RSS | Just an hour and a half’s drive from Panama City lies a fertile volcanic valley, El Valle, a magical place filled with bright flowers, square trees and golden frogs. El Valle de Anton is also known as the Crater Valley. |
This lush green valley is famous for its square trees and golden frogs, both of which can be found in the grounds of the Hotel Campestre. The tiny frogs can be seen in large tanks in front of the hotel buildings. You may even feel that the frogs are more bright yellow than golden.
Located just behind Hotel Campestre, these particular trees have a square trunk at the base, which becomes round as it moves upward, taking on the look of a normal tree. The trail is well marked and easy hiking, reaching the square trees in less than five minutes. You may wonder that the trees are more flat than square!
El Nispero is a small zoo with a wide selection of native animals and birds, mostly in good sized cages. Golden frogs are seen here also.
A major draw to El Valle is the market held every Sunday morning in a market hall on the main road. Apart from vegetables, fruit, plants and flowers, you can buy handicrafts such as wooden bowls, paintings on wood, hammocks, molas, baskets and ceramics. Prices are usually negotiable. The popularity of the market has encouraged a string of handicrafts shops to open nearby. Many travel agents in Panama City offer day trips.
There are several waterfalls around the valley. They are beautiful at any time of the year but more impressive during the rainy season. The most frequently visited is El Macho, which is a few minutes walk off the road through a thick forest. The entrance fee includes the loan of a bamboo walking stick to help you cross the slippery stones. |  |
El Macho also offers a bird’s eye view of the rainforest.Guides here point out at any birds, animals he spots and the trees you pass by. Then comes the adventurous part -- put on thick gloves and a harness, attach the harness to a rope and whiz down a series of ropes suspended high up in the trees, passing over the waterfall.
El Valle also has some petroglyphs -- rocks decorated with what are believed to be pre-Colombian art. The rocks with their strange designs are worth a visit, if only for the walk there that gives you lovely views of the valley. A further uphill past the petroglyphs lead to several small waterfalls and to La India Dormida- a hill in the shape of a sleeping woman.
