Volcán

Volcán is a town in the Chiriquí region of Panama.

View of the volcano from the town of Volcan

Understand

Volcán is a town of about 10,000 people close to the Volcan Barú National Park. There are several hobby farms around town and many hostels, perhaps more aimed at Panamanian holidaymakers than foreigners.

Get in

Located about 50 km north of David. You can take a minibus from the terminal. You will need the bus to Cerro Punta, just say you want to get off at Volcán. Cost is about $3.

Get around

The town is fairly large for a Panamanian country town, but you can still walk to most of the restaurants and cafés if you're a bit of a hiker anyway. There are taxis in town too.

Do

There are some unmarked hiking trails around two lakes called Las Lagunas de Volcán on the south-west side of town. Some of the trails will require you to cross into farm land, remember to close the gates behind you.

You can also head up to the Volcán Barú National Park from here and explore trails in the prairies and foothills or climb the summit. If you are walking, you can turn right at the gas station to take a rough but scenic gravel road to the park instead of going all the way up to Paso Ancho proper and turning right on the sealed road.

• 1 Macho de Monte Canyon. An impressive canyon good for swimming and chilling with a beer. Get off at the Cuesta de Piedra junction between David and Volcan ($2.45) and head east. The canyon is 3 km from the highway underneath the third bridge along the way. Go up the river on its left side for about 300 m to access the canyon from its north. Note, to go down the canyon, you need something waterproof to protect you stuff, especially your camera, because the canyon can only be accessed via the waterfall. Best to leave most stuff in your accommodation. (updated Mar 2019)

Buy

Volcán has many farms nearby, and in town you can get lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Sometimes farmers drive past in pickup trucks selling their wares out the back.

Eat

• 1 Castrejon. Affordable fonda with typical Panamanian food (updated Feb 2022)
• 2 Cerro Brujo Gourmet, ☏ +507 6669-9196. Gourmet food prepared with herbs and vegetables grown in the same garden where you dine alfresco. (updated Feb 2022)

Drink

There are several coffee farms around town that grow the famous Geisha coffee. Several cafés in town have local coffee to try.

Sleep

• 1 Hostal Llano Lindo, ☏ +507 6514-0094. $15 private room and breakfast. (updated Feb 2022)

Connect

There is 4G connection in town, but the signal disappears when you get behind a hill. Going north to Paso Ancho and the entrance to Volcán Barú National Park you should still have some coverage.

Go next

• Cerro Punta
• Volcan Barú