The most beautiful natural sites to discover Panama

From September to November-December, you will have the chance to observe sea turtles, and between July and October-November, whales come to reproduce... Dolphins are also present all year round! Playa El Toro, 3 km east of Pedasi, is accessible by foot (30-40 minutes) or by cab. Say hello to Arturo Cabeza, known as "El Mentao" or "El Chaman" if he is still around. This local figure cleans and tries to preserve the beach to avoid the same fate as La Garita, next door, where a large complex with villas has been built. La Garita offers a nice walk all the same while going away towards the south, one can see turtles there in season.

El Bajadero is a little further north. For La Arenal, from where you can take a boat to Isla Iguana, take the road that passes in front of the tourist office (CEFATI) for 3 km. There is also a small beach restaurant. Surfing and kite surfing are practiced there.

This beach, located between Red Frog and Playa Larga, is also very little frequented although it is accessible on foot and by sea in good weather. It is named after Polo, who decided more than 40 years ago to escape from civilization and settle here. Today, he is considered both a marginal and a living legend, and he contributes to the welcoming of this remote beach. He cooks very well and sells beers but it is not possible to sleep there anymore. Ask about the security conditions if you go there on foot.

The hilly path, often wet and slippery, crosses thick vegetation through the hills. After the long walk, you will be rewarded for your efforts by a generous and wild nature! Nonis, palms and coconut trees and other trees line this beautiful beach but with dangerous currents. Be careful, for security reasons, it is advised to take this road in group, without valuable stuff and without returning too late. Without being too alarming, it is best to inquire about the situation at the police station (tel. 757 5797).

The thermal waters, of volcanic origin (remember that El Valle is located in a crater), are one of the most popular attractions in the area. The site is a 20-minute walk from the market, set in a lush garden. But don't expect a modern spa with natural facilities. The pools are basic concrete, the toilets and changing rooms rustic. But we're under the trees and the entrance fee won't break the bank. After a few explanations on how the water comes from the volcano, you will be invited first to coat your face with clay, with two kinds of mud (normal or sensitive skin), with exfoliating, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. You will then relax in one of the natural hot water pools at 38°C. These waters are rich in trace elements and are excellent for people suffering from arthritis, rheumatism or asthma, but it is recommended not to stay longer than 45 minutes. The water has a rusty colour, so avoid light coloured bathing suits! Bring a towel (not provided) and flip-flops (slippery floor). The site is ideal for relaxing after a hike, but it is advisable to arrive before 3pm to have time to enjoy it. Depending on the time of day or the day, it can get crowded (especially on weekends), the experience will be very different if you are 2 or 30 in the pools! On the other hand, the rain is not really a problem, considering the ambient heat and the temperature of the water.

Also known as Balneario Las Mendozas, the river is a popular spot for locals on weekends and during the water carnival, when floats are paraded on the water. This carnival attracts huge crowds, music and the famous culecos, the tanks topped by a platform from which the carnival queen or her acolytes, armed with a huge hose, spray the crowd to the rhythm of the travelling discos. A blessing under the scorching summer heat, acclaimed by the crowd. Agua! Agua! Agua!

This site, discovered in 1924, confirms the presence of an indigenous population on these lands between 700 and 1000 A.D. Mounds of earth revealing the presence of tombs and an alignment of large stones (funerary?) brought back somehow from the mountains more than 20 km away from the site... Several teams of archaeologists follow one another according to funding. A part of the excavations is in two museums of New York. The Panamanians hope one day to recover them! To be continued..

This 1,185 m high mountain, facing the India dormida, is the highest in El Valle. The hike, of moderate difficulty, allows you to discover the fauna and flora of the tropical rainforest, including a great variety of birds and orchids. From the viewpoint at the top, you can see when the sky is completely clear (which is rare) the Pacific on one side and the Caribbean on the other. The descent is steep and can be slippery. Count 4 hours 30 the round trip (8,2 km, 530 m of unevenness). Best done with a guide.

