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El Valle de Anton is one of the most unique places we visited in not just Panama, but all of Central America.
This town is the largest town in the world inside a volcano crater. Yes, you read right, the town is inside an extinct volcanic crater! Lying on the valley floor, with an almost perfectly circular crater ridge rising up around it.
We’ve never experienced anything like it, and hiking along the grassy ridgelines above town was incredible. You could spend days hiking here and still not run out of trails, but when you need a break from wandering, there are waterfalls and wildlife galore.
We absolutely loved El Valle de Anton and spent a very lovely few days here, hiking in the mornings, hanging in a hammock in the afternoons and spotting sloths in the backyard of our Airbnb.
This guide has everything you need to know about visiting El Valle de Anton, Panama. Including how to get there and around, where to stay, the best hikes, other activities, places to eat and general travel tips to help plan your time in El Valle.
About El Valle de Anton Panama
El Valle de Anton, also called Anton Valley, Anton’s Valley, or simply ‘El Valle’ is a very unique town in Panama’s Coclé Province.
It is the largest settlement in the world inside a volcanic crater!
The volcano is extinct, so there’s no danger of a surprise eruption, but still pretty damn cool!
I couldn’t visualise what that would look like before we arrived, but as soon as we completed our first hike and climbed up to the ridgeline, it was so obvious! The town is sunken below the almost perfectly circular ridge of the crater.
The small town on the valley floor is almost entirely confined to a 2 km (1.2 mi) stretch of the main road, lined with restaurants and supermarkets, with a few residential streets branching off either side.
We loved hiking through the cloud forests of Boquete, and you can certainly find a similar environment around El Valle, but I fell in love with the grassy hills! It’s not a landscape you see everywhere, especially not in Central America, and hiking along the open, grassy ridgelines was incredible.
El Valle sits at a slight altitude of 588 m (1,929 ft), offering a reprieve from the steamy lowlands and Panama City. It has a spring-like climate year-round, with warm, sunny days and cool evenings.
We didn’t expect this, but El Valle de Anton is an amazing place to see wildlife. We saw a sloth in the backyard of our Airbnb every single day (probably the same, slow sloth but still!). There are agoutis running around the forest, and lots of birdlife including hummingbirds, toucans and birds of prey.
It’s also the native home of the rana dorada (golden frog) which is sadly extinct in the wild due to a deathly fungus that decimated the population. There are huge scientific efforts to preserve the frog and small populations exist in captivity, including at a centre in El Valle, El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center Foundation (EVACC).
The hiking opportunities, fresh mountain air and green forests around El Valle have made this a very popular getaway from Panama City. Just a two-hour drive, busy, stressed city slickers escape the concrete jungle for a weekend in nature.
You’ll see fancy mansions all over town, the weekend homes for wealthy families from the city. There is even a street called Avenida los Millonarios (Millionaires Avenue).
Outside of weekends and holidays when the urbanites descend on the town, it’s a pretty, quiet slow-paced little town. If you can plan your visit for during the week, you’ll experience the quiet village life.
Getting to El Valle de Anton
- 🚌 By bus: bus is the most common way to get to El Valle and it’s quite straightforward. If you’re coming from Panama City, you can get a direct bus (most likely a van) from the Gran Terminal Nacional De Transporte at Albrook Mall.
If you’re travelling to El Valle from the west (Santa Catalina, Boquete, Bocas del Toro), you can take any bus going to Panama City. Get off at the tiny town of Las Uvas on the side of the Panamerican Highway. From there, colectivo vans frequently run up the hill into El Valle. It takes just under an hour.
We came from Santa Catalina to El Valle, it was a long (8 hours) but pretty seamless trip. I’ve got more info on bus timetables in my Santa Catalina guide if you’re doing the same route.
- 🚐 By shuttle: the easiest way to travel around Panama is via tourist shuttle, which goes directly from one destination to the other without stops.
El Valle still isn’t that popular for international tourists so there aren’t a lot of shuttle routes that run here. There is a route from Santa Catalina to El Valle which saves a 3 – 4 leg bus trip.
