Lonely Planet Features Chiriquí: A first-time guide to its wildlife, scenic hikes, and coffee tours

Embark on a journey to the heart of Panama with Lonely Planet’s guide to Chiriquí, a region cherished for its stunning natural beauty and vibrant culture.This guide is perfect for newcomers eager to explore Chiriquí’s wildlife-rich cloud forests, fast-flowing rivers, lush agricultural valleys, and pristine mountainscapes. Chiriquí offers an unforgettable experience that will capture your heart and create memories to last a lifetime.

From the cool, refreshing mountain air of Boquete to the thrilling adventures around Volcán Barú, this picturesque region feels like a home away from home. Whether you’re wandering along scenic trails, sipping on some of the best coffee in the world, or soaking in the warm, rustic hot springs, Chiriquí has a way of capturing hearts and creating memories that last a lifetime.

A first-time guide to Chiriqui, Panama

By Sarah Gilbert Jul 17, 2024

“Beautiful Chiriquí in Panama is all wildlife-rich cloud forests, fast-flowing rivers, verdant agricultural valleys and unspoilt mountainscapes.

Visitors flock to the postcard-pretty town of Boquete for its cool mountain air, outdoor adventures and the boundless hiking trails around Volcán Barú.

The Lost Waterfalls Trail is signposted from Boquete © Martin Sarikov / 500px

Here’s what you need to know to plan a first-time visit to Chiriquí.

Set in the foothills of the mighty Volcán Barú, bucolic Boquete is famed for its cool climate, pristine nature and world-class coffee. It’s also Chiriquí’s outdoor adventure playground where adrenaline junkies will be spoilt for choice.

Base yourself in Boquete to experience the best of Chiriquí on a long weekend © milosk50 / Shutterstock

There are climbing routes for all levels; scramble up vertical volcanic rock walls, across horizontal basalt columns, and rappel down waterfalls. The fast-flowing Rio Chiriquí Viejo is perfect for white water rafting, with spectacular wildlife watching between navigating the rapids. Explore by mountain bike or horseback, then soak weary muscles in Caldera’s rustic, mineral-rich hot springs.”

Read full article: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/guide-to-chiriqui-panama

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Boquete Health & Hospice: Empowering the Community through Blood Drives and Vital Support

Thank you Boquete Health & Hospice for today’s blood drive!

You do so much for all you do for the community for both expats and Panamanians.  What a great event!

Looking for a great organization in Boquete to assist? Please consider Boquete Health & Hospice.

These are some of the other great Boquete charitable organizations that would really appreciate your support and participation.  Great Boquete Charities.

Some of the Very Giving Health & Hospice Team

What Boquete Health and Hospice Does:

• Health, Respite & Hospice Support
• Blood Donor Program
• Medical Equipment Loans to Those in Need
• First Aid for the Home
• Health & Wellness Support Through Music
• End of Life Preparations
• CPR Training

Also, Thanks to Jhanela Beitia, Mónica Stockli, and Maritza Saborío, Casa Solution team members, for giving blood today!

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Boquete Couple Featured on Fox: From Philadelphia to Panama – A Coffee Adventure of a Lifetime

See the inspiring story of a Philadelphia couple who decided to live their dream and bought their very own coffee estate in Boquete, Panama.  We are proud of having sold this home and farm to the wonderful couple, David and Anne Suplee.  Discover how they traded their Philadelphia Eagles season tickets for the beauty of Panama and embraced a whole new life in this breathtaking country.

David and Anne have created a wonderful estate, coffee brand and lifestyle in Boquete where the weather is spring-like all year round.

View the video and embrace the richly colored coffee beans and rich volcanic soil that make their delicious Finca Philadelphia Coffee Estate truly special.

You can do it too.

Houses currently for sale in Boquete and Chiriqui Province.           Farms and Ranches for sale in Panama (many in Boquete and the Tierras Altas district including Volcan, Panama).

Dave and Anne’s Review of Casa Solution

Finca Philadelphia’s Instagram Account.
For great photos, information and how to get some of their sublime coffee, visit Finca Philadelphia on Instagram.

Delaware Valley couple starts coffee business in Panama after discovering coffee plants while visiting

Dave Eitzen & Mike Jerrick, Fox News

It all started with a trip to Panama. Now, this Delaware Valley couple has created a whole new life as they own and run their own coffee estate in Boquete, Panama.

