Traveling While Introverted

Following a fun urban week in Panamà City, we headed north on Pan-American Highway 1 to the town of Boquete (pron: bow-KEH-teh). This town in Panamà’s Chiriquí Province, has approximately 22,000 residents, half of which are expats. Because the town is in the Highlands, which range from 3,300-9,200 ft (1,000-2,800 m) above sea level, the weather is a relief from the oppressive heat and humidity of the lowlands. We were in Boquete for 15 days and the weather was cool and mild. Since we are visiting Panamà in the rainy season, it did rain nearly every day during our stay. On the other hand, it was such a treat to keep the windows open all day and all night without the use of air conditioning.

The main reason we stayed in Boquete for so long is that we had another house and pet sitting gig. (Readers will remember our first gig in Tamarindo.) We highly recommend Trusted Housesitters, especially since it includes a background check for sitters. (If you click on that link and sign up, we get 2 free months on the site. So, be a mensch and sign up.) This time, we watched a small dog named Oscar, or Oscarino as we affectionately nicknamed him.

Our daily morning walks were a fun way to start the day and get to know the neighborhood, which was surrounded by fincas (rural or agricultural land). Many of the ones near us were coffee producing. Fun fact: coffee that is produced in cooler weather, such as the highlands of Panamà, contains less caffeine because the plant doesn’t have to contend with as many insects as in hotter regions. (Caffeine is a defensive mechanism similar to spicy heat in peppers.) The highlands around Boquete are known for producing a coffee varietal known as Geisha. Despite its world renown we didn’t particularly care for it, which just shows you that you can’t account for personal taste. Either way, walks through this mixed landscape of forest and fincas with mountain views was truly spectacular.

On our first full day of house sitting, Yahm was woken up by a flash of light at 5:30 in the morning followed by a loud explosion. Initially, she thought it was lightning but then we realized the power had gone out. One of the challenges of living in Panamà is the frequent power outages that occur for a variety of reasons: storms, pressure on the grid, or just general issues with accessibility. In this case, winds had been blowing all night and a tree was toppled into the power lines. We only noticed the tree after our walk with Oscar because it was in the opposite direction of our route. Thankfully, the power came back on some time in the afternoon and it did not affect services in town, just the houses nearby.

Besides spending time with Oscar, we also had opportunities to explore Boquete and some of the nearby towns. Due to the presence of expats particularly from Canada and the United States, the town reminded us of mountain towns in the North American West, such as Flagstaff, Arizona. Still, Panamanian culture was ever-present, which we appreciated. We have found that even in towns that have large populations of foreign expats, Panamanians do not water down their culture. For those curious to visit, the central road through town is filled with cafés, bars, and restaurants. Below are a few photos of the downtown, though it’s difficult to capture.

Before we officially moved into the house we were sitting, we stayed in a lovely hotel called Buena Vista Boquete. Since it was off the main road, we appreciated the quiet nights and the views from the balcony were gorgeous. We also loved the shared kitchen on the top floor that allowed us to have some meals in rather than going out all the time. The hotel also provided a reading room, which we took advantage of in the evening. If you’re staying in Boquete and don’t mind stairs, we recommend it.

One of our favorite activities that we did while in town was visit the Library Park. Yahm mentioned it briefly in her post about the library and finding problematic books, but the park is worth visiting on its own merits. It was built in conjunction with the library and covers 8.2 hectares (20.2 acres). It includes three artificial lakes fed by the Caldera & the Quebrada Grande rivers, and contains over 2,500 trees. It is no surprise that over 25 local bird species have been spotted in the park despite it only being open since 2021.

Our next stop in Panamà is Bocas del Toro, a group of islands off the Caribbean Sea. We’re headed back to the heat and humidity of the lowlands, but who knows what adventures await. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to Traveling While Introverted so you don’t miss it!