- 🚙 By rental car: being so close to Panama City, it’s common for people to rent a car and road trip to El Valle. It takes about 2 – 2.5 hours and the drive is pretty straightforward, mostly along the Panamerican Highway.
Getting around El Valle de Anton
- 👣 On foot: the town of El Valle de Anton is easy to get around on foot, and if you’re staying centrally, you can walk to restaurants, a few sights and trailheads. The town is quite stretched out, and although it’s mostly flat, don’t underestimate how long it takes to get from one end to the other! It’s more than 2 km (1.2 mi) from one end of the ‘centre’ to the other.
- 🚐 Colectivo: local buses and colectivos are a great way to get around the outskirts of El Valle de Anton. Most trailheads and sights are serviced by colectivos, and you can ask around at your accommodation for specific details. All the routes run along the main road in town and you can jump on anywhere, you just need to know your desired destination.
- 🚲 Bike: bikes are popular in El Valle and they’re a good way to get around town. A lot of accommodations offer them for free or rent.
We rented bikes for a day and it was a fun and easy way to get from one side of town to the other. We decided it would be a good idea to ride them to the Cerro La Silla trailhead, but it wasn’t. The hill climbing out of town is NO JOKE and we ended up pushing our bikes uphill it was that steep (although fun coming back down).
If you want to go further than just the immediate surroundings in town, think about an e-bike. I wish I knew they existed when we visited, you can rent them from E-Valley Bikes. This would be a really feasible way to see most of the attractions around El Valle.
- 🚕 Taxi: there are taxis plying around El Valle de Anton that can take you to further trailheads and sights. Short trips start from $2 but expect to pay upwards of $10 – $20 for trips to neighbouring towns. Don’t rely on taxis for a return trip unless you’ve specifically organised it.
- 🚙 Rental vehicle: if you want a car, you’ll need to drive in from Panama City as there are no car rentals available in El Valle. It does make getting around easier and gives you the flexibility to stay on the outskirts of town, but a car isn’t essential.
Where to stay in El Valle de Anton
Some of the best accommodation options around El Valle for a range of budgets are:
BUDGET 💰
- Bodhi Hostel: Bodhi is a hostel chain in Panama and is the best budget option in El Valle. They’re right in the centre of town, super helpful with transport, activities and hikes, and have free breakfast and lovely chill-out spaces in their garden.
- The Magma Chamber: this is the Airbnb we stayed at in El Valle and loved it! It’s on the property of American expats Ken and Kat. Two budget private rooms share a kitchen and they also have a bigger cabin with a private kitchen which we booked. It was a peaceful, rustic tropical hideaway with chickens, hammocks, sloths in the trees every single day and plenty of great tips from friendly hosts. Highly recommend it for an affordable but private stay!
- DondeJosé: run by a lovely local family Jose, Liz and their daughter, you won’t find a warmer welcome than here! This is a homestay, staying in a typical Panamanian home, where you will have a private bedroom. You can use the family’s kitchen to prepare meals, but breakfast is included each morning.
MID-RANGE 💰💰
- Casa Grimaldo: a gorgeous and quaint house in the central area of the valley with several private rooms sharing a central courtyard, lovely gardens, a swimming pool and plenty of games for relaxing post-hike.
- Nomada Republic Hotel: you’d want a car if you were staying here as it is perched in the hills above town, but the modern shipping container rooms and exceptional views of the valley are totally worth the extra drive!
- La Chachalaca: if you like privacy, independence and the ability to self-cater, this house rental is an amazing option. It’s just outside town surrounded by forest and mountain views with birds and sloths. It’s a typical Panamanian house, not fancy, but fully equipped with everything you could need for a cosy stay.
BOUTIQUE LUXURY 💰💰💰
- The Golden Frog Inn: one of the nicest and most popular hotels in El Valle, The Golden Frog is in a quiet location on the edge of town with a swimming pool, beautiful gardens, fantastic views and a great on-site restaurant.
