Santa Fe and San Francisco Panama-I Need Recommendations for Visiting

Try Hostal Qhia. It's not listed in Lonely Planet, but it's a gem. There are signs for it all over town, and it's quite near the bus station and co-op, so you can find it quite easily. It's $10/night for a dorm bed, and there's a beautiful garden and terrasse, and you can also get nice vegetarian meals there.

I was there this week and hiked to Altos de Piedra, which was pretty stunning, but the weather has been quite wet there lately, so the paths were quite muddy, if that is a deterrent for you. I also went on a visit to an organic farm, which was quite cool. You can arrange tours and hikes through the Cooperativa de Turismo Santa Fe, which you can reach at (506) 954-0737 or cooptsan@yahoo.com, or just stop by their office, which is down the street from the hostel. Good luck, it's beautiful there!

2nd that on hostal qhia, it is a gem, great hosts.