I'll be in Panama for two weeks starting March 18th. I want to do some hiking, and I was originally planning to do a multi-day trek, but that's something I can save for home (I live in Seattle). I would still like to spend a couple days on day hikes, and I'm wondering what city is best for self-guided day hikes? I've heard Boquete has plenty of trails, but what are some others? I'll hike on any terrain, as long as it's reasonably groomed (not bringing hiking boots).
1
a601mom
Panama is a fairly small country and over 25% of it is National Parks. The Boquete area has several trails and within the Chiriqui high lands are several more. The Santa Fe area has some great trails as does En Valle. Not knowing what you are looking for, I would check several of the guide books.
2
sloof70
Well, I'm looking for really any kind of day hike on a self-guided trail that is a couple hours or more. I'm a reasonably-experienced hiker, so elevation and such doesn't matter to me. As for the locale, I'll see volcanoes, rainforest, beaches, or wherever the trail leads me. And for transportation, I'll be taking buses (or a taxi, if I can also have one pick me up afterward), so the trail can't begin from a deserted area that I need a 4x4 to get to.
I have the Moon Handbook, and it has some suggestions in various cities. The only thing I'm wondering is what city to start at, because I don't plan on reading through this entire book.
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Lonely Planet
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