Boquete Area Attractions
COFFEE TOURS
Panamanian coffee is experiencing a meteoric boom. Discover the mountains and farms that cultivate and roast one of the best-ranked coffees in the world in the districts of Tierras Altas and Boquete. Get to know the processes and people that have achieved the highest standards in the coffee industry and immerse yourself with all your senses in the incredible Panamanian coffee culture.
Soils enriched with volcanic minerals, and a humid environment due to the influence of both oceans, appropriate climatic conditions and, above all, vast experience in planting, harvesting and processing. The result could not be better: the production of Geisha coffee, the world's most sought-after coffee variety, that has put the country’s name in world rankings.
If you come in April, you will enjoy a special sight: the foothills are covered with white flowers, as if the tropical mountains were covered in snow. During our wedding festivities, we will offer coffee plantation tours in the mountains, which includes tasting and hiking in the farms.
CANOPY/ZIP LINING
Boquete Tree Trek and Eco-Adventure Park offers an adrenaline-filled zip line adventure through the cloud forest. It’s a circuit of six suspension bridges of 4.5 km over the tops of trees.
Suspension bridges range from 70 to 135 meters long and reach heights from 10 to 75 meters above the ground. In addition, you will travel six trails that measure between 185 km and 1.5 km, reaching heights ranging from 1,660 to 1,827 m.s.n.m.
It’s an adventure where you will enjoy impressive views of rivers, waterfalls and the imposing Baru Volcano. The tour is up to four hours long. While there, check out the park’s enormous variety of rare orchids and maybe spot the famous but elusive quetzal bird on a bird-watching tour.
**we will have discounted group rates set up.
BARU VOLCANO JEEP TOURS
The Baru Volcano is an a dormant stratovolcano and the tallest mountain in Panama, at 3,474 meters high. It lies about 35 km off the border of Costa Rica. It is also the twelfth highest peak in Central America. This dormant volcano just south of the Continental Divide, is one of the only places in the world where one can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea at the same time with the naked eye.
Join a tour to make the steep and rugged climb by 4×4. jeeps. You will make your way to the dormant volcano’s summit, as you climb the Volcano maintenance road. From the summit, you will get the breath-taking panoramic view of both of Panama’s coastlines, the Pacific and the Caribbean for a “once-in-lifetime” opportunity to witness a volcano sunrise from the highest point in Panama. The gorgeous views from the top are worth it, and to say you’ve “been to the highest point in Panama.”
The 4×4 sunrise jeep tour starts with hotel pickup at 4am, but the gorgeous views from the top are worth it, and to say you’ve “been to the highest point in Panama.” The tour takes about 2 hours to get to the top. It’s an extremely bumpy off-roading experience, but the 4×4 vehicles provides comfortable seats and closed windows, sheltering from the cold. However, the ride is not recommended for anyone pregnant, or tendencies of motion sickness. At the top, you can drink hot coffee/hot chocolate until the sun makes it’s first appearance. After a final ascent to the Volcan Baru peak, you may take your panoramic photos, and enjoy a picnic style breakfast at the highest point of Panama. The return is two more hours to town arriving at 10am.
RAFTING
It doesn’t get better than the whitewater rafting in Boquete, Panama! With several world-class whitewater runs in Panama’s Chiriqui province alone, there is no Central America paddling destination more extraordinary than Panama! Boquete tops the list as offering some of the best whitewater rafting trips in the world. The combination of the region’s topography, abundant watersheds, and incredible biological diversity make Panama an extraordinary whitewater river rafting destination featuring breathtaking views of nature and wildlife.
The whitewater rafting routes that our experienced guides will select for your trip will depend on water levels from dam release for the trip day, your prior rafting experience, skill, and desire. Our jungle river rafting run provides amazing scenery, one of the best riverside lunches in Panama, as well as some celebratory beer and sodas at the end.
HANGING BRIDGES
If you are looking for a truly unique way to experience the Panama cloud forest, the Boquete Tree Trek Hanging Bridges tour is the ultimate canopy tour in Boquete. No, not this is not another zip line tour. There are other ways to explore the Panama cloud forest canopy aside from dangling in a harness suspended from a cable. The Boquete Tree Trek Hanging Bridges are the perfect way to explore the Boquete cloud forest canopy for those who prefer their feet firmly planted. Join us on this 4.5 km trek across 6 different hanging bridges suspended up to 75 meters high for a birds eye view of the Boquete canopy!
**we will have discounted group rates set up.
FAMOUS STRAWBERRIES & CREAM
In Boquete, one of the few places in the country where strawberries are grown, Fresas Mary is a magical place that immerses you in the freshness and flavor of these local delicacies. Located in the heart of the idyllic town, this store has become a point of reference for lovers of fresh fruit and local products.
The variety of fresh and delicious products that Fresas Mary offers is amazing from juicy strawberries (their speciality) to a wide selection of homemade jams, cakes, ice creams and refreshing drinks. Each bite is flavorful and quality, a true delight for the most demanding palates.
This was one of Melissa's favorite childhood memories so we will make sure one of our programmed tours makes a stop here!
While in Panama City
Panama City: The DUBAI of the Americas
As all international flights will land in the city, this is where we will begin our wedding festivities.
If you're able to fly a few days early, please join us in a set of tours we'll arrange for our guests to explore the city and surrounding areas before catching a second flight to our wedding destination.
More information will be released soon with a schedule of tours per day so you can secure your flights and register for the city tours you'd want to take while in the city. We want to make sure you make the most out of your trip! No one travels so far to not be able to explore a new city and all it has to offer.
