"Hikers and Surfers paradise"

If you like hiking and surfing, Panamá is your place!

From the jungle in Boquete, via the beautiful beach in Playa Venao,

to the beautiful landscapes in El Valle de Anton!

Just spectacular!

OUR HIGHLIGHTS

Hiking in Boquete

  El Pianista Trail, Boquete

Boquete is a beautiful mountain village. It lies a bit higher in the mountains, so with cooler temperatures it is a nice escape from the heat. With lots of trails to choose from, it is a real hikers paradise. One of the main draws is El Pianista Trail. The trail leads through lush green meadows with flowing rivers to the magnificent jungle of Panamá.

We went by bus (collectivo) to the trailhead of the hike, which is about 4km from the center of Boquete. Going by bus costs only a few dollars. After the hike we took the bus back. The hike itself takes around 3 to 4 hours out- and back. It can be slippery and wet.

Another beautiful hike we did is the Pipeline Trail. If you are lucky you can spot the mysterious quetzal on this trail. It is an easy hike, and after one hour hiking you reach an amazing waterfall. We also took the bus to the trailhead of this hike. It took a little longer to reach, especially because of the long wait until the collectivo was full enough to leave Boquete. You can also take a taxi.

The entrance to the Pipeline Trail is a few dollars.

We did both hikes on one day, in the morning El Pianista and in the afternoon the Pipeline Trail.

We didn't do this hike, but we heard the Lost Waterfalls Trail is nice too. If you have the time you can combine this trail easily with the Pipeline Trail.

There was a really nice place for breakfast with lots of good vegan options right next to our camping. Check it out here!

El Pianista Trail, Boquete

Pipeline Trail, Boquete

Chilling at Santa Catalina

  Surfer's Paradise, Santa Catalina

Santa Catalina is a bit of a dusty fisher village with a surf vibe. Although it feels like it is changing fast. There are a few cool (surf) shops with local arts.

And some nice restaurants! With some nice vegan options too! Find them here!

For dinner however we always cooked at our camping. Especially because we didn't want to miss a second of the amazing view from the deck. Nice food, a beer and sitting in those chairs looking out over the ocean. It was perfect! We stayed at Surfer's Paradise.

There is a 'frutería' which is pretty cool, where you can go for your veggies and fruits.

Besides enjoying the view, reading our book on the deck and a bit of wandering around we didn't do much in Santa Catalina. We walked to Playa Estero to spend some time on this pretty beach.

We wanted to rent kayaks to go to Isla Santa Catalina. We informed at Coibahouse, but unfortunately they didn't rented out any kayaks that day due to the strong wind and high waves.

Surfing at Playa Venao

  Playa Venao, Panamá

Before arriving at Playa Venao we stayed two nights in Pedasí.

It is a nice small fishing village with a lively feel. We really liked it. There are lots of restaurants, supermarkets and souvenir shops. We took home some really nice souvenirs!

Instead of going to Coiba National Park in Santa Catalina we went to Isla Iguana, a Caribbean feel island near the coast of Pedasí.

At Playa Arenal in Pedasí you can arrange a little boat (lancha) to bring you there. It is €80 for one lancha, but you can share it with 5 persons. We were lucky and another family was waiting too and wanted to share. So we ended up paying each €40.

You have to bring your passports and go through some kind of customs before you can leave. We forgot ours at the campsite but the fishermen of the boat were so friendly and offered to drive us to the campsite for free.

Isla Iguana does have a Caribbean feel, blue waters and a white sandy beach. But we are not sure. There are also a lot of birds and lots of hermits crabs, there is not a lot of shade so everybody is just lying down a bit cramped together and we felt there was not much to do.

We did play fetch with a puffer fish though. :) We only learned later that is was a puffer fish, and that they can be poisonous. But they look cute, don't they? :)

We agreed with the fishermen and the family an hour to be picked up again from the island.

Later we cycled on to Playa Venao. We wanted to stay two nights, but ended up staying five! We loved it there! We gifted our selves some luxury and stayed in a super nice surf lodge a bit away from the center.

Although the center is nice, with lots of fun shops, and restaurants and a good supermarket. we spend most of our time in the water, riding the waves.

