Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
you'll see a white streak running down its glistening granite face - it's actually an ex-
tremely tall but inaccessible waterfall.
Nearly opposite the turnoff for Playa Las Lajas is
Cerro Colorado
, one of the world's
largest copper mines, with approximately 1.4 million tons. It's not open for tours.
Soak your travel-worn bones at
Pozos de Galique
(Springs of Galique), three no-frills
hot springs. Bring cold drinks and try to visit early morning before the day heats up and
crowds descend. The easy-to-miss turnoff for the road to the springs (which requires a
4WD vehicle to access) is 4km east of the turnoff for Playa Las Lajas. The 3.8km-long
turnoff leading to the springs is 30m west of a small bridge with 'Galique' written on it.
About 5km west of the town of Tolé is a turnoff for
El Nancito
, a small community
known for its rock carvings. Locals say that the carved boulders were made more than
1000 years ago, though no one really knows for sure.
From the Interamericana, turn north onto the road to El Nancito (for walkers, it's 3km
uphill). When you reach the 'Cantina Oriente' sign, turn west and drive 75m until you
come across some rather large boulders. If taking public transportation, jump off any
eastbound bus at El Nancito, and then hike the 3km to the boulders. Be aware you'll have
difficulty catching a return bus after sunset.
The Road to Boquete
Interesting attractions line the way to Boquete. If you have your own wheels, you can
really explore the area, though most places can be accessed via public transportation.
Popular swimming spots take the edge off the heat. On the road to Concepción,
Bal-
neario La Nueva Barranca
is a little gem on the river with a bar-restaurant and clean fa-
cilities.
Balneario La Cascada
(admission US$1)
, 8.4km north of David, has two
waterfall-side swimming pools and a small bar. Take the bus on 'Calle F Sur' in David to
get there. Both spots can get very crowded on weekends, though the atmosphere is al-
ways 'family fun in the sun.'
About halfway between David and Boquete, the small town of
Dolega
boasts
Book
Mark
( 776-1688; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun)
, a fine secondhand book shop with English-lan-
guage titles and obscure works. Any Boquete-bound bus can drop you off. Here, you can
also turn off west on the
Orange Blossom Road
, a scenic new paved connection that
comes out just south of Volcán.
The area's most famous attraction, Los Pozos de Caldera (
Click here
) are natural hot
springs renowned for health-giving properties. The springs are located on private land
near the town of Caldera, 14km east of Boquete.
