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Hiking Volcan Baru – with the Mighty Quinn!

by with No Comment Boquete ToursPanama Travel
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Our guest Marc wrote me prior to his Boquete trip: he was looking forward his stay and he and his 10-year-old son were especially excited about their hike up Volcan Baru. I promptly sent him a link to our Baru blog post.

It’s borderline anti-Baru. In summary: if you only have a few days in Boquete, don’t use up a full day climbing Baru—it’s long, hard and the views fleeting (the mountain clouds up pretty fast—so both oceans are visible for a limited period of time, if at all). And heck, a 10-year-old can’t climb Baru, right?

Both Marc and Quinn were determined to hike and didn’t let the post dissuade them.

The father and son team are from Colorado, so they’re used to higher altitudes and they do lots of climbing during their frequent hikes. In short: they’re experienced.

They left before the sun rose. They paced the trip—stopping to drink water at signs that marked the trail every four kilometres. They took a total of three 15-minute breaks, including lunch. Quinn said the trail was really easy to follow, “It would be hard to get lost!”

Marc and Quinn did the entire hike from trailhead to top and back in 8 hours and 4 minutes (!!). And when they reached the top, they saw both the Pacific and Caribbean oceans just in the nick of time—it clouded over 10 minutes after they reached the summit.

Quinn’s tips:
Climb when it’s dry: The trail would be very difficult if wet and muddy
Be careful where you step: the trail is made up of rocks and your feet can slip in between them
Take breaks: refuel with food and water

Volcan Baru, Boquete Panama: To Baru or Not to Baru?

To Baru or not to Baru?

by with No Comment Boquete ToursPanama Travel
Volcan Baru, Boquete Panama: To Baru or Not to Baru?
Volcan Baru, Boquete Panama: To Baru or Not to Baru?

Part of what makes Boquete Garden Inn unique is our ‘Boquete Your Way’ service. We can help you plan your unique Boquete Panama experience—helping you select the best Boquete tours, independent excursions, Chiriqui day trips and Boquete restaurants to make the most of your stay in Boquete. Occasionally, we get guests asking us if they should climb Volcan Baru. Here’s what I tell them: unless you want to cross ‘highest mountain in Panama’ off your list, don’t do it.

I thought maybe that sounded a bit harsh, so I put it out to our Facebook followers, to see what they thought. Was I too Anti-Baru? Due to a lack of overwhelming response, I stick with my original recommendation: Don’t do Baru.

Of course, if you really want to climb Volcan Baru, we’ll help you to find a guide and work it into your stay. But here are some things to consider first:

1) If you are only visiting Boquete for 3 or 4 nights, a Volcan Baru climb kills a whole day and night. Most people leave for their Volcan Baru hike at midnight (in hopes of seeing both oceans at sunrise). It takes about 10-12 hours in total (about 6 hours up, 5.5 hours down), so most guests get back at noon and sleep. When you have a limited time in a place, you probably don’t want to spend it sleeping during the day or climbing in the pitch dark.

2) The rocky trail is tough-going on the descent. It’s really easy to lose your footing.

3) Baru clouds up pretty quickly, so, with the exception of about 2 or 3 months during the year, your odds of seeing both oceans are quite low.

4) If you aren’t a climber, and you’re more of a hiker, there are so many other amazing trails in Boquete with wildlife and great views. (The Pipeline and Culebra trails are just two!)

Chiriqui Beaches – Sand Art at Las Lajas

by with No Comment Boquete ToursChiriqui Day Trips

Sand art courtesy of the tiny little crabs at Las Lajas beach.

A visit to Las Lajas beach is a perfect day trip from Boquete (only a 1 hour and 45 minute drive). When you stay with us at Boquete Garden Inn hotel, we can provide you with maps for a number of great drives and outings – all less than two hours away!

Boquete Garden Inn – find out what sets us apart from other Boquete hotels!

Road trips from Boquete – Arte Cruz in Volcan

by with No Comment Boquete ToursNews

Boquete is the perfect home base to explore Chiriqui. From the comfort of our beautiful little town, you can visit the mountain towns of Volcan and Cerro Punta, Pacific Ocean Beaches (Las Lajas and Las Olas) or experience the healing hot springs in Caldera, Chiriqui’s very own Marlboro Man country.

Last week, we took a day trip to Volcan and Cerro Punta, trying out the new road that links Potrerillos to Volcan (which will be extended to Boquete this year).

A visit to Volcan is not complete without stopping in to see Arte Cruz. He is a skilled artist, turning pieces of wood into incredible works of art. He is happy to demonstrate his technique and give you a sneak peak of the pieces he is currently working on! When you are at Boquete Garden Inn, just ask us for a Volcan and Cerro Punta map…we’ve highlighted all the must-see places!