La India Dormida is the iconic mountain of El Valle. It can be admired from almost anywhere, and for many, there is no lack of desire to climb it! The hike is of an easy to moderate level, with some quite physical passages. It offers a superb panorama on the valley. A local guide (from the Cooperativa Sendero La Piedra Pintada) can be useful to avoid getting lost and to learn more about the local fauna and flora, as well as to listen (in Spanish) to one of the versions of the legend of the Sleeping Indian. There are several trails, from the "head" to the "feet" of the Indian woman (also possible in the other direction). Count 3-4 hours for the longest one, called "of the Feet" or "Cerro la Cruz", and 2-3 hours for the most popular, called "of the Arm" or "Por la Comunidad". If you start from the village, ask for directions at the beginning. On the path that goes through the Piedra Pintada (the most travelled), be careful not to miss the fork in the road to the left, just after the Piedra del Sapo. You can just go to the viewpoint and back, or follow the body and go down to the arm or feet of the Indian woman. The path is varied, with river crossing, dense vegetation in some places, rocks... Be careful up there because of the sometimes violent wind and bring all the gear of the hiker (walking shoes, rain cape, sun cream...), water and food. You can refresh yourself in water holes, so think of a bathing suit in the nice season.

Would you like a refreshing swim in the middle of nature? The Chorro las Mozas is located 3 km from the centre of El Valle. After a few minutes walk along the river, you will find pools of varying depths and clear water (except after rain). But choose your moment carefully: on weekends, the local families come in large numbers and the site loses its tranquillity, especially for the first two bathing places(balnearios). The third waterfall, 5 minutes further on, is generally more peaceful. The place has given birth to several legends. One of them tells that the three daughters of Tobalo, a respected indigenous warrior, were secretly in love with the same man, a certain Caobo. But Caobo's heart already belonged to Ruti, a girl from another tribe. Despite their insolent beauty, neither of the sisters managed to attract Caobo's attention. One night during the full moon, they went their separate ways to the river to get rid of their grief. The crying was so loud that three waterfalls appeared from the rocks where the girls were. They then heard mysterious voices that led them to jump into the water. They never reappeared. Some peasants claim to hear their laughter on Midsummer nights, and some fishermen have even seen them... They would live at the bottom of the waters, ready to do anything to avenge their despised love! The imprudent ones who would have tried to join them would have disappeared in the whirlpools of the waters..

77 km west of Santiago, the small village of Las Palmas offers the visitor a beautiful waterfall about metres high. A little known site but very pleasant for a afternoon of bathing.

You will certainly hear about this site, which unfortunately does not really deserve a detour. Nature has resumed its rights since the excavations were abandoned because of the lack of resources. The excavation project led by the Smithsonian and National Geographic is no longer on the agenda, although it would appear that laboratory studies continue…

You may be interested, at the height of Irún, by the sign indicating this other protected area. Its 776 hectares host many migratory birds, as well as several mangrove varieties and natural pools with alkaline water.

This Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance, has been protected since 1994. It covers more than 89,000 hectares, between marine and coastal areas, including 13% of the country's total mangroves. It is a crucial place for the reproduction of birds, both migratory and resident, such as pelicans, herons or ibises, and mammals, such as otters, three-toed sloths, lizards, caimans or turtles. Some ecotourism agencies offer excursions and activities in the mangrove: paddle, kayak, canoe, horseback riding, fishing, etc.

This private nature reserve of more than 30,000 ha is located about an hour by lancha from La Palma. Created in 1992, it is managed by Ancon Expeditions, an offshoot of the NGO Ancon, which handles all the logistics from Panama City, with transportation by airplane, or by land and river. The lodge offers a spectacular view of the gulf. 10 comfortable cabañas, with air conditioning and private showers (warm water), at the doors of the primary forest. Naturalist guides introduce you to the flora and fauna of the marine coast and the primary forest, before taking you to an Emberá community that lives on the banks of the Mogué River, whose mouth is nearby. Punta Patiño is a must for birders. A great variety of birds inhabit the mangrove and the trees of the reserve: Tangara, Black Crab Hawk, American Oystercatcher, Blue Heron, Black-tailed Trogon... without forgetting the Fierce Harpy, the largest eagle on the planet, the national bird of Panama. You can also observe the carpincho, the largest rodent in the world, as well as the Geoffroy's tamarin, the smallest monkey in Central America, or the three-toed sloth. The jaguar also frequents the area, but you would be very lucky to get close to it. Guided day and night hikes are available, as well as boat trips through the mangroves. And to rest, long deserted black sand beaches are waiting for you!