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The Boquete That We Love

This past Saturday, December 2, we reveled in the vibrant spirit of Boquete as the town witnessed a delightful parade right in the heart of downtown Boquete, just steps away from the Casa Solution office. The streets came alive with the cheerful tunes played by the talented students from Boquete’s local schools, creating an atmosphere of pure joy. From little ones to grown-ups, everyone relished in this heartwarming experience. Boquete was in its usual glory. This was one of Boquete’s Independence Day parades; one of many enlivening celebrations throughout the year.

What makes Boquete particularly special is its inherent happiness. Escaping the heat of the lowlands, the absence of bustling traffic, the plethora of charming restaurants, the allure of being a tourist destination with a plethora of enjoyable activities, and the small-town warmth exuded by its people – these factors collectively contribute to Boquete being a genuinely happy place. It’s hard to fathom a more joyous spot in Panama. Considering Panama has been renowned as the happiest country globally (Gallup), and Boquete as the happiest place in Panama, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Boquete might just be the world’s happiest place.

We’re excited to share a glimpse of this beautiful experience through photos, allowing you to vicariously soak in the magic of Boquete. Join us in celebrating the unique charm of this mountain paradise and consider joining the fun all year. Make Boquete your home.

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Boquete Featured on CBS Saturday Mornings April 1, 2023 – Behind the making of Panama’s $100-a-cup-coffee

Behind the making of Panama’s $100-a-cup coffee

by CBS Saturday Mornings April 1, 2023

Note: Despite the mention in the original article by CBS, the highly esteemed and generous Boquete leader Price Peterson is alive.

CBS has corrected the story.  

“Panama grows some of the world’s best coffee, but no brew may be more coveted than the “Geisha” varietal grown in remote parts of the country. The Panamanian version of the coffee, which can sell for up to $100 a cup in the United States, is among the world’s most expensive.

In western Panama’s Chiriqui Province, coffee grower Ratibor Hartmann, his son Rabitor Junior, and coffee importer Ellen Fan took CBS News behind the scenes of their operation. The estate where they grow the coffee is located on the side of a mountain, where altitude and volcanic soil make it the perfect place to grow the famous beans. Ratibor said that breezes from the Pacific and Caribbean grace the mountain’s slopes, adding to the flavor. Hartmann describes Geisha coffee as “very juicy, very sweet,” while Fan describes it as having “fruit notes like candy and grapes.” “This varietal, Panamanian Geisha, is the best,” added Fan. Geisha coffee beans actually originate from Ethiopia. They were originally called “Gesha” beans, named after the region in Ethiopia where they originated, but the misspelling stuck.

The bean made its way to Panama thanks to an experiment by Price Peterson and his family, who found that Geisha beans could survive some unfavorable weather. That experiment yielded a coffee unlike any they had ever tasted, and in 2004, they entered the coffee in a “Best of Panama” competition. “It was no competition,” said Daniel Peterson, Price Peterson’s son. “Judges, international judges that had been exposed to coffees around the world just – they fell in love with it.” Ever since then, Daniel and Rachel Peterson have been working to top that. They’ve experimented with different varities, fermentation and drying methods, and more. Some of their batches sell for more than $500 a pound, due to the limited supply of the beans and the estate’s meticulous handling of the prized products. Panamanian chef Charlie Collins said that sales of Geisha coffee have helped draw tourists to Panama and to the city of Boquete, which is near the Peterson farm. One of his baristas, Kenneth Duarte, loved the coffee so much that he learned the fine art of brewing it. “Business has increased, it’s been very good for the community of Boquete, but it’s also been very good for Panama,” Collins said.

The success of the Geisha coffee has benefited the local community and helped promote tourism in Panama. Although this article is about coffee production, it does provide an interesting perspective on how a unique product can have a positive impact on the local economy and tourism. In this case, Geisha coffee has helped to draw tourists to Panama and increased business in the community of Boquete. This highlights the importance of recognizing and promoting local specialties and unique products as a way to drive economic growth in the community.”

To see the video and read the full article click here.

 

More Boquete News:

1. Boquete Coffee Selling for $75 per Cup in San Francisco
2. CBS features “Jurassic Park” of Panama
3. New York Times Announces the 52 Places to Go Worldwide in 2023 and Boquete Made the List!

About Boquete, Panamá

If you’re interested in coffee farms with rich volcanic soil or ranches for sale in Boquete and Chiriqui please visit here.

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Building a Better Life on $2,500 a Month in Boquete by International Living

Can you live on $2,500 a month well in Boquete, Panama?  You betcha.  This 2022 article from world-famous International Living talks about an expat who assessed 15 countries before choosing Panama.  International Living regularly ranks Panama at the top of their retirement destinations worldwide.

