Panama Highlands: Cerro Azul, El Valle de Anton, Altos del Maria, Boquete, Volcan and Cerro Punta
Los Altos de Cerro Azul is located just 1/2 an hour from Panama’s Tocumen International Airport and on a clear day in Altos de Cerro Azul you have a phenomenal view of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The project of Altos de Cerro Azul is built at an altitude of about 950 meters or 2,500 to 2,700 feet above sea level with temperatures that range between 70 degrees and 80 degrees – at night it gets very cool and you will need a blanket to keep yourself warm.
Altos de Cerro Azul is gated and has 24 hour security, a country club with pool, tennis courts and restaurant. Other parts of the Cerro Azul area which are non-gated. In the surrounding forests you will find exotic birds and wildlife unique to Panama as well as a series of trails that will take you through one of the oldest cloud forests in the Western Hemisphere.
In the cloud forest it is possible to see rare palm trees that are unique to only 2 other countries in the world: Ivory Coast and Haiti. No one knows how the palms were able to spread from the African coast to the Caribbean and then to the bottom of Central America – this is an enigma that is currently being studied by the Smithsonian Institute in Panama.
The flora and fauna are also unique and abundant in Cerro Azul and the following wildlife is not uncommon to the area: foxes, white-faced capuchin, ant-eater, sloth, squirrels, coatimundi, agouti, peccary and white-tailed deers, howler monkey, red spider monkey, jaguar, olingo, two-toed sloth, ocelot, jagarundi, harpy eagle and guan.
In addition to the stunning natural beauty of Altos de Cerro Azul, are also several first world amenities which include: access to high-speed satellite Internet, Direct T.V. and modern electricity and telephone services as well as the best drinking water in Panama as per a recent study conducted by the University of Panama. On the principal road from the airport to Altos de Cerro Azul is a modern shopping center with everything from fast food shops, to supermarkets, to video stores and building supply outlets.
Cerro Azul is in area of Panama that is virtually undiscovered except by locals who frequent the various spas and restaurants.
Description courtesy of panamarealtor.com
El Valle de Anton
A picturesque mountain town just two hours from Panama City, El Valle is a preferred second home destination for Panamanians and for foreigners who want to be in the mountains, but close enough to the city.
Pamanainfo.com describes it as “El Valle de Anton, known simply as El Valle has a geologically unique setting, it’s nestled in the second largest volcano crater in the world. A five by three mile crater created when a volcano blew its top off five million years ago. The result was a lovely steep valley surrounded by jagged mountain peaks and rich volcanic soil that gives way to flowers and verdant forest as a result. El Valle also boasts a near perfect year round spring climate.”
The area is growing with new boutique hotels, gourmet restaurants, and a complete eco-tourism feel with activities such as river rafting, canopy tours, bicycle and hiking tours. Famous for its crafts, El Valle’s market is a place where Panamanians and foreigners who live in El Valle and the nearby beach areas go to spend the day shopping for plants and crafts.
Altos del Maria
Altos del Maria is an exclusive gated mountain residential community conveniently located at just 1 hour and 20 minutes (113 km – 70 miles) from Panama City and only 25 minutes away (25 km – 15.5 miles) from the Pacific coast beaches with their world-class golfing and shopping.
The development is placed in 7000+ acre property so beautiful that many areas have the look and feel of a national park. Attractions include panoramic mountain, valley, green belt and Pacific Ocean views, a near perfect spring climate year round (75º F – 24 Cº), a first-class infrastructure including miles of paved roads, vast common areas, waterfalls, rivers, hiking trails, observation decks, parks, lookout points, flowers and trees everywhere.
Altos del Maria has a range of prices to meet every need. Spacious residential lots and houses are available in subdivisions with varied altitudes, views and climates.
Boquete
The town of Boquete in the Chiriqui Province of Panama has a perfect spring-like climate at an elevation of about 3,500 ft., with clean air, clear water, unspoiled nature and a welcoming community. Boquete offers much for the avid bird watcher, the elusive Quetzal is relatively easy to spot.
The valley of Boquete is filled with flowers and gourmet coffee plantations on its hills and at times the smell of roasting coffee sends wonderful aromas through the town. The town harbors quaint café’s and restaurants, as well as shops and antique stores. Boquete offers an amazing gastronomical offer, including the Small Leading Hotel of the World, The Panamonte Inn & Spa, whose chef Charlie Collins is renown in Panama.
As of 2008, the town of Boquete had a population of 600 American retirees. Dozens of Americans live in the real estate and hotel development, Valle Escondido, an enclosed residential area which has a nine-hole golf course, convenience store, high speed internet, and many other amenities.
Volcan and Cerro Punta
Volcan’s temperature and scenery is similar to that of Boquete, but there is a smaller community and the prices for real estate are more affordable than Boquete. There is visibly a lot more breathing space in this location. It is very close to the magnificent Baru Volcano and many houses have a view of the dormant volcano.
Volcan has a lush green, rolling mountain scenery that reminds you of Switzerland. In fact there is an area called Nueva Suiza (new Switzerland) on the road to Cerro Punta. In the setting sun, the evening clouds are tinged with reds and pinks, contrasting the deep emerald greens on the pine covered slopes of the surrounding hills. Anybody with a love for life and beauty would have to conclude that Volcan is truly one of the world’s special places.
Volcan will surprise you. The town is small with a population of just 10,200 (2000 census), but the facilities are amazing. On the main street alone, there are four large supermarkets, four gas stations, five hardware stores, three bakeries and more than twenty places to eat.