- Caracoral Hotel Boutique: a lush, tropical boutique hotel in the heart of town. The grounds are simply gorgeous and the rooms are simple but tastefully decorated. There is a pool, free bikes, breakfast included and plenty of fun activities and games on the property.
- Casa Madre Tierra: another property that’s best visited with a vehicle on the outskirts of town. A charming boutique hotel with artistic styling and decorations, exceptional service, beautiful gardens and pool and delicious breakfast each day.
Things to do in El Valle de Anton Panama
Hiking in El Valle de Anton
Without a doubt, the best thing to do in El Valle de Anton is go hiking!
I have a thing for rolling, grassy hills and El Valle had them in high supply! Hiking around the rim of the crater and looking down at the town below is truly epic. They were some of the best hikes we did in Panama.
We found all the trails pretty straightforward to follow, with a combination of signage and online maps. We didn’t take a guide for any of the hikes, nor was it mandatory. However, if you’d prefer to hike with a local, Valley Guides is a great option and can arrange a suitable trail for your skills and preferences.
Cerro Cara Iguana
- ↔ Trail type: loop
- 🗺️ Trail map: AllTrails
- 📍 Trailhead location: in town
- 📏 Distance: 8.7 km (5.4 mi)
- 🥵 Difficulty: moderate
Cerro Cara Iguana was the first hike we did in El Valle and it was the perfect introduction to the town, seeing the layout inside the crater and the grassy ridges and hills that are so typical of the region.
We did the loop trail option which we were able to start right from town. The trail was long and gruelling in parts as we ascended to the rim, but so worth it for the views.
We could see all the way down to the Pacific Ocean in one direction, with layers upon layers of grassy hills in the foreground. The trail summits at the top of Cerro Cara Iguana, an 898 m (2,946 ft) peak jutting out over the town.
🥾 Read our hiking guide for Cerro Cara Iguana
La India Dormida
- ↔ Trail type: loop
- 🗺️ Trail map: AllTrails
- 📍 Trailhead location: 2 km (1.2 mi) from town
- 📏 Distance: 3.5 km (2.2 mi)
- 🥵 Difficulty: moderate
La India Dormida (The Sleeping Indian) is the most popular hike in El Valle. Its name comes from the shape of the mountain, like a reclined woman.
The trailhead is about 2 km (1.2 mi) from town and is an easy walk if you’re okay with adding the distance, otherwise, any taxi can drop you off if you don’t have a car or bike.
There is a $3 entrance fee for the trail if you take the route starting from the Piedra Pintada (a set of ancient petroglyphs), which is the most common and considered the safest.
It’s a steep and slippery incline through humid forest, with a few small waterfalls along the way. When you finally emerge out of the forest and onto the ridge there is one final scramble to reach the summit, with epic views of the town and endless rolling hills.
🥾 Read our hiking guide for La India Dormida
Cerro La Silla
- ↔ Trail type: out-and-back
- 🗺️ Trail map: WikiLoc
- 📍 Trailhead location: 5.5 km (3.4 mi) from town
- 📏 Distance: 4 km (2.5 mi)
- 🥵 Difficulty: easy
I think Cerro La Silla was my favourite hike in El Valle de Anton.
The trailhead is a short distance out of town, and the access road is in very poor condition so getting there is a bit of effort. You’ll need a car, taxi, bus or e-bike, and just be prepared that you won’t be able to drive all the way to the start of the actual trail.
After that effort, the hike itself is quite easy. It’s a mostly flat trail along a gorgeous, grassy ridgeline with views in all directions. There are two summits, and you can walk as much or as little as you like. Just turn around when you’re ready and walk back the way you came.
It’s a popular sunrise hike, but we went at sunset time and it was just as pretty.
🥾 Read our hiking guide for Cerro La Silla
Cerro Gaital
- ↔ Trail type: loop
- 🗺️ Trail map: AllTrails
- 📍 Trailhead location: 3.2 km (2 mi) from town
- 📏 Distance: 7.6 km (4.7 mi)
- 🥵 Difficulty: hard
Cerro Gaital is one of the more challenging hikes around El Valle. It’s a few km from town, and given the difficulty, I’d recommend getting a taxi to the trailhead if you don’t have a car or e-bike.