“Building a Better Life on $2,500 a Month in Boquete“

By International Living Seán Keenan November 29, 2022

Excerpt:

“As it happens, a friend of Ron’s had shown him around Boquete—Panama’s premier highland retreat—some 10 years previously. The exploratory trip to Europe was fun, but the more he thought about it, the more drawn Ron was to Panama’s close proximity to the U.S., and the fact that it shares a time-zone with Indianapolis (where he’d lived for 21 years and still has work contacts).

An Expat-Haven Mountain Town

Boquete lived up to his happy memories of it. “The town has grown over the last decade, it’s got about 25,000 inhabitants now, about 5,000 of whom are expats. I love it. The climate is incredible. 60 F to 65 F in the mornings, and in the late afternoon it gets up into the 70s F. Even in the rainy season, it’s nice. It’s not like in a colder climate when it rains. That’s miserable. But 70 F and raining—that’s fresh, that’s enjoyable.”

Because it’s situated high in the Chiriquí uplands, at about 4,200 feet up, Boquete’s climate is remarkably mild for a tropical location. That’s a huge part of its appeal, and Ron notes the increasing interest in the town among international expats.

“It’s mostly North Americans, but the expat community is growing,” he says. “A lot of South Africans have moved in recently, and I’ve met people from Russia, Ecuador, Europe, all over. People are really friendly in Boquete and will always introduce you to each other. Every Tuesday there’s a crafts market in town, which is a gathering point for expats. Even if you don’t make it to that, there are two or three online publications, group activities, and volunteering. If you want to get involved, it’s easy. There’s a real community feeling.”

And although Ron still has an income from his part-time, remote work, living in Boquete leaves him with change from his monthly Social Security payments. “I could manage on Social Security alone, but I like to keep working on my own terms. I’m not the type to just sit around. But I live on $2,500 a month in Boquete. And I live better. The food here is incredibly fresh. Boquete’s a market town, and there’s new produce brought in from the surrounding farms every day. I definitely eat better in Panama than in the States. And you know, it helps that I’m not going to have to go through any more cold winters.”

Full Article: https://internationalliving.com/building-a-better-life-on-2500-a-month-in-boquete/

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How Boquete Highlands’ Geisha Coffee Changes Perceptions and Percolations in Panama

Panama’s Geisha coffee has become one of the world’s most expensive coffees, selling for up to $200 per cup in some parts of the world. The coffee variety is harvested in the highlands of Boquete and Volcan, where it grows under ideal conditions that include high altitude, tropical climate, volcanic soil, and an extended rainy season. Geisha has a complicated growing process, and low yields have made it scarce and ultra-expensive. Buyers bid higher and higher for Geisha beans at international coffee auctions. In September 2022, the Lamastus family set a new Panamanian Geisha Coffee world record by selling a pound of their Elida Geisha Aguacatillo, honey-processed coffee for a whopping $6,034 to a Taiwanese coffee company. This article explores the history of Geisha coffee and how it has become a luxury product.

How Panama’s Ultra-Expensive Coffee Changes Perceptions and Percolations

By Erik Trinidad Published on 11/2/2022

www.thrillist.com

Excerpt: “One overlooked, also rarified coffee is Geisha, a scarce and inadvertently ultra-expensive variety harvested in the highlands of Panama. The variety has a history of being ignored, partly due to how challenging it is to cultivate.

From Ethiopia to Panama

While the variety’s name may make some people think of Japan, the Panamanian Geisha coffee bean originated in the Gori Gesha region of Ethiopia. Seedlings were collected circa 1932 and made the rounds to other African coffee-producing regions before it was circulated in the global coffee trade. Eventually, in the 1960s, it made its way to Central America.

“Geisha coffee got to Panama as a way to combat the coffee rust epidemic in the ’70s,” says Manuel Barsallo, co-founder of the Panama City–based Cruce Coffee Company and member of the Panama Coffee Club.

Initially, Geisha was not very well-received by local farmers.

“Almost nobody wanted to grow Geisha because those coffee trees are not very productive,” says Carlos Antonio Jurado, a guide at the 124-year-old Don Pepe Coffee Estate in Boquete, Panama.

By the 1970s, only a few Panamanian coffee farmers had the patience to grow Geisha coffee in the agricultural highlands of the western Chiriquí province, near the Costa Rican border. The low-yield plant requires higher elevation to grow than other coffee varieties. When it does grow, it produces about half the amount of cherries per cluster compared to most other Arabica plants, and has only about half the amount of clusters per branch.

