The trip from Palenque to Boquete is an amazing transition between two different worlds. Palm trees turn into what look to be pines, waves become waterfalls, beaches become cliffs. About an hour and half drive from Boca Chica (mainland near Palenque) is the mountain town of Boquete. Traditionally a coffee growing region, it has been popularized in recent decades by offering affordable living for foreign retirees. Now, it is one of the most popular tourist stops in Panama and it was time that I put on the tourist hat and took advantage of what our neighbor had to offer.

The Cabins at Rio Cristal is a small lodge high up in the mountains. It is run by the same people who own the Boquete Tree Trek zipline. Because the zipline was the priority on our Cloud Forest adventure, we decided to stay at Rio Cristal since we would be able to wake up and roll out of bed into our harnesses. Our cabin was amazingly well appointed with extensive teak and even satellite television. We had fresh-caught trout and  bottle of wine by the fireplace for dinner.

Thankfully, the morning sun was out and we were awoken to the sounds of the guides preparing for the day’s adventure. If you haven’t done a zipline, it is a must. Although it seems like a frightening proposition to be flying at 50 km/hour several hundred feet in the air across a ravine, you quickly feel safe and begin to thirst for more speed and a better view.

The other popular activity in Boquete is to tour a coffee plantation. Avid coffee drinkers, our group opted to take a tour that was supposed to be technical and would present all aspects of the process. The three-hour tour at Café Ruiz did not disappoint. Our guide was from the Ngobe Bugle tribe who started picking beans at 14 and spoke perfect English. We were taken to the fields where green agriculture takes on a new meaning: no pesticides, other trees to protect the soil and keep birds distracted, hand picking, etc. The processing of coffee is a multi-step process using huge dryers, floaters, sorters, shakers, and blowers. The final step is roasting, which is usually done where the coffee is sold. But don’t forget the best part of the tour: tasting. We all were surprised to learn the lighter roasts actually have more flavor and caffeine than dark roasts.

This jaunt to Boquete once again proved that the diversity of ecosystems in Panama is amazing: I was able to be sweating on a beach in the sun one day, to warming up to a fire in the cool air of the mountains the next.

The Author on the Boquete Tree Trek