Landscape photograph of a coffee farm known as Finca Lérida, in Alto Quiel in Boquete, specialized in growing high quality coffee for exportation to the United States, Canada and Europe. This farm is just about a ten minute drive from downtown Boquete. (Kindly click on the picture to expand it.) Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Boquete is a small town on the Caldera River, in the green mountain highlands of Panama, about 37 miles from the border with Costa Rica. Due to its altitude, about 3,937 feet above sea level, its climate is cooler than that of the lowlands.
Boquete’s mesmerizing scenic site, temperature, and natural environment, make it extremely popular with locals and attract tourists and retirees from all over the world.
In Spanish, the word “boquete” means “a large gap or opening”. It was through this gap that adventurous gold seekers traveled looking for a cheaper and quicker route to the California gold mines in the Pacific Coast.
According to the U.S. News & World Report, “about 3,000 foreigners live in the colorful mountain town of Boquete in the Province of Chiriquí. Migration continues, and the number of foreign residents in this picturesque place, es expected to escalate to 10,000 by 2016.”
What’s so special about Boquete? Beautiful setting, excellent climate, straightforward pensionado rules for the country of Panama, but mainly; the draw in Boquete, is the established American community. This is a place to come to enjoy many of the benefits of being retired abroad without leaving behind too many of the comforts and conveniences of American suburban living.
More recently, Boquete has become the home away from home for many American and European retirees. Some 14 percent of its population of about 19,000 inhabitants, are of foreign origin according to La Prensa, a widely distributed Panamanian newspaper. This means that communicating in English with the local people of Boquete is no problem at all.
Ex-pats are attracted by the comfortable climate, first-class drinking water, and clean air, by the quietness and Panama’s relatively low-cost of living. Boquete is also well-known for its coffee, judged to be among the finest in the world. Residents of Boquete have access to good medical care at hospitals and clinics in David, about a half hour drive away. If further medical attention is needed, you can travel to Panama City which has medical institutions similar to the United States. By plane, you can reach Panama City, in about half and hour from David’s Enrique Malek international airport.
About 50,000 acres of coffee are now in production, and the best of the country’s Arabica coffee is grown about 3,000 feet in the Chiriqui’s Highlands. The highest quality coffee is shade-grown, organic and handpicked.
I recently returned from this exciting place and plan to dedicate several blog posts about one of the best kept secrets in the dynamic world of tourism. This sweet spot is called Hotel Finca Lérida in Alto Quiel in Boquete. Stay tuned for jaw-dropping photographs of this spot delicately nested in the highlands of Chiriqui. The first blog post with pictures depicting Panama’s unique Shangri La will start at the break of dawn tomorrow morning. Until then Good Day.
So, you get a brand new GPS and the next time we hear from you, you are headed for Costa Rica? haha
Looking forward to this week. Nena will be glued to my shoulder to see who she recognizes.
jim and nena
fort worth, tx
Hello Jim and Nena:
The next time you’ll hear from me I’ll be heading straight to Fort Worth, Texas.
Starting tomorrow I’ll start a new series of my experiences in a gourmet coffee mountain hotel called Hotel Finca Lérida. The area is difficult to describe in printed words. In my opinion, Finca Lérida is the lobby of heaven.
Enjoy the rest of the day,
Omar.-
We will have your room ready, Omar! Bring Aura and the Twisters as well, they can “hang out” with our 4 grands. Anytime!
jim and nena
Hi Jim and Nena:
Thank so you so much from Aura, The Twisters and myself. Who knows, the world spins and surprises are always around the corner. It would be a pleasure to meet both of you in person. Meanwhile the net will have to do its work.
Bye,
Omar.-
Well, now. If you get to Ft. Worth, you’re only five hours away from Houston! We’d never let an opportunity like that pass by!
Lovely entry. Your Boquete reminds me of our Bandera, a town established at the site of a similar pass for those traveling west. The name of the town, of course, came from the flag that flew to mark the pass.
What a beautiful photo. I’ll have to see if I can find a Panamanian varietal coffee to enjoy while I follow your travels.
Morning Linda:
If my GPS takes me to Texas, you can bet a visit to your town will be on my “To-Do-List”.
As you know, bandera is flag in Spanish. I wish I could send you Panamanian coffee. This place that I visited is exporting very high quality coffee to the United States, Canada and Europe. The selling price exceeds $100.00 per pound, for crying out loud.
Take Care,
Omar.-
Hello Omar and fellow readers,
I´m so happy that you have the chance to take beautiful shots of our province, especially of Boquete, my hometown (1943). My father Pablo Pitti González was born in Boquete (1914) as well and I have always heard this version of the name Boquete from him:
The owners of the whole estate were Emmanuel Lambert and Emma Jurado Lambert. They raised cattle in what is now now Alto Boquete and surroundaing upper areas. My great great grandfather Sabas González was the “mandador” of the huge estate. He somehow found out that during the dry season, there was water and pasture on the other side of the cliff. Then he asked Doña Emma permission to open a “boquete”, or a “hole” so that cattle and horses could pass. She said yes. He started with a pick and shovel, other workers helped him. At the beginning the “boquete was so narrow” that only a horse, without a rider, could pass. Later someone brought a very old tractor that had to be replaced a by a new one. Then, people started settling the estate in a very scattered way. The Lamberts didn´t like it. So, the first settlers, called “labriegos” complained to the government of Colombia until an official statement was issued there giveing them some rights and boundaries… long story.
Doña Emma told Sabas González ” you and your family can settle both sides of the entrance to Boquete”. We can visit the place today and there are a few González families, all my relatives. To give you an idea, my dad was born on the left side of that area, known in Boquete as La Bajada, and I was born on the right side of it. I still remember when, as a child, living in Cerro Punta, I heard the grown ups and elders ( like my grandfather) refer to ” EL Boquete” and now I understand why did they use the definite article.
Saludos a usted y a su esposa,
Hilda
Morning Hilda:
What a wonderful story of Boquete. Now our readers will fully understand the meaning of the word. You were luck to be born in one of the most beautiful areas of our country. It is indeed Shangri-La. Thank you for sharing.
Best Regards,
Omar.-