El
Valle is a magical place
for a weekend away from
Panama's lowland heat
--a fertile volcanic
valley filled with bright
flowers, square trees
and golden frogs, just
an hour and a half's
drive from Panama City.
To get there, turn off
the Inter-American Highway
shortly after San Carlos
and head up into the
hills. After 40 minutes
or so you will catch
your first glimpse of
the valley spread out
far below you, ringed
by steep hills. Most
of the houses on the
valley floor are surrounded
by trees, so the overall
impression is still
green and unspoiled.
It can be hot during
the day, but it feels
less oppressive than
on the coast and is
considerably cooler
at night. If you're
using public transport,
minibuses regularly
leave the Curundu bus
station for El Valle
and taxis can take you
round the sights once
you arrive.
There
is no real center
to the town, but if
you know where to
look you'll find more
places to visit per
square kilometer than
anywhere else in Panama.
The first priorities
for most tourists
are the famous square
trees and golden frogs,
both of which can
be found in the grounds
of the Hotel Campestre.
The tiny frogs can
be seen in a large
tank in front of the
hotel buildings, while
an unmarked path leads
up into the woods
to a grove of square
trees about five minutes'
walkaway. You may
decide the frogs are
more bright yellow
than golden and the
trees are more flat-sided
than square, but they're
all part of the El
Valle experienceAnother
place to see golden
frogs is at El Nispero,
a small zoo with a
wide selection of
native animals and
birds, mostly in good-sized
cages. The grounds
are landscaped with
artificial streams
and the backdrop is
the most dramatic
of El Valle's hills.
It's a pleasant place
to spend an hour wandering
round.
A major draw
to El Valle is the market
held every Sunday morning
in a market hall on the main
road. Apart from vegetables,
fruit, plants and flowers,
you can buy handicrafts such
as wooden bowls, paintings
on wood, hammocks, molas,
baskets and ceramics. Prices
are usually negotiable. The
popularity of the market has
encouraged a string of handicrafts
shops to open nearby. Many
travel agents in Panama City
offer day trips.
There
are several waterfalls
around the valley that
are beautiful at any
time of year and impressive
during the rainy season.
The most frequently
visited is El Macho,
a five-minute drive
from the center. The
waterfall is a few minutes'
walk off the road on
a path through cool,
thick forest. The entrance
fee includes the loan
of a bamboo walking
stick to help you cross
the sometimes slippery
stones. Also at El Macho,
if you're not scared
of heights, you can
try the Canopy Adventure,
an unusual way to get
a bird's eye view of
the rainforest. You
start by walking uphill
for about half an hour
with a knowledgeable
guide who will point
out any birds and animals
he spots and tell you
about the trees you
pass. Then comes the
adventurous part-- put
on thick gloves and
a harness, attach the
harness to a rope and
whiz down a series of
ropes suspended high
up in the trees, passing
over the waterfall.
El Valle
also has some petroglyphs
-- rocks decorated with what
are believed to be pre-Colombian
art. The rocks with their
strange designs are worth
a visit, if only for the walk
there that gives you lovely
views of the valley. It's
about a five-minute walk from
the clearing where you park
your car (sign posted from
the main road), and you can
always continue further uphill
past the petroglyphs. The
path leads on upstream past
several small waterfalls and
eventually twists and turns
towards the top of La India
Dormida -- a hill in the shape
of a sleeping woman.
If none of
the attractions appeals, just
spend your time enjoying perhaps
the best thing about El Valle
-- the fresher climate and
its natural beauty. Serious
walkers and birdwatchers will
find plenty to do.
Waterfall
"El Macho"
This particular waterfall,
which is the largest in the
region(70 meters/210 feet),
is located just outside of
town. Within walking distance,
the waterfall is open from
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., 7 days
a week. (Along side the entrance
to the waterfall is the office
of Canopy Tour, which offers
tree-top canopy exploration).
There are two small trails
in the park, however both
are relatively short. The
longer trail costs $2.00,
while the shorter trail is
only $1.00. There are good
photographic opportunities,
in addition to a small pool
located at the base of the
waterfall which is suited
for swimming.
To get there
just continue on the main
road through town until you
reach the fork in the road,
at which time you will make
a right. Continue on this
road until you reach the entrance
to the waterfall, which is
located on the left side of
the road. There are several
signs to guide you, thus you
should have no problem finding
your way. From the center
of town the trip should take
about 15 minutes, providing
you are walking.
Pozos
Termales (Hot Water Springs)
These hot water springs, which
consist of approximately 5
small pools, are located just
off the main road in El Valle.
This facility is the only
one of its kind in the area,
as the thermal waters. Open
from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. from
Monday-Friday, and 8:00 a.m.-5:00
p.m. on weekends, it costs
$0.50 cents for adults and
$0.25 for children. One of
the springs contains therapeutic
mud, while the other pools
offer bathers with warm, hot
springs.