This trail is quite different to others in the area, mostly in dense, moist forests vs along the grassy ridgeline. It’s a great place to spot wildlife like sloths, monkeys, birds and butterflies, and you’ll see a variety of trees, plants, flowers, mosses, lichens and other greenery.
The trail eventually emerges at a mirador and there are some spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.
From here, things get sketchy towards the summit. There is often a closed gate if the conditions are too dangerous, but even if it’s open, you should seriously consider your ability to hike the trail. It is narrow with very steep drop-offs on either side, it’s slick, slippery and extremely windy. Most people turn around at the mirador.
After the beautiful cloud forest hikes we did on the Pipeline Trail in Boquete, we decided not to do Cerro Gaital. We only had time for three hikes and we decided to stick with the trails that were along the crater rim as it was so different to anything we’d done so far in Panama and very unique to El Valle de Anton.
Cerro La Gaita [PRIVATE PROPERTY]
- ↔ Trail type: out-and-back
- 🗺️ Trail map: WikiLoc
- 📍 Trailhead location: 8 km (5 mi) from town
- 📏 Distance: 4.5 km (2.8 mi)
- 🥵 Difficulty: moderate – hard
Ahh, we really wanted to hike Cerro La Gaita, but in the end, the conflicting information deterred us.
You may have seen photos of it, it’s the hike with the staircase appearing out of the jungle on top of the ridgeline. It looks epic. (This blog has beautiful photos of the hike, but very outdated information).
However, it seems this trail is now officially closed to the public. It is accessible to residents or guests of residents in the ‘Altos del María’ estate. It’s all very strange and confusing, so I’m sorry I can’t provide any more specific information.
If you’ve got a car, it might be worth trying using the trail map above. But if you’ve got to take the bus (to ‘Mata Ahogado’) or pay for a taxi, it might be a frustrating and fruitless trip. Let me know if you’re able to work it out!
Other things to do in El Valle de Anton
Hiking was the main appeal for us in El Valle de Anton and we spent most of our time either on the trails or relaxing around town after a hike.
There are a handful of other things to do, but honestly, most of them look quite touristy and not worth the time, effort or money. When nature is so beautiful, these man-made attractions just seem second-rate.
There’s some info below, and you can decide what you feel is worth your time!
Chorro Las Mozas
This small set of waterfalls is 3 km (1.8 mi) from town, and easily accessible via bus, taxi, car, bike or walking.
It’s $2 entry and the waterfall is open Monday – Friday from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Take note of the hours because they’re quite unusual during the week!
There is a short trail that runs alongside the river. At the beginning, there is a calm, wider section of river great for swimming, with some palapas and BBQ areas for picnics. Follow the trail further downstream and you’ll find some sections of rapids and sheltered pools and eventually, you reach the larger waterfall crashing over a rocky ledge.
We walked here along the road from La India Dormida. We could have followed the trail along the ridgeline to Cerro de la Cruz and descended right near the entrance to Las Mozas, but we were hesitant after being warned about robberies.
With hindsight, it probably would have been fine and the walk looked absolutely beautiful! We probably would have enjoyed the waterfalls a bit more if we hadn’t walked so long on a boring road. As it was, the falls were nothing special but if it was warmer, I’m sure it would have been nice to cool off.
Chorro Macho
This waterfall looks pretty enough, but the cost and management turned us off visiting.
It’s a $5 entry fee to hike a very short (200 m) trail to a lookout of the waterfall, which you are not allowed to approach. It’s an extra fee (I believe $2.50) to visit the ‘natural’ man-made, concrete swimming pool.
You can take a longer route with a guide ($20) and there is also a short zipline course ($65). It seems like a rip-off, and after our beautiful hike at The Lost Waterfalls in Boquete, we didn’t feel the need to visit.
Pozo Azul
One waterfall that does seem worth visiting around El Valle de Anton is Pozo Azul. Also known as Las Pailas de Loma Grande, it’s a series of cascades with stunning turquoise pools for swimming and cliff jumping.
