Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Buses from Volcán to David depart from the Shell station on Av Central every 15
minutes from 5am to 7:30pm (US$3, 1½ hours). There are also pickup truck taxis avail-
able by the Río Sereno-Guadalupe fork in the road.
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Santa Clara
About 30km from Volcán, on the highway to Río Sereno, is the tiny village of Santa
Clara, which is little more than a grocery store and a gas station. It's also home to Finca
Hartmann ( 6450-1853; www.fincahartmann.com ; 2-/4-person cabin US$80/140; ) , a
working shade-grown coffee farm situated in highland rainforest with a rich variety of
wildlife.
Ardent conservationists, the Hartmanns have hosted a number of Smithsonian- affili-
ated scientists over the years. The family rents out basic but handsomely constructed cab-
ins in fantastic surroundings. Though there's no electricity, cabins have clean potable
spring water, flush toilets and even hot showers.
The bird-watching is simply superb, with more than 280 unique species. The hiking
trails pass through a variety of habitats between 1300m and 2000m. Sr Hartmann is an
excellent host with a wealth of information - ask to see his 'museum' (a lifetime's col-
lection of Panamanian insects and pre-Columbian artifacts). The farm charges admission
(US$15) for bird-watching or coffee tours. The coffee harvest season runs roughly from
October to January.
The entrance to Finca Hartmann is located a few hundred meters past the gas station,
on the left-hand side - look for the small sign.
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Paso Ancho
Along the road to the Parque Internacional La Amistad, a great place to stop for a few
nights is Las Plumas ( 771-5541; www.las-plumas.com ; Paso Ancho; 4-person guesthouse
US$66-143; ) , a friendly Dutch-owned spot on the edge of Paso Ancho village. Las
Plumas occupies a tranquil setting on 2.3 hectares of land, and consists of several roomy
guesthouses that can accommodate four people in two bedrooms. Each guesthouse is
beautifully furnished with solid wooden furniture, leather couches, tiled bathrooms and
orthopedic mattresses - there's even satellite TV, though the man attraction is the beauty
 
 
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