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 has built homes in and around town.
Attracted first by the weather and low cost of living, and then by the lax real estate laws – not to mention potable tap water – several thousand foreign families now own homes in Boquete, according to Tom Byrne, a 39-year-old developer who moved there from Ireland.
And while Boquete’s real estate market was once dominated by porch-swinging retirees, the latest wave of arrivals tend to be 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.
While tourism is still light, at least when compared with Costa Rica next door, that is changing. At Amigos Restaurant (Central Park Plaza), opened by two Canadians in the center of town, a few older people were sipping beers on a recent Friday night. But the majority of customers were younger tourists, armed with Lonely Planet guides and digital cameras, filling up on hamburgers and french fries.
Boquete “is like Costa Rica 15 years ago,” Byrne said.
The comparison is apt, but not entirely accurate. Like the popular mountain towns Monteverde and La Fortuna in Costa Rica, Boquete is capitalizing on its forests, rivers and abundant wildlife.
But development in Panama is following a more upscale track. Tourists arrive in rented SUVs from David, Panama’s fourth-largest city, and stay in the high-end hotels hidden off the main road and perched up in the hills.
One that is popular with honeymooners is the Panamonte Inn and Spa, which offers garden cabins, first-name service, candlelit dinners, and spa wraps and massages.
Another upscale hotel, La Montana y el Valle Coffee Estate Inn, opened by Canadian expatriates, has three secluded bungalows set among jade green coffee trees and exotic flower gardens.
Amenities like high-thread-count sheets and aromatherapy massages have cemented Boquete’s reputation as a counterpart to Bocas del Toro, Panama’s epicenter for Caribbean-style carousal. Whereas the coast is ideal for the partying singles set, there’s nary a nightclub pushing beats into Boquete’s fresh night air. After sunset, when most of the tourists have retreated to their luxurious hotels and hillside B&Bs, the town square is as quiet as a church.
Morning is when Boquete springs to life. Most days, a steady stream of blue rafts can be spotted bobbing down the Chiriqui Viejo, Gariche and Dolega rivers. One of the region’s oldest outfits, Chiriqui River Rafting, runs daily trips, from beginners’ to Class IV rapids.
For those who want to remain dry, Coffee Adventures offers tours of the Kotowa coffee plantation, which claims Panama’s oldest coffee mill. Visitors hike through rows of coffee trees, meet the pickers and, of course, sample fresh brews in the mill’s cupping room.
Panama also offers magnificent bird-watching. The forests in and around Boquete are home to a dazzling array of quetzals, toucans and parrots.
But for adventure-seekers, there’s only one way to appreciate Boquete’s natural beauty: “tree trekking” or zip-lining. Boquete Tree Trek offers half-day trips for $60. After a bumpy uphill ride in the back of a pickup truck, nervous tourists are strapped into harnesses and sent on free-falls through the dense jungle canopy – 12 times.
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.
