Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Village accommodation
Contact the president of the tourist committee, Dionisio Negria (
6765 3086).
A plain open-sided wooden “lodge” overlooking the main street offers several
partitioned rooms with mattresses (and one pricier, relatively deluxe room with private bath-
room) and shared toilet and shower round the back. For meals visitors are charged for the
food bought to be cooked and there i
s a
$10 daily fee each for the tourist coordinator and
cook assigned to each group. Doubles
$25
Metetí
A police security checkpoint that looks set for a siege heralds your impending arrival in
METETÍ
, a long, strung-out settlement that is an increasingly important commercial and ad-
ministrative hub. It's hardly an endearing place, but if you're travelling around much in the
Darién, you're likely to pass through more than once, since it offers good links with both
Yaviza - from where it a shortish hop to El Real, the main gateway to the national park -
and
Puerto Quimba
, which provides a water-taxi link to La Palma, capital of the Darién and
access point for many of the surrounding Emberá and Wounaan communities.
The village's de facto centre lies across the bridge at the turn-off to Puerto Quimba, where
there's a taxi rank, a handful of warehouse-like shops and a bus stop. Most of the village lies
up the turn-off to the right.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: METETÍ
By bus
The bus station is 1.5km up the Puerto Quimba road from the main junction. Buses to
Yaviza (every 30min, 5.30am-6pm; 1hr) leave from the bus station but also pick up passen-
gers at the junction with the Interamericana. There are direct services to Panama City (every
40min, 3am-5 or 5.30pm; 5-6hr), or you can flag down one of the buses coming from Yav-
iza at the junction with the Interamericana. Buses also run to Puerto Quimba (every 30min,
6am-5pm; 20min), to meet the water-taxi to and from La Palma (every 30min, 5am-6pm;
40min).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Hotel Felicidad
Interamericana, 300m before the junction 299 6544.
The only half-decent
place to stay offers thirty clean, compact rooms with private bathroom, a/c, cabl
e TV
and se-
cure parking, though like most places in Metetí, it suffers from water shortages.
$27
Restaurante Bellagio
Signposted off the Puerto Quimba road to the right 6521 8753.
The
best place to eat in town, and in air-conditioned comfort. Dishes, including rabbit and pec-
cary, are roasted or grilled, a rare pleasure in the Darién (mains from $6). It's due to open
accommodation too.
Daily 11am-10pm.