Square
Trees (Arboles Quadrados)
Located just behind Hotel
Campestre, these particular
trees have a square trunk
at the base, which becomes
round as it moves upward,
taking on the look of a normal
tree. While there are only
a few trees of this kind,
it is worth a quick look if
time permits. The trail leading
to the trees starts from the
right side of the hotel, just
behind and to the right of
a small building. The trail
is well marked and easy hiking,
reaching the square trees
in less than five minutes.
In the event that you can't
find the trail, just ask someone
at the hotel and they will
gladly assist you.
Golden
Frogs (Ranas Doradas)
The famous golden frogs of
Panama are most commonly found
in this area, many of which
can be viewed in cages at
the Nispero Zoo; there are
no wild frogs in the valley
itself. In order to view the
frogs in their natural habitat
you will have to take a tour
into the surrounding mountain
range. Mostly uphill, the
path is thin and weaves through
the numerous farms (fincas)
that are nestled in the hillside.
Depending on the time of year
the trail can be quite wet,
thus the months of December-April
are preferable. It is normal,
however, for the upper portion
of the trail to be misty throughout
the day. If you make the trip
on Sunday you will often find
yourself sharing the path
with villagers bringing their
goods to the local market
in town.
The hike is
quite challenging and requires
approximately 2-2 1/2 hours
to complete each way, depending
on your physical condition;
assuming you start at the
area they call "La Mesa".
You can take a public bus
from the town to this area
for $0.25, which is well worth
the money. Otherwise, you
can add another 1-1/ 1/2 hours
to the hike. There is absolutely
no reason to walk this additional
section. We recommend that
you bring water, there is
little if any water available
once you begin the hike. For
the entire trip plan for 5-6
hours, assuming you allocate
one hour to view the frogs.
If you are interested
in taking a tour we recommend
that you contact the office
of Canopy Tours in El Valle
de Anton. They can provide
a guide at a reasonable price,
but be prepared to speak some
Spanish.
For photographers,
make sure you bring a macro
lens and flash, as the frogs
are small.
Petroglyphs
About a 15-20 minute walk
from town, in the same direction
as the El Macho Waterfall,
lies the Petroglyphs, or stone
writings. The inscriptions
are not overly impressive,
but worth a visit if you have
not seen anything like it
before. All of the writings
can be found on one large
vertical rock face. There
is no mention as to what they
signify.
Continue on
the main road until you cross
the bridge when leaving town.
Stay to the left and follow
the signs. The signs will
point either to "piedras
pintadas" or "petroglifos",
but regardless, you should
have no problem finding your
way as there are numerous
signs. Just before reaching
the end of the paved road,
which is at the end of a small
incline, you must turn left
along a dirt path; there are
signs on the left pointing
to the rocks. Follow this
path for about 10 minutes,
crossing two concrete bridges.
Just after the second you
will see a large vertical
rock directly in front, and
there you will see them.
El Nispero
Plant Nursery & Zoo
Open from 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
7 days a week, this nursery/zoo
provides the best location
in El Valle del Anton to witness
the famous golden frogs. The
Zoo contains numerous animal
and plant species, including
various species of monkeys,
birds, iguanas, etc. There
is a fairly well maintained
trail that passes through
the zoo, which takes approximately
1-2 hours to complete. The
golden frogs are located in
two different areas, each
one providing a good opportunity
to see them up close; really
difficult to photograph as
they are behind steel mesh
cages. Perhaps not the size
of a large zoo, the Nispero
Plant Nursery & Zoo is
one of the areas most frequented
tourist destinations.
From the principal
road, make a right where it
points to the police station.
Pass the police station and
continue straight until you
reach the fire station on
the right side, at which time
you make a right. Continue
on this road as it turns to
the left, and eventually to
the zoo's entrance which is
located on the left side.
The entrance fee is $2.00
for adults and $1.00 for children
between 3-12 years of age.
Phone number is 983-6142,
with Spanish the only language
spoken.
IPAT
Office (Tourism Office in
Valle del Anton)
Panama's Tourism Institute
has an office in the center
of Valle del Anton (phone
number-983-6474), which is
open from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.(usually!).
They have maps of the local
community, which indicate
all of the major tourist attractions;
well worth a visit. If desired,
guides can be arranged through
this office, however, only
Spanish is spoken.
How
to Get to Valle del Anton
Buses depart Panama City from
the bus terminal in Albrook.
They are small minibuses,
however, they are air-conditioned
and spacious. The trip last
approximately 2-2 1/2 hours
depending on traffic, and
the cost is $3.50 per person.
Most of the trip is along
the Pan-American highway,
with the last 28 km/45 miles
heading into the mountain
region. The first bus departs
Panama City at around 7:00
a.m. and the last bus departing
El Valle to Panama City departs
at around 4:00p.m. However,
there are local buses that
offer service until 6:00 p.m.
- 7:00 p.m. that for $1.00
will transport you from El
Valle to the Panamerican Highway,
where you can get on any bus
en route to Panama City.