Barú summit
Sunrise over two seas.
FranHogan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · FranHogan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Paul Ottaviano — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ariel Rodriguez-Vargas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rkool007 — CC BY-SA 3.0
A green mountain town in the Chiriquí highlands of western Panama, at about 1,200 metres, in a valley where the Caldera River tumbles between coffee farms, flowers and cloud forest, with a mild spring-like climate most of the year. Its farms are famed for coffee, including the Geisha variety, among the world's most expensive. Above the town rises Volcán Barú, Panama's highest mountain at about 3,475 metres, from whose summit on a rare clear day both the Pacific and the Caribbean can be seen. Hikers climb it at night on a long, rough track to watch sunrise over the two seas, or go up by four-wheel drive. On the volcano's far side the Quetzal Trail crosses dense cloud forest, one of the best places to see the resplendent quetzal. In the valley, coffee-farm tours offer tastings and explain how it is grown, alongside hanging bridges and waterfalls. Nights are cool and the light drizzle called bajareque often drifts over town, so bring a jacket. Never feed or touch wild animals, and watch them from a distance.
Sunrise over two seas.
Cloud forest.
Tasting tours.
Chiriquí highlands, Boquete town and Volcán Barú National Park
Yes on rare clear days, which is why hikers climb overnight to reach the summit at sunrise before clouds gather.