Get off the Beaten Path in Santa Fe and San Francisco

The turnoff for the communities of Santa Fe and San Francisco is about two hours east of Panama City. This turn will take you away from the shore and towards the highlands, eventually leading to Santa Fe National Park. This is a relatively unknown location of Panama that is ideal for anyone looking to get off the main path. On the way to Santa Fe, you'll pass via San Francisco, a little town with a nice main plaza and one of the country's oldest churches, Iglesia de San Francisco de la Montana, which dates from 1727. This picturesque church is accessible daily until 4 p.m. but is closed during the lunch hour.

Balneario El Salto is a hidden swimming hole approximately a mile down the road. On hot days, the water pours over rocks into a tiny natural pool, and swimmers come with their inflatable donuts and other toys to cool down. Santa Fe, farther up the road, is a modest pleasant mountain town with some of the same traits as Boquete, but considerably smaller and less developed. Hiking, birdwatching, coffee plantation excursions, river tubing, and 4x4 driving are popular activities in the national park that may be easily organized.

You won't find as many restaurants as you would in Boquete, but you are more likely to have intimate interactions with local owners while you dine in their tiny enterprises. Because English is not frequently spoken here, knowing Spanish is a huge advantage. Santa Fe is located at a height of 1,500 feet, so it has a milder climate than lower regions and might seem like a welcome respite if you've just come from the coast. Be advised that practically all restaurants are closed on Tuesdays, and that from 3-6pm every day, a little no-see-um type insect emerges and feeds on exposed flesh. The bites aren't painful, but they do leave a lot of red patches that vanish by morning.