City Attractions
THE PANAMA CANAL
Arguably the most famous attraction in Panamá is the Panama Canal. As one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World, the Panama Canal is a must-see for anyone traveling in the country. Built to dramatically decrease the travel time for ships between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the Canal has seen over 900,000 vessels and counting. At one point this engineering miracle was considered impossible to build, but today, you can see it for yourself.
Did you know that The Canal uses a lock system to lift ships up 85 feet to the elevation of the canal? How about the fact that it takes 8-10 hours for each ship to make the transit through the canal? Learn about all of this and more at the visitor center at Miraflores, where you can watch an IMAX documentary of the history of the canal narrated by Morgan Freeman. At Miraflores, you’ll also be able to watch the ships in transit just a few meters away.
**we will have discounted group rates set up, including transportation, for all our guests attending the tour.
OLD TOWN TOUR
Come and discover the history of the first Spanish city built on the American continent where we will begin with the story of the invasion of the Pirate Henry Morgan and the search for a hidden treasure (The Golden Altar) a Church located in Old Town (Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo), and then discover the monument of the first man who had the brilliant idea of building a canal on the American continent followed by the History of the Failure of the French in 1889 in the attempt to Build the Canal, the first governor of Panama when Panama was united to The great Colombia when Panama was called a different name at the time.
**we will have discounted group rates set up, including transportation, for all our guests attending the tour.
SUNSET CATAMARAN BAY CRUISE
Join us on this unique escapade to kick-off our wedding celebrations in the best way Panama can offer!
Hop aboard and enjoy a scenic one-hour sunset boat ride that will take us through some of Panama’s most remarkable spots. We will venture under the Bridge of the Americas, pass by the Biomuseo, Canal Banks, City Skyline, and culminate with a champagne toast.
Tour includes champagne, beers, assorted sodas, water, and snacks, along with a hostess who will assist us throughout the journey with your photos and more.
SAN BLAS ISLANDS TOUR
The San Blas Islands of Panama is an archipelago comprising approximately 365 islands and cays, of which 49 are inhabited. They lie off the north coast of the Isthmus of Panama, just 3 hours from the city, east of the Panama Canal. A part of the comarca (district) Guna Yala along the Caribbean coast of Panama, it is home to the Kuna people.
Head to the Caribbean coast of Panama on a day trip from Panama City to the San Blas Islands. Traveling by boat, you'll visit Island Perro grande where you can make kayak or paddle board, then to Perro chico Island the famous spot to snorkel in a shipwreck, the natural swimming pool and have lunch in Island Pelicano Chico which includes fresh caught lobster and coconut rice, and enjoy the tropical scenery and atmosphere. Tour guided by a local Kuna who speaks English basic and Spanish, you will also learn about their culture.
Tour includes kayaks, paddle board, Snorkel gear, breakfast, lunch, umbrellas and beach towels**
Please note San Blas is an Indigenous protected zone. All the services are basic and rustic, there are no hotels, only wooden cabins made by the locals where you will experience how is to live like them in a cabin with no mirrors, not hot water, not electricity, only light, no Wifi, no Internet, or cellphone signal. You can disconnect from the daily routine and have great time with our own group!
**we will have discounted group rates set up, including transportation, for all our guests attending the tour.
OLD CITY TOUR
The city of Panama was founded on 15 August 1519, by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias Dávila. The city was the starting point for expeditions that conquered the Inca Empire of Peru. It was a stopover point on one of the most important trade routes in the American continent, through which passed most of the gold and silver that Spain mined from the Americas.
On 28 January 1671, the original city was destroyed by a fire when the privateer Henry Morgan sacked and set fire to it. The site of the devastated city is still in ruins, and is now a World Heritage Site and popular tourist attraction as well as a wedding venue. While there, you can take some time to shop at the artisan market, where you can pick up local crafts and souvenirs.
AMADOR CAUSEWAY & BIOMUSEO
The rocks extracted when the Panama Canal was being built between 1904 to 1914 were used to build the Amador Causeway. The road extends 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) out into the Pacific Ocean, linking the mainland with the islands of Naos, Perico, and Flamenco. Many of these buildings now host restaurants, shops, and clubs that both residents and tourists enjoy. You can see Panama City’s skyline and the Pacific entrance to the Canal from here as you stroll, jog, skate, bike, rent an electric scooter or just sit and enjoy the breeze. You can also rent kayaks or paddleboards to row in the bay, shop for local wares at handicraft shops, or eat at some of the area’s restaurants. Don’t miss visiting the Punta Culebra Nature Center operated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and the Biomuseo.
Designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, the Biomuseo is his only work in Latin America and the tropics. The building was designed to tell the story of how the isthmus of Panama rose from the sea, uniting two continents, separating a vast ocean in two, and changing the planet's biodiversity forever.
This is the best place to try Nathan's favorite Panamanian cool dessert, Raspao'! Panamanian shaved ice.
**we will have discounted group rates set up, including transportation, for all our guests attending the tour.
30% Discount on Your Room Reservation at the Resort Venue
As our guest, you will receive 30% discount on any rooms at Valle Escondido Resort. Simply send an email directly to hotelmanager@valleescondidoboquete.com with the number of guests per room, and the dates and they will book you directly if you mention you're a guest for Melissa & Nathan's wedding.
You can also mention the promo code PANAMARX.
Visit the "Accommodations" page to see the type of rooms available.