More than a 3-hour walk from the village of Bastimentos and 1.5 hours from Red Frog Beach, this beach, which is part of the Bastimentos Marine National Park, is only accessible by foot to the most courageous. A challenging 6-hour day hike consists of a loop from Red Frog to Salt Creek via Playa Larga. Lanchas can go there but only when the sea is calm. It is possible to camp there and of course to surf. The turtles come to lay their eggs at night between May and August.

Natural bubbling baths with a temperature close to 40°C from which you can hear a river running below. This is the Caldera River, which has its source at an altitude of 2,900 meters. The most adventurous will plunge into it. A striking contrast which will come to end your aches due to the hikes of the day before. Nature is well done... Don't expect a spa, don't forget that the site is almost free. Lonely girls should avoid going there, especially in the evening.

The Barriles civilization is a pre-Columbian civilization of the highlands of Chiriquí that would have disappeared following an eruption of the Barú volcano. There are few details about its time, which researchers place between 500 and 700 years AD. The most important vestige discovered on site would be a fragment of religious building, fragment whose particularity is to be the product of the fusion of three classes of rocks. The other face of the stone, its secret part, is the most impressive. Abstract figures are drawn there, only visible when it is sprinkled with water. The site also contains metates, heavy stones with a smooth surface on which corn flour was prepared. The river that runs through the garden, located at 1,353 meters above sea level, is also a mystery. If you look at the water, you will notice that the current is rising, when it should be falling since the source is at 1,363 meters!

The site is on the property of José and Edna Landau. Edna, whose ancestors are Belgian, will guide you through the archaeological and botanical explanations of great interest, from the first discoveries in the 1940s to the excavations. The small museum was created on own funds and testifies of the passion of its owners. At the end of the visit, don't miss the opportunity to taste a slice of cheese(queso blanco), accompanied by homemade guava paste. It is a delight that delights the taste buds of visitors!

Just kilometres from the Pan American Coast, this beach is still very wild and offers safe swimming. You have to go away from the sea at low tide. Very little attended, except summer weekends.

The Parque Internacional de la Amistad is a cross-border park created by the governments of Costa Rica and Panama. Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983, it includes rainforests, cloud forests and exceptional biodiversity. Most of the park is located in the province of Bocas del Toro (around 200,000 ha). In Chiriquí, access is via Guadalupe, but also via Las Nubes, where you'll find the MiAmbiente post, which has been extended to include a house for the park rangers. A number of trail maintenance and development projects have also been carried out in 2021. Don't forget to bring your fleece, as temperatures drop below 10°C at night and the climate is humid. Don't hesitate to ask the rangers about excursion possibilities. Three trails are signposted from Las Nubes, leaving you free to choose the length of your journey, which you can do without a guide. One trail, which takes 2 hours 30 minutes, leads to a 55 m-high waterfall, under which the brave can bathe. From several viewpoints (La Nevera, Pino and El Barranco), you can observe the border between the two provinces and the park's rugged landscape, covered by dense virgin forest. The Asociación Agroecoturística La Amistad - ASAELA is a group of women who run the Las Nubes restaurant and can provide you with good contacts for local guides.

It seems that it is the crater of an ancient volcano. It is said that there are still lagoons undiscovered, or only known by the communities living in the heights. Of the two lagoons accessible from the airport, only the "laguna grande" is open to the public; the "laguna chica" belongs to the private domain of Finca Janson. It takes about 2 hours to walk from the entrance. It is possible to reach it by 4x4 when the rains are not too heavy. There is a picnic area, a camping area and a fishing area