We rented out boards from the surf lodge and right in front of the lodge there is a long stretch of beach with good waves and nobody in the water. It is magical! We went at sunrise, late afternoon and with sunset.

For the rest of the time we took a stroll to the supermarket, chilled on the amazing deck reading a book and playing games. We mostly cooked for dinner. But we also went out for dinner once. See here where we went for a vegan dinner.

We didn't want to leave. We love the place!

Playa Toro, Pedasí

Surf Lodge, Playa Venao

Surf Lodge, Playa Venao

Hiking the beautiful trails of El Valle de Anton

  Cerro La Silla hike, El Valle de Anton

This mountain village is absolutely gorgeous! It lies in the crater of an extinct volcano, so the town is surrounded by green peaks and ridges. Super special!

The town itself has a fun vibe, it is very lively. Loads of good restaurants, bakery's and souvenir shops. You can also go souvenir hunting at El Valle Market.

The main draw however are all the beautiful trails starting from El Valle de Anton. Hiking is the main attraction here.

We hiked 'La India Dormida' trail and 'Cerro La Silla'. Both evenly special and beautiful.

To see a beautiful sunrise above the valley, you can wake up early and hike La India Dormida. We left at dark, at around 4h30am. From our camp spot we went by bicycle to the trailhead, Piedra Pintada. It was only about 5 minutes cycling, from the center of El Valle de Anton it is about 2,5 kilometer.
We didn't have to pay since we were there so early, but otherwise you'll have to pay a few dollars for the entrance.

The path to the summit leads to a beautiful rain forest, with some waterfalls. It can be wet and slippery. The path is quiet steep, but easy to follow. We went without a guide. Because the first part we were walking in the dark, we took some headlights with us.

At the top you get an amazing view over the valley, while waiting for the sunrise. It was really cold and windy, so best to take a warm jacket with you.

After the sunrise you can either walk the same way back, or as we did you can continue following the rim of the crater to the end of the trail. The hike in total takes about 3,5 to 4 hours, it is the same time for both routes.

After the hike we spend the day exploring the center of El Valle de Anton. And going out for a good lunch and coffee. Find out here where we went for a nice vegan lunch and a soy latte!

For sunset the Cerro La Silla hike is just magical! The trailhead is a bit out of the center. You can go by bus, or by car/taxi. We took a taxi which was only a few dollars. It is a 15 minute drive to the trailhead. We asked the phone number of the taxi driver to call him to pick us up after the hike. However we got a ride back from another hiker going into El Valle de Anton too.

The hike is just stunning! During sunset the hills start to glow and get a beautiful orange/yellow colour. You don't need to pay an entrance fee.
The hike itself is about 4 kilometers, and follows the rim of the volcano.The path can be narrow and windy, along steep ridges. But the path is easy to follow and there is not much elevation. To return you'll need to follow the same path back.

We got really hungry at night from all the hiking! Here we found a delicious vegan dinner!

La India Dormida hike, El Valle de Anton

La India Dormida hike, El Valle de Anton

Cerro La Silla hike, El Valle de Anton

Cerro La Silla Hike, El Valle de Anton

Cerro La Silla Hike, El Valle de Anton

Cerro La Silla Hike, El Valle de Anton

Panamá City

  Rooftop view over Panamá City, Panamá

The old quarter San Felipe (better known as Casco Viejo) has a real colonial feel. The authentic facades, cobbled streets and murals combined with nice restaurants and bars, cool shops with local art and hip rooftop bars to enjoy the sunset over the city makes it an enjoyable place to wander around. 

In the morning we went for a run along the Cinta Costera. It is a long boulevard along the coast line with some trees and food stalls.

When in Panamá, it is really cool to visit the Panamá Canal. We went to Miraflores Visitors Center and watched the big cargo ships go by. It is an impressive sight.

At the entrance of the Miraflores Visitors Center you can buy tickets. Besides access to the observatory deck to see the Panamá Canal in action, the tickets include an IMAX 3D movie narrated by Morgan Freeman telling the history of the build of the Panamá Canal.

Avenida Central España is one of the main avenues in Panamá City. It is one of the oldest and most traditional shopping areas in Panamá City. Here you get a more authentic feel of live in the city. There are loads of local shops, street vendors selling fruits and lottery tickets and local restaurants. It can feel a little busy and dirty but if you want to get out of the Casco Viejo to experience the other side of Panamá City, this is the way to go.