As if that weren’t reason enough for a farmer to turn away from Geisha, the variety takes two to three times longer than the average coffee plant to bear any fruits. “They produce less beans, and it takes up to 10 years to get the first good crop,” says Jurado.

However, with ideal conditions in the western Panamanian highlands—elevation, tropical climate, rich volcanic soil, cool nights, and an extended rainy season—Geisha began to flourish. For the next several decades, it was harvested primarily by family-run coffee farms, including the Jansons, the Lamastus family, and the Vasquez family of the Don Pepe Coffee Estate”.

Full Article: https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/is-this-the-worlds-most-expensive-coffee

More articles about Coffee in Panama:

Boquete Coffee Selling for $75 per cup in San Francisco – Boquete Coffee Breaks World Record at Auction

Usa Today Features Boquete / Panama Coffee Dominance Plus Tourism 

Coffee Bean Prices Hit 2 Year High and Headed Higher

Boquete Featured on CBS Saturday Mornings April 1, 2023 – Behind the Making of Panama’s $100-a-cup-coffee

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Disney+ & National Geographic Choose Boquete Restaurant as First to be Featured World-wide in “Restaurants At The End Of The World”

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New York Times Announces the Places to Go Worldwide in 2023 and Boquete Made the List!

52 Places to Go in 2023

House Hunting… in Panama, Real Estate in Panama

“… Near the Barú volcano and tucked into the highlands at about 3,900 feet, Boquete offers hiking, zip lines, coffee tours, white-water rafting, community theater, jazz and flower festivals and a plethora of restaurants. It has a springlike climate year round. The closest international airport, in the city of David, is around 25 minutes’ drive.

MARKET OVERVIEW

The Panamanian market is “doing very well,” said Jason Cohen, an owner with his wife, Stephanie, of Casa Solution Real Estate in Boquete. “We have had a steady influx of foreigners,” including buyers looking for full- or part-time retirement homes and “others who are looking to live well on less money,” Mr. Cohen said. The bulk of homes sell for between $200,000 and $700,000. There is a shortage of rentals.

Still, demand for high-quality houses is up, Mr. Cohen said. “If the market has changed at all, it’s because there are more high-end sales” from $800,000 to $2 million, he said. “Some of the homes are fantastic.”

WHO BUYS IN PANAMA

…. In addition to Americans, who make up 60 percent of buyers, the town is seeing Canadians, Venezuelans, Russians, Italians and French. While some Canadians are snowbirds, the majority of American buyers live in Boquete full time, moving from California, Texas, Kansas, New York, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Wealthy Panamanians often buy second homes in Boquete, Mr. Cohen said.

New York Times, January 21, 2015

Boquete named one of the top 5 places to retire abroad in Sept. 2010 issue of AARP MAGAZINE.

“Imagine waking up under sunny skies in a Latin American paradise, in a spacious, open-terraced home, your backyard dotted with bougainvillea and palm trees. After a swim and a pitcher of fresh-squeezed orange juice, you greet your fellow expats at the plaza, take a short rain-forest hike, volunteer with the local kids, and in the evening savor a delicious dinner of grilled lobster and carne asada at a charming beachfront café—for $30 a couple.

Okay, life abroad is not all palm trees and grilled lobster. There can be restrictions and red tape, language problems and culture shock, distance and sometimes loneliness. But at a time when nest eggs are shrinking and Social Security looks less likely to cover basic expenses, living for less in a foreign locale can make good financial sense. There’s also the prospect of adventure in a faraway land, the allure of the unknown, and the joy of serendipitous discoveries.

Intrigued? We thought you’d be. Which is why we investigated the overseas retirement scene, looking for mostly warm and sunny, attractively affordable locales with good-to-excellent health care that are hospitable to Americans of retirement age. What follows are snapshots of five great destinations that met our exacting criteria. Each has its own unique charms and pleasures, and all are safe and welcoming.”

The mountain village of Boquete offers something close to heaven for American retirees.

Panama is a smart choice for retirees who want it all—in a country that really wants them. Not only does it feature attractive retirement destinations—sleek capital city, hot beach towns, cool mountain villages—but it also offers an unbeatable package of retiree benefits and discounts (and a currency tied to the U.S. dollar). Little wonder there has been a steady influx of expats in the past few years.