The falls are a 45-minute drive from town, and there is no public transport. If you don’t have a car, you can join a tour.
You’ll get driven in a 4×4 truck (very suitable for the rough roads!) and have a fun, knowledgeable local guide to teach you about the falls, show you where it’s safe to jump and take plenty of photos. It’s a maximum of 8 people per tour, but they will run the tour with as little as 2 people, so you could end up with a private experience!
💦 Book your Pozo Azul tour for a fun day of swimming and cliff jumping
Pozos Termales (Hot Springs)
A big attraction with tourists in El Valle is the pozos termales or hot springs. Honestly? They looked like my idea of a nightmare.
When we passed, the place was jampacked with families, with screaming children, crowded pools and a rundown, man-made vibe. They’re far from natural and weren’t the tranquil scene you’d hope for hot springs.
Not worth the $8 entry fee in my opinion.
Animal attractions
There are a lot of animal-focused attractions in El Valle de Anton, of varying quality and ethical standards. We didn’t visit any, as it seemed safer to avoid all of them instead of mistakenly supporting something cruel.
But they do seem to be very popular, so here are some of the options available. Please do your research to check the ethics and treatments of animals in advance.
- 🐆 El Nispero Zoo: a no-go. Jaguars are kept in tiny cages, please don’t support this.
- 🦋 Butterfly Haven: this butterfly garden gets very positive reviews. The entrance fee is $7 for foreigners and includes a tour and video about the lifecycle of butterflies and the different species.
- 🐍 Serpentario Maravillas Tropicales: another very poorly reviewed ‘sanctuary’. It’s primarily snakes and reptiles but they have a number of other mammals that appear to be in very poor living conditions. Don’t support.
- 🐸 El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center Foundation (EVACC): this not-for-profit seems legitimate, and is doing important work to conserve the critically endangered Panamanian Golden Frog. They’re open from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (but seem to close for an unofficial lunch break) every day except Tuesday, and you can tour the exhibit to see the golden frog and other species, that are being bred in captivity to increase poopulations. Entrance is a $3 donation.
You can also hike the Arboles Cuadrados (Square Trees) trail while you’re here, which is a short but pleasant hike through the forest where you can see trees with square trunks, frogs, sloths and other wildlife if you’re lucky. The trail has a $4 fee.
Where to eat in El Valle de Anton
RESTAURANTS & BARS 🍽️
- 🍗 Restaurante Massiel: this was my favourite meal in El Valle. It’s a cheap, local-style fonda with typical Panamanian dishes with your choice of protein (chicken, meatballs, beef stew etc.) served with rice, plantain, beans and salad. Most dishes were $5 – 6.
- 🍕 L’ Italiano Ristorante: for such a tiny town there is a high concentration of Italian restaurants in El Valle! This was our favourite one and we thought the pizzas were very very good. They weren’t dirt cheap ($13 – $15), but if you’re not starving you could share one between two people.
- 🫓 El Rincon Colombiano: a very tasty and cheap place with South American dishes. They had arepas, casados and fresh juices.
- 🥪 La Ranita Gourmet: a nice, all-rounder restaurant in town with local and international options. Prices are reasonable, service is pretty good and there is a nice range of food. Brayden enjoyed a club sandwich, something we hadn’t eaten for ages!
- 🍻 Ruta 71: a cool, laidback brewery with a nice garden area and a big second-floor terrace. Food is an American bar snack kind of vibe, with wings, burgers, Philly cheese steaks etc. and a good range of cold, craft beers.
CAFES & SWEETS ☕️
- 🌿 Kare Coffee & Trips: best coffee in town, very cute outdoor seating area under a vine-covered patio.
- ☕️ Cafe Unido El Valle: a Panama City-export with a gorgeous location in Casco Viejo, Cafe Unido makes some seriously good coffee. Their toasties are tasty too!
- 🥐 Panadería Cano: a great bakery with all kinds of sweet and savoury pastries. We stocked up with lots of snacks for our hikes. Very cheap for the Panama budget!
