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Hi all,
so I'm going to Panama next month for 4 weeks with my gf. We will spend some time in the Lost & Found in the Chiriqui province.
Than we are planning to go to the peninsula de Azuero.. just to spend some time on the beach.
I didn't find many topics about Azuero Peninsula, do you know if it is whorth or not? The idea could be to go there to find some beach life and maybe see some marine wildlife.

As one of the ideas of this trip is to see as many animals as we can, do you have any suggestion where to go? I've read something about Darien, But we are not sure to go there. What about the PN Soberania?

Yesterday I called to Panama to have some rates re the San Blas, they told me that all the airport are closed. The only way to reach the archipelago is to go by road. Just to share, but maybe someone who is there can confirm or not.

ciao
p

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1

I do not know about Azuero Peninsula but you can easily take a bus from Lost and Found to Almirante and then take a 20 minute water taxi to Bocas del Toro. We have lots of monkeys and Dolphin Bay where you can play with the dolphins. Plenty of Bat Caves. Several different islands to choose from, a Smithsonian and a Botanical Garden.

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2

Come on by Miami Mike s Backpackers Hostel in Chitre(the heart of the Azuero) and we can show/tell you where to go.
THE BEACHES ARE ONLY 15 MINUTES AWAY!

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Lots of animals- anteaters, monkeys, sloths- right in Panama City's Metropolitan Park- a nature reserve preserved in the city. Soberania National Park is only 45 minutes outside the city- a great variety of birds
along with mammals. Best time to go to Soberania is early morning before the critters hide out from the
heat of the day. Guides are a good idea for Soberania as it is huge and they can take you to where the
animals are known to hang out.
National Geographic just published a special magazine edition "101 of the World's Best Drives" and the
Azuero Peninsula was included in this issue. Check out the beaches surrounding Pedasi- also a great
center for diving and visiting one of the offshore islands with fantastic skin/scuba diving. There's a Spanish colonial
town on the peninsula as well which makes for a nice historical perspective on the region. From the Azuero
Peninsula, on the return to Panama City, you could stop in at El Valle de Anton- a town set inside the
cone of an extinct volcanoe with rainforest/waterfalls to explore outside of town and, of course, the animals
who live in the rainforest. With ample time to explore Panama well, I'd definitely recommend a guidbook

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The pacific beaches and the carribean side are completely different. If you want the warm clear snorkeling waters do either Bocas or Sanblas. The last I heard it is true that you have to drive to sanblas now. You may want to check with Air Panama though. The other poster was right about Lost And Found being very close to Bocas and when your going will be the very low season so you may have the beaches all to yourself.

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5

thanks for all the suggestions. Still dont knw where to go, but one idea could be to try to isla bastimentos. I heard some good things about it.

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6

Hi,

Two months ago I was in Panama.
If you are looking for wildlife, go to Darien!
It's amazing, wild and quite dangerous, but it's true adventure! :)

Edited by: kstroj

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7

The Lost and Found is fairly remote in the Chiriqui highlands between David and Boca del Toro. Almost in the middle of the two. We just drove past there going to and from Bocas del Toro from Boquete.

Numerous buses pass the L&F almost every 30 minutes and, if your lucky, you may also be able to catch an empty cab or someone willing to share a ride, but don't depend on many passing. From the L&F, I'm sure you can hike the highlands and the availablity of buses will allow you to go to and from the various surrounding villages.

From what we saw on the L&F, you may need a 4x4 to get to it if you plan on having a vehicle. The entrance was fairly steep with a lot of loose rocks.

From the L&F to the Azero Peninsula it's about 3 to 4 hours. It may take longer by bus and depending on which beach town you intend to go to, it could add another 2 to 3 hours.

I would stay away from Bocas del Toro. We went as a family with our teenage boys and were turned off immediately by the amount of garbage in the streets and water, the packs of dogs and vultures rooting through the garbage, and the fact that we saw most shoreline homes and businesses still using over water outhouses to discharge untreated human waste. We were witness to the process.

If you intend to visit this area, I suggest you head to the Palmar Tent Lodge on Red Frog Beach on Bastimentos. The owner, Chris, is a great host and in his mid twenties like all of his clientele. The tents are very sturdy and contain real beds, clean linens, fans and mosquito nets. He has excellent bathroom facilities and showers. The kids there were great, either cooking hot dogs or frying bananas or chopping up fresh pineapples. Everything was shared. We had a great time and we're two old farts. I believe a tent for two is $45 night.

You'll be able to see wildlife anywhere in Panama, so don't worry about that. I don't know much about the Darien, but I wouldn't go there without a guide that knows the area. Also, you may get turned away by the police at the random check points. I don't know how far off the beaten path you want to go with potential predators.

Our "friends of friends" said the only ways to get to San Blas was to either go by boat or drive. If you want to go by boat the owner of the B&B we stayed at in Las Cumbres, which is a 10km drive north of PC, does private tours. I don't know what the rate is, but if your interested the B&B is called Paradiso Pequino and his name is Richard.

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