A first-time guide to Chiriqui, Panama

17.07.2024 - 16:15 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 17, 2024 • 7 min read

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.

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

Chiriquí is a year-round destination. From December to April, temperatures hover around 21°C/72°F, with February and March the warmest, sunniest months. The rainy season runs from May to December; October is the wettest month, but the rains usually come in short, sharp bursts in the afternoon.

Chiriquí’s coffee is harvested between December and March, and if you want to visit during Panama’s peak season (over Christmas, New Year’s and Easter) or enjoy the famous Feria de las Flores y del Café in Boquete for two weeks from mid-January – an extravaganza of flowers, coffee, and traditional music and dance – you’ll need to book well in advance.

You can get a taste of Chiriquí’s many charms on a long weekend – base yourself in Boquete to hike along a mist-covered cloud forest trail, sample Panama’s top-notch coffee and indulge in a farm-to-table feast.

Stay longer, and you could scale Panama’s highest peak – on foot or 4WD – or whoosh over it on adrenaline-inducing zip line, try your hand at white water rafting and rappelling, and hike the trails of its national parks before chilling out on a deserted island in the Golfo de Chiriquí, where you can spy humpback whales and dolphins.

Boquete is a seven-hour drive from Panama City, or you can reach David – Panama’s second-largest city and the capital of Chiriquí Province, an hour from Boquete – in around nine hours by bus or on an hour-long domestic flight.  

Boquete’s center is compact and walkable and there are budget-friendly buses around the region. Taxis are plentiful but, if you’re going out of town, make sure to negotiate the fare in advance. To explore further afield and to reach trailheads, it’s worth hiring a car or taking tours.

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.

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.

Chiriquí’s fertile volcanic