Many retirees have settled in Panama City, a fast-paced financial hub with a Latin/Miami vibe. Others have gravitated to the Pacific Coast towns west of Coronado and the Panamanian version of Key West, hip and laid-back Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean Coast. But if you want a temperate highlands retreat surrounded by unmatched natural splendor, the mountain town of Boquete, an hour’s flight from Panama City, is close to heaven. Here expats settle amid rain forests, coffee plantations, burbling streams, and hummingbirds hovering over dazzling flowers.

Boquete is decidedly gringo-friendly, offering a wide range of back-home amenities, from a golf course to high-end gated communities. For some expats it also offers an opportunity for reinvention. Retired teachers Rich Lipner, 65, and his wife, Dee Harris, 61, moved from Berkeley, California, to Boquete, where in 2003 they bought a seven-acre organic coffee farm for $135,000. “Over the past seven years we’ve spent approximately $80,000 to build a new 1,000-square-foot guest house and restore the original 2,000-square-foot house,” Lipner says. “We’re living comfortably on our combined Social Security and teachers’ retirement. We’ve begun a new and wondrous chapter in our lives.”

Oh, about those discounts and benefits we mentioned earlier? They include 20 to 50 percent discounts on air, bus, and train fares, movies, concerts, restaurants, hospital bills, medical consultations, and more.”

In Panama, a taste of the tropics and a new state of mind.

“A trip through the archipelago became a mix and mingle with Americans and other foreigners. Boquete and its surroundings are becoming destinations for visitors and expats drawn to its beauty and affordable adventures.

Racing through a Panamanian archipelago by sport boat, I couldn’t help but feel like James Bond. It was just me and a mustachioed driver, speeding toward a remote island where I would spend a few decadent days at an eco-resort, hiking the rain forest, sunning myself by an infinity pool and sucking down rum cocktails to a soundtrack of rolling, tropical surf…. my trek of the Quetzal Trail, past corrugated metal lean-tos housing the indigenous workers who harvest the onions, corn, coffee beans and strawberries grown in this lush mountainous terrain, past howler monkeys and up toward an enormous waterfall where flocks of quetzals, the gorgeous, green-trailed birds, are known to fly.

…my trek of the Quetzal Trail, past corrugated metal lean-tos housing the indigenous workers who harvest the onions, corn, coffee beans and strawberries grown in this lush mountainous terrain, past howler monkeys and up toward an enormous waterfall where flocks of quetzals, the gorgeous, green-trailed birds, are known to fly.”

Go Gourmet in Boquete, Panama

“Surprising place, Panama. In the middle of the day in the highland town of Boquete a misty rain descends from the skies. It’s as slight as a hand held atomiser and it drops gently from the heavens just as the day threatens to become too warm.

Boquete is a charming two horse town of low buildings with tin roofs in blues, reds and rust. Set along the banks of the turbulent River Caldera it is surrounded by mountains whose flanks are lined with the straight lines of coffee plantations and peaks permanently wreathed in light clouds.

It’s quite easy to get to – a fifty minute flight from Panama City to the town of David and a forty minute drive in gentle scenery punctuated with real estate signs advertising land for sale and des reses in gated communities.

Fortune magazine’s Retirement Guide selected Boquete in 2005 as one of the five best places in the world to retire to along with Dubrovnik in Croatia, Bariloche in Argentina, Merida in Mexico and Phuket, Thailand.”

Hats off to Panama – Adventure travel at its best

“You really don’t hear about a lot of kayaking-only outfitters succeeding at something like this,” Miller said. “So it just made sense for us to branch out and expand our offerings with things like the sport fishing, sea kayaking, backpacking and whitewater rafting day trips. The thing that really works the best for us is custom trips, where groups can pick and choose what they want to do.”

Only slightly larger than Ireland, the narrow isthmus may qualify as North America’s best-kept adventure-travel secret, unrivaled on our continent in its diversity. Despite being the thinnest landmass between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Panama contains about 480 rain-fed rivers tumbling from the flanks of countless mountains surrounding the high point of the dormant 11,400-foot Baru Volcano, just outside Boquete.

