intro Spanish classes for V.E. residents so that they can communicate with the locals in town, with the staff on the property, and with their maids, landscapers and cooks. I hope it works out, just to kill some of the prejudicial feelings that are starting to emerge.

Cheers.

tarzan95959 · 08-02-2007

Yes ,I have been there . IT is nice and much cooler . MY wife really liked the area ,but I did not care for the place very much . I think I am more a seaside person .

tallman33 · 08-02-2007

I have not been there yet. I'll try to go. I like the cooler places.

Lalaguayaba · 08-02-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by tarzan95959

Yes ,I have been there . IT is nice and much cooler . MY wife really liked the area ,but I did not care for the place very much . I think I am more a seaside person .

I know exactly what you mean! I've lived in the mountains, I've lived in suburbia, I've lived in a few big cities--but I've never lived within walking distance of the beach! Ahhh! I was only in Bocas for a few days (not nearly long enough to get a good impression of the place,) but I really like the ppl and the weather, and of course, the proximity to bath-warm waters.
While the rest of my family grew up in California, I was raised on the east coast--so I guess I have a higher tolerance for humidity and bugs; not that I was annoyed by the bugs in Bocas, but there were far more than in Boquete. I'm a huge fan of the Caribbean, and am starting to wonder if there is a place in Bocas that needs a good beach bar...

Cheers!

themark · 08-03-2007

Are you thinking of starting your own bar? That would be really cool!

killian · 10-09-2007

LOL
I laughed so hard now, I mean, boquete is a dirty word for oral sex in portuguese, so it sounded really weird when I read that lol

MonAmb · 10-14-2007

Yes i have heard of Boquete, my relatives have traveled there many many times. They told me that because of its altitude its climate is cooler than the lowlands in Panama, so it is a pleasant escape from the heat. I would like a place cooler than the boiling heat in summer so that i could just chill out with my girl and have a good relaxed time. Obviously, go to the beaches some days for the nice heat.

themark · 10-14-2007

I don't understand. Is the place actually inside of a volcano?

Lalaguayaba · 10-14-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by themark

I don't understand. Is the place actually inside of a volcano?

No--then it would be inside the caldera at over 11,000 ft, and I can't imagine that most visitors would find the altitude too pleasant.
It's at about 3000 ft, which is perfectly pleasant, and noticeably cooler than David. Starting from the coast south of David, the land starts to gain in altitude, and the foothills around Boquete are just truly lovely.

Have you just never been to any mountains? Or large hills (what they call 'mountains' on the east coast of the U.S.?) Do you live in a rather flat place?

Cheers.

seashore · 10-15-2007

I think most people can't breath at that high of an altitude. At the very least, they have to get used to it.

Lalaguayaba · 10-15-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by seashore

I think most people can't breath[e] at that high of an altitude. At the very least, they have to get used to it.

Acclimatization takes a minimum of a week for some basic red blood cell growth, and can actually progress for months after attaining the desired altitude; thus the reason why lots of folks from sea level locales get altitude sickness at ski resorts, base elevations averaging around 8500 feet. For a person living at sea level, even a trip to 5000' (like Denver or Albuquerque) can cause some effects, like tiredness, hyperventilation and increased sensitivity to alcohol (the 'cheap date' effect.)

Acclimatization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cheers.

ChecMark · 12-08-2007

Thank you, thank you! Finally some good information on Boquete - the area I have been trying to research for weeks now. Although I'm moving from the Great White North I didn't want to replace it with the Great Hot Humid Bug-filled South either. The area around Boquete sounded like the best of Panamanian paradise. I had a lead on a fantastic mountain home at an unbelievable $275 a month, but, of course, it got rented before I connected with the owners, who happen to live here in BC.

I am trying desperately to connect with someone locally to find a house to rent for a couple of months, and then I hope to be able to find properties to renovate, somewhere in the area. If any local person wants to connect with me to answer my many questions, that would be great. I'm pretty clueless here, such as, I don't even know if it's possible to drive down from Canada. I can't find road conditions or directions or driving distances. Any help would be much appreciated.

ZeroCapacity · 12-08-2007

Wow I may have to visit there. Sounds great!

Lalaguayaba · 12-08-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChecMark

...I'm pretty clueless here, such as, I don't even know if it's possible to drive down from Canada. I can't find road conditions or directions or driving distances. Any help would be much appreciated.

It is possible to drive down from Canada, as the Panamerican highway (The Interamericana) goes all the way from Alaska to end in Panama, and many books have been written about it--I wouldn't categorize it as an extreme sport, but, perhaps adventure travel.

First of all, learn Spanish! You've got to drive the whole of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica (perhaps with a side trip to El Salvador.) While it is no where as dangerous as ppl would like you to believe (there is no open war anymore,) it will also take some serious planning.

A quick check on the Amazon website, with a search for 'Driving to Panama' yielded a book about a RV trip in Panama and a motorcycle trip to Panama.

Amazon.com: Driving to Panama

I don't know where you've been looking, but the info is out there! A more comprehensive search on Amazon is sure to turn out the info you've been looking for--and a trip to AAA will yield all the maps you are likely to need.

Cheers.

ChecMark · 12-08-2007

Great information. My problem is timing. I don't have time to even order a book. Your AAA suggestion might work, as we have a local BCAA office here. Years ago I ordered a "TripTick" I think they called it, and it had detailed driving directions for the whole trip.

I know this is pretty basic, but do you have any idea where I can find out how far the actual driving is? I can get info from here to the Mexican border, but nothing from there.

Thanks.

Gary

Lalaguayaba · 12-09-2007

Aloha! Any of these books from Amazon can be yours by Tuesday...it is just that fast. Or, find the book, and locate it at a local library, or a local university. Or, find the book, and look it up in the Wikipedia or its home website.

As far as the mileage...best guesstimates are large and slightly off-putting. Less than the drive between NYC and San Francisco...See what you can get from AAA and add a few hundred miles for space-time fluctuations (always happen on road-trips,) sight-seeing and rest.

Keep a diary and take lots of photos.

Good luck!

MRWOOHOO · 12-09-2007

When I went to Panama for the first time last year the AAA did not have much of anything about Panama, no road maps, absolutely nothing. Dont worry about it to much, you can get the maps when you are down there. If you find a decent bookstore or many grocery stores carry maps. If you plan to drive around Panama City and it is your first time make real sure you have a good city map and be prepared.

Lalaguayaba · 12-09-2007

He's driving to Panama, so he needs maps to Panama. As far as I've been able to ascertain, you don't really need maps if you plan to stay on the Interamericana, as it is one highway--but I think I'd rather be safe than sorry and attempt to get a few. More maps of the route should be available in Mexico, from Mexican website, etc. you are just going to have read the Spanish.

Good luck!

ChecMark · 12-09-2007

Looking more and more like I won't be driving now, for a couple of reasons. I've read some more road trip reports and it certainly sounds like once you get to Mexico, you don't go anywhere fast. I'm not in a panic, but was thinking more in days than months. Most trips seem to be of the many weeks variety. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy the travel; it's more the expense of being on the road - hotels, food, booze.

I can take a bus from here to Seattle ($60) and then fly from there to PC in about 14 hours, and the one-way is like