Panama
Boquete
Boquete is a small town, about 45 min. drive from David. It is surrounded by mountains, jungle and forrest which makes this a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts and hikers. There is no shortage of hiking trails from easy and kid friendly to a lot more challenging. Our impression of spending just a few days here is that it’s safe and authentic, without five-star resorts and fancy restaurants (though there are a few upscale options). The food is good, but nothing to really rave about. We didn’t get a chance to try Panamanian food in Boquete, unfortunately. From what we’ve been told, Panamanians mostly eat lunch out, and dinner at home. There are only a handful of authentic places, and most are cafeteria style eateries. Among the restaurants that we tried, I can definitely recommend Sugar and Spice for breakfast and lunch, Kotowa cafe for coffee and dessert, and we had a good experience at an Argentian restaurant, La Posada. However, there are enough of American, Italian and other places to try. One advise on eating out - if your Spanish is limited, stick to the menu and don’t try to alter the order. It confuses the heck out of waiters. Another small detail that we noticed is that it takes forever for the order to come out, and most of the time, it doesn’t come out at once, as in part of our group would finish their meal by the time the others would be just served. Annoying, to say the least.
Overall, we enjoyed the vibe and unpretentious feel of the town.