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Easily one of the coolest and most unique natural sights we saw in Panama, Los Cangilones de Gualaca is a canyon near Boquete.
The canyon has steep, towering walls along a narrow section of the Río Estí. If you’re brave, you can jump in from the top of the canyon, and let the strong current carry you through, before the walls subside and the canyon opens up into the river.
It was one of the best days we had around Boquete, and it was well worth the effort of getting to this little-known spot. We spent hours on a cycle of jump-float-clamber out-repeat, and had so much fun enjoying the canyon all to ourselves!
This is everything you need to know about visiting Los Cangilones de Gualaca near Boquete, Panama.
About the Los Cangilones de Gualaca
Los Cangilones de Gualaca, also known as the Gualaca Canyon, is an amazing natural sight near the small town of Gualaca in the Chiriquí Province of Panama.
The name Los Cangilones de Gualaca literally translates as the buckets of Gualaca which doesn’t really make any sense, but there you go!
Carved over centuries by the Río Estí, today there is a narrow canyon with towering rock walls up to 6 metres (20 ft) high that runs approximately 40 metres long before opening up into the wider river.
The river rushes into the narrow channel with a strong current, and if you jump in right at the beginning of the canyon, you’ll be carried all the way through.
It wasn’t a landscape we expected to see in Panama, but it was incredible! It looked like a deep, narrow crack in the earth and we were so amazed by the force of water and nature.
Where is Los Cangilones de Gualaca
How to get to Los Cangilones de Gualaca
- 🚗 By car: we decided to rent a car for one day in Boquete to visit Los Cangilones de Gualaca and a few other sites that were tricky to reach by public transport. We rented from Cowboy Cars for $50 for the day including insurance and had a great experience with them. It’s a 40-minute drive from Boquete to Gualaca Canyon, but with a car, you can easily combine other sights in the area like the Caldera Hot Springs.
- 🚐 By tour: if you’re not up for renting a car, there is one tour to the Gualaca Canyon from Boquete. It includes transport there and back and a knowledgeable guide who will share information about the canyon, show you where you can jump and swim, and take photos.
- 🚌 By public transport: the cheaper, but slower, way to get to Gualaca Canyon from Boquete is taking the bus. You first need to get a bus from Boquete to David (~ 1 hour), and then switch to a bus to Gualaca (~ 50 minutes). The bus will drop you off at the bus terminal in the centre of Gualaca, and from there, it’s a 1.5 km (0.9 mi) walk to the canyon.
Enjoying Los Cangilones de Gualaca
Once you have arrived at the car park, it’s just a short walk down a staircase to reach the rocky flats on top of the canyon.
You’ll immediately see the river and you can choose where you’d like to get in, depending on your bravery!
You can jump from the upper ledges of the canyon (about 4 – 6 metres / 13 – 20 ft), or climb down the natural rock steps to get closer to the water before jumping.
We both jumped from the highest point and the water was nowhere near as cold as we expected! It was super refreshing.
The second you hit the water, the strong current flowing through the narrow channel will carry you through the canyon. It was so much fun.
As soon as the walls drop away, you need to swim across to the right side of the river where you can climb out and do it all over again!
Some people do try and climb the walls of the canyon, but we much preferred to use the current to float through and get out on the riverbank.
If you’d prefer to simply enjoy the river, walk to the right to where the canyon walls subside. You can easily walk into the river from the bank, and the current is less strong here. There are usually some fish that might have a nibble on your feet!
The rocks on the top of the canyon soak up the warmth of the sun and it was lovely to lay down on them and dry off.
We spent a few hours switching between jumping, floating and swimming and reading on the warm rocks.
NOTE: if you are visiting the Gualaca Canyon around the rainy season, be very mindful of the currents in the river, which can be dangerously strong. Listen out for any sirens, which are warning signals that flash floods are coming down the river. We saw these signs and sirens all over the region.
Cost and opening hours at Los Cangilones de Gualaca
There is a fee of $2 per car (not per person) to visit Los Cangilones de Gualaca.
However, there was no one collecting payment when we visited during the week, and we have read that they only charge on busy weekends and holidays. You should be prepared to pay though, with cash.
Technically the canyon is accessible 24/7, but we have heard that the local police sometimes do their rounds in the