This is what we missed a bit in this city.. some more alternative neighbourhoods, walking around getting lost and bumping into cool surprises. It all felt a little confined to the Casco Viejo and some streets around it.

Panamá City offers a lot of good vegan food to enjoy. Discover here where we went for lunch, dinner and coffee.

Casco Viejo, Panamá City

Panamá Canal, Panamá City

Vegan foodies unite!

  View above El Valle de Anton, Panamá

Right next to our campsite in Boquete, we found the best spot for breakfast: Sugar and spice. Generous portions and strong coffee. Perfect to fuel up for a long day of hiking through the beautiful landscapes of Boquete. At night we went to Meye Bounore. We were really hungry after the hikes and the buffet style restaurant with lots of traditional foods in a vegan option was a good choice to go.

On our way to the fruteria in Santa Catalina we saw the sign 'Vegan Pizza'. Right next to the fruteria is Panaderia La Piccola Italia, where they sell slices of vegan pizza! Of course we had to try and well.. let's say we didn't stop at one slice. :) 

On our walk we stopped for a coffee in Café Panachocolat, for a nice soy café latte.

The owners of the Surf Lodge in Playa Venao are vegans too, and lucky for us good chefs. Their homemade vegan muffins for breakfast after an intense surf session are the best!

In Playa Venao there are several good places to eat a nice vegan meal. Enjoy! We went to Coleos. Unfortunately something went wrong with our order, so we ended up with a double portion of fries, no veggies and slightly dry falafel balls. :) But the vibes were right and other's food looked good! :)

Also Valle de Anton has plenty of good vegan choices! El Rincon Colombiano is a small restaurant, with good food and large portions. We went twice, hungry after the hikes and the food was delicious.

In between two hikes we went to CocoLatte for lunch. They have nice pastries and smoothies and good vegan lunch options.

For the best coffee we went tot Kare Coffee, located in a nice little garden. We bought a lot of fruits and veggies on El Valle Market.

Panamá City offers a ton of good vegan food to enjoy while you are there. La Rana Dorada has good beers and french fries. We went for lunch to The Vegan Shack, a nice place with only vegan food! The best!

We had a good coffee with almond milk in Nomada Eatery. It was fun, because in the coffee bar there was a sign saying 'Stay Wild, enjoy the ride like in Jelle's clothing collection 'Stay Wild, Ride Free' and behind me there was a sign saying 'Nomada' like in my clothing collection 'Nomads by Tribe'. We felt at home immediately. :)

In Super Gourmet we  had lunch before taking an Uber to the Panamá Canal. There were no vegan options on the menu, but they were really open and helpful and made us a delicious vegan wrap.

Our last meal on the journey we had in El Nacional! The drinks and the food, it was all so good!

CocoLatte, El Valle de Anton

Best traditional food at El Nacional, Panamá City

Our experience cycling through Panamá

  On the road, Panamá

Cycling through Panamá, for us it felt as a challenge! Mainly because of the distances between the places we wanted to visit are long.

Cycling the Pan-American highway through Panamá is not a nice experience. It is hot hot hot, there are not so many supermarkets or restaurants to fuel up, and the road condition is bad. The traffic is fast, loud and busy. Due to dirt and nails on the shoulder we had at least eight (!) flat tires on one day! Our both tires as well as the spare ones were beyond repair. So we had to change our plans and head to Santiago de Veraguas to find a bicycle store to buy new inner tires. `Luckily the buses in Panamá drive regularly and cost only a few dollars. It was never a problem to take our bicycles on the bus, they would go on the roof.

But the people are really friendly, so we made some friends cycling along. :)

Because of the long distances, we often ended up in less touristy places, which is a lot of fun too. We slept in Chitré, a nice colonial town.

We had a nice night in Penonomé too. It was Good Friday, which is a real special day in Panamá. There were cultural activities and a parade to honour Good Friday.

We decided not to cycle in to Panamá City, so from El Valle de Aton we took the bus.

On the road, Panama

Waiting for new adventures!

  Road to El Valle de Anton

Let's ride!