TOURISM
s foreigners are moving to Panama looking for a safe retirement, more pensioners are charmed by the tranquility and security of the Chiriqui province and particularly Boquete which, because of its altitude, provides year-round spring-like weather and temperatures between 16 and 20 degrees.
A
Valle Escondido-Hidden Valley – only a 10-minute walk from the town of Boquete – is a gated community of Spanish colonial styled houses, cabins and mansions. The complex is self sufficient with shops, a health centre and its own nine-hole golf course with hazards created by a river running through the property.
At Hacienda Los Molinos, another residential development in Boquete, the scenery of mountains slopes and a deep canyon gorge, conquers the eyes immediately. Whether the future
holidays. Although the new highway has shortened driving time from the capital, a good driver will make it to the mountains in some seven hours and a little more if he stops to buy some colourful Ngwabe-Bugle women’s dresses or chaquiras (a wide necklace woven with strings of fine beads), which are sold on the Pan-American highway, near Tole.
The dormant Baru Volcano, Panama’s highest elevation at 3,475mtr, hosts on its slopes the main attractions and resort areas of the province: Boquete on the east slope and Volcan, Cerro Punta, Guadelupe on the west. Boquete, settled by Americans and Europeans in the early 20th century who came to grow coffee, flowers and
Looking for a home in Chiriqui?
Chiriqui offers both tranquility and security
residents want to build their homes or have them ready when they arrive is just a matter of choice but the complex will feature all the amenities
oranges, is a cozy little provincial town that has recently seen a vague of retirees who enjoy its nice climate. Accordingly there has been a surge in small hotels, restaurants and gated communities. But its main attraction remains the coffee plantations that grow the famed ‘geisha’ quality and are world wide winners of ‘specialty coffees’. Coffee is harvested from September to April but the plantations can be visited year-round. One of the most famous is the Lerida coffee farm that offers one-day-tours with guides and lunches.
Not to be missed is the Flower and Coffee Fair held every year during the month of January, on the banks of the Caldera River, or the Orchid Fair in April.
Facts and figures
• During the cruise season (October 2010-June 2011), the Panama Canal recorded 214 transits by cruise ships, thus slightly decreasing from 222 transits the year before. It was the third year in a row that the number of cruise ship transits has declined.
• Panama Canal toll earnings by cruise ships during the high months of the cruise season (October 1, 2010- July 6, 2011) grew by 12.2% to $44.99m, compared to $40.02m, a year ago with toll average of $205,446 per vessel, up from $180,283 per vessel during the previous cruise season. The increase was mostly due to a rise in tolls at beginning of 2011.
• The number of visitors to Panama grew by 10.9% and 122,113 to nearly 1.8m in 2010. Tourist spending grew by 13% in the same year to $1.67m. During the first four months of 2011, registered tourists entries were up 11% to 716,863 of which some 190,691 were cruise passengers who disembarked in Panama, up 12.9% representing 27% of the entries during this period. The number of visitors from the US increased by 4.8%, from Canada 10.7% and from Germany 10,2% from January to April 2011.
• Some 331,209 cruise passenger disembarked in 2010, up from 310,764 during the previous year.
• Hotel room occupation was at 69.2% during the months of January to April 2011, up 4.4% compared to the same period a year ago.
PANAMA MARITIME REVIEW 2011/12
for those who want to remain amongst neighbours and enjoy the views of the peak of Baru Volcano and even of the Pacific Ocean.
A visit to the Dracula farm figures predominently on the to-do-list of visits. Here, hundreds of varieties of orchids can be appreciated as can the Hotel Panamonte, owned by the same family for several generations and celebrated for its spectacular and refined cuisine and the elegant country- style decorations of the rooms. Taking to the hills on the other side of Baru Volcano, the tortuous road from Concepcion to Volcan winds into a succession of thoroughbred ranches and dairy farms populated by Holstein and Charolais cattle. The road from Volcan to the border post San Benito twists and turns over ridges and depressions offering splendid views of coffee plantations. The town of Cerro Punta, called the granary of Panama, is up the hills of a fertile valley where the sight encompasses volcanic fields devoted to growing vegetables, exotic fruits, strawberries and flowers. Here European settlers’ influence is everywhere- a look at the telephone directory will prove it easily- in architecture, farming and to the benefit of the visitor, the food. The area is also a favourite with bird watchers that flock to Guadelupe, driving the loop road, which passes Cerro Punta – a delightful drive. This is where the Friendship Park (PILA) begins. The 207,000ha park is the second largest in Panama and home to 100 species of mammals, five species of cats, 91 species of amphibians, 61 species of reptiles and 400 species of birds, more than any other park in Panama. A real paradise for birdwatchers! The Resplendent Quetzal is often seen during the dry season. •
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