Nestled in the green mountains
of the province of Coclé is El Valle de Antón, a
resort town which has become an important jewel in Panama’s
ecotourism treasure chest.
The town is located on the site of an extinct volcano —the
largest in Panama in pre-historic times. This fact has endowed
the area with hot springs and fertile land ideal for flowers and
vegetables.
El Valle is 120 kilometers from Panama City, and the journey
takes about an hour and a half up the Pan- American Highway, turning
right after the town of San Carlos.
Due to its altitude, El Valle enjoys a cool climate year round.
This, combined with its proximity to Panama City, has transformed
the town into a week-end retreat for many Panamanian city-dwellers.
Many wealthy individuals have built beautiful villas and country
homes there.
El Valle is also a land of history and legend. Inhabited for
hundreds of years by several Native American tribes, the area
is famous for some rare petroglyphs which have not yet been deciphered.
The lush vegetation of El Valle harbors great biological diversity,
including golden frogs and square trees. The frogs are found only
in El Valle and Campana National Park. A good place to see them
is at the El Nispero Zoo and Plant Nursery. Also on show there
is the “Flower of the Holy Spirit” —the rare
orchid which is Panama’s National Flower.
Daring adventurers will also find a lot of action in El Valle
with the Canopy Adventure attraction, where visitors are able
to “imitate Tarzan,” flying above the jungle floor
through a series of cables, platforms and pulleys. While on this
tour, visitors will also fly above the El Macho waterfall, one
of the largest in the area.
The Panama Explorer Club also has its headquarters in El Valle,
offering courses in adventure sports such as rafting, rapelling,
mountain biking, kayaking etc. to visitors and to people wishing
to train as tourists guides. • Tel: (507)
215-2330.
Once a week, the otherwise quiet and relaxed El Valle becomes
a picturesque country shopping center celebrating its most popular
tradition: the Sunday Market. In this event, locals and residents
of neighboring towns gather to offer an impressive variety of
flowers, handicraft, rattan furniture, fruits, vegetables and
flowers. The activity starts around 7:00 a.m. and lasts until
5:00 p.m.
In recent years, a number of fine lodging facilities have opened
in town, such as: Los Capitanes, a picturesque
eco-resort. Crater Valley is a resort in idyllic
garden surroundings offering comfortable accommodation and is
also headquarters of the Panama Explorer’s Club
which offers adventure, eco and cultural tourism.
El Valle has bed and breakfast accommodation at Park
Eden, the lovely home of Mr and Mrs. Lionel Aleman.
Hotel Residencial El Valle offers economical
and comfortable rooms close to the market.