…The Caldera River(in Boquete) is a popular spot for whitewater kayakers visiting the adventure- travel destination. …

Referring to Boquete: “It’s that diversity — going from the mountains to the beach in less than an hour — that makes this place so attractive and unique,” Omer said. “And a lot of it still feels relatively untamed, wild, unexplored — at least relative to a place like Costa Rica. There are definitely some ‘firsts’ left here. You feel like a pioneer.” The irony lies in BOA’s geographic proximity (in Boquete) just more than an hour’s drive from Costa Rica, a little less to Panama’s third-largest city (David) and the Pacific Coast, and a few minutes from one of the nation’s pre-eminent national parks (Volcan Baru), all on well-paved roads. Access to adventure is hardly an issue. “It all depends on how intense you want your adventure to be,” Omer said. “But it’s real easy to sample the whole gamut of what Panama has to offer.

Untamed land a draw – The country is home to 940 bird species, more than in all of North America, and its dense forests contain the greatest number of animal species of all the countries north of Colombia. There are 1,518 mapped islands off its coasts, where Panama lives up to its Indian name meaning “abundance of fish.” Its Pacific waters lay claim to more deep-sea fishing records than anywhere in the world. The Caribbean is only a couple hours away by car.”

Panama Booms as retirement hot spot for Americans – South Floridians find haven from high prices and hurricanes

“More measured growth appeals to the bulk of Americans who are retiring or buying second homes outside the capital – by the many beaches or in the mountains approaching Costa Rica, especially in the coffee-growing highlands around the town of Boquete.

The Costa Rica Experience Moves Next Door

“At midday, when the air is warm but crisp, a casual pace falls over the town. Crocs-wearing tourists mingle with old-timers, making fishing and hiking plans for the following morning. What feels at times like a newly minted resort town in New England or perhaps Southern California is actually the latest stop on Panama’s growing tourist route. Tucked in the highlands near the Barú volcano, in the western Chiriquí region of Panama, Boquete is emerging as one of Central America’s latest eco-tourism destinations. Surrounded by green mountains topped by misty, craggy peaks, Boquete offers plenty of outdoors adventure, like hiking, climbing, bird-watching and white-water rafting. And thanks to a 3,000-foot elevation, the area’s microclimate deducts 10 crucial degrees from the incessant lowland heat. Wispy clouds meander overhead in the morning, but release their grip by midday.

But unlike most eco-tourist hot spots, Boquete draws people not just to its natural beauty, however lush it may be, but also to its snowbird enclave. In the last two decades, a thriving community of North American baby boomers have built homes in and around town. Attracted …by the Napa-like weather and low cost of living…

And while Boquete’s real estate market was once dominated by porch-swinging retirees, the latest wave of arrivals tend to be younger couples in their 40s and 50s. Many are opening so-called hobby businesses — restaurants, touring companies, bed-and-breakfasts and wellness spas — geared for tourists. Boquete is capitalizing on its forests, rivers and abundant wildlife. Panama also offers magnificent bird-watching. The forests in and around Boquete are home to a dazzling array of quetzals, toucans and parrots….Then it’s back to the hotel for a hot stone massage. And maybe a nice bottle of red wine with dinner. But you’ll want to turn in early and sink into the crisp white sheets as a gentle mountain breeze lulls you to sleep. There’s plenty to do in the morning.”

Fortune Magazine 2005 Retirement Guide Names Boquete as one of the top 5 places in the world to retire

Paradise Found: Where to Retire Abroad

“Paradise Found: With temperatures between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit year round, homes don’t need heat or air conditioning. Boquete has a large English-speaking community.”

Retirees Find More for Less in Panama

About Boquete “Tax breaks, lower prices and laid-back lifestyle draw a growing community of Americans to one of the nation’s small towns…the latest hot spot in Central America”

A Budding Affection for Boquete

“a Panamanian Shangri-La in the cool highlands of Chiriquí where there were rushing trout-filled streams, a lush mountain rain forest, abundant orange groves and coffee plantations, and a picture-postcard town chockablock with flower gardens….Initial excursions took us to flowers, flowers and more flowers…. Impatiens, in every shade of the impatiens rainbow, interspersed with frothy flings of blue forget-me-nots, blanketed hillsides. Aerial gardens of orchids, aroids and bromeliads nestled in the high branches of trees. Lacy tree ferns towered man-high; mosses muffled almost every available surface…. At dawn on our last day in Boquete, while the valley’s surrounding mountains were still etched black against the departing night, we wandered out on our cottage deck, coffee cups in hand. Gradually a stain of pink appeared in the sky, turning golden as the sun made its way over the mountains, spotlighting first just one section of craggy peak, then another, until all of Boquete was bathed in gentle light. The call of one bird — more than seven dozen species have been spotted to date on the property — grew into a whistling, chirping, chiming morning chorus. Like Jane and Barry, we too had become smitten with the place.