- 🥥 Cocolatte El Valle: a good spot for coffee, smoothie bowls and sweet treats.
El Valle de Anton Panama travel tips
Get all our Panama travel tips in our Panama travel guide
- 🌤️ Best time to visit: El Valle de Anton has a temperate climate year-round due to its altitude. It’s not as cool as say, Boquete, but you can expect daytime temperatures ranging between 26°C – 29°C (80°F – 85°F), dropping to 18°C – 21°C (65°F – 70°F) in the evenings.
The best time to visit is the dry season from November – April. If you do want to visit during the wet season, rain is usually confined to the afternoons and nights and it was actually so amazing to see the clouds and fog roll in over the peaks around town.
Weekends and holidays are extremely busy as the city siders descend on the town. If you can visit during the week, it will be a lot more peaceful!
- 🗓️ How long to stay: it completely depends on how much you want to hike, and how much you’re willing to cram into one day. We stayed for 4 nights, which gave us 3 full days and we did one hike per day. We could have easily crammed more in, but we enjoyed a balance of hiking in the morning and relaxing in the afternoon. Anything from 4 – 7 nights would be ideal if you’re a hiker!
- 🫶🏼 Safety: is El Valle de Anton safe? Yes, El Valle de Anton is generally a very safe place. It’s quite an affluent area with lots of weekend houses for wealthy locals from the city. However, you do need to be careful when hiking as there are occasional reports of robberies on certain trails (La India Dormida in particular). We had no troubles, but ask around at your accommodation for the latest info before hitting the trails.
- 🗣️ Language: Spanish is the official language in Panama and is, of course, widely spoken in El Valle de Anton. There is a small population of expats here who do speak English, but we were speaking quite a lot of Spanish in El Valle.
- 💰 Currency: the official currency of Panama is the Panamanian Balboa. However, the Balboa is tied at a fixed rate of 1:1 with the US Dollar, and they use US Dollar notes, there are no Balboa bills. You will see Balboa coins and should expect to be given change in a mix of both currencies.
- 🏧 ATMs: there are several banks and ATMs in El Valle, so getting cash out is not a problem. The very high withdrawal fees to use any ATM are though! We were not able to find any ATM around the country that didn’t charge fees, and multiple banks charged $6.50 USD for withdrawals, with usually a maximum withdrawal of $250 USD.
Most of the established businesses in town accept credit cards, but you should always have cash as you’ll need it for buses, trailheads and smaller, local restaurants.
- 📱 Phone & SIM Cards: pre-paid phone plans in Panama are excellent, with unlimited data for the duration of your plan, which is usually 7 or 10 days, for around $6 – $7. Tigo and Más Movil are the most common providers. There aren’t any official stores in El Valle de Anton, although you should be able to get a SIM card from the supermarkets if need be.
- 🥑 Groceries: there is a Rey supermarket in El Valle (the biggest supermarket chain in Panama), but it was located down the other end of town from our accommodation so we didn’t go there. There are a few other smaller supermarkets along the main street as well as the market, where we found everything we needed to cook a few meals.
- 💧 Can you drink the water: as with most places in Panama, you can drink the water in El Valle de Anton. You should check with your accommodation before drinking it to be 100% sure, as it depends on where they source their water from, but most places will have safe drinking water from the tap.
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Final thoughts: El Valle de Anton
Despite having 6 months, we constantly felt the clock ticking during our time in Central America, and Panama was our final stop. We didn’t want to rush anything so we spent ages trying to decide if we should include El Valle de Anton on our Panama itinerary or not.
I’M SO GLAD WE DID! It turned out to be one of our favourite places in Panama (although to be fair we loved almost everywhere we went in Panama!).
We both have such vivid memories of this lovely town in the crater, and our hikes here were excellent. It’s a very unique place, and if you have the opportunity to visit, don’t pass it up.
Depending on which direction you’re travelling, your next stop is likely to be Santa Catalina for some surfing and scuba at Coiba Island, or the big smoke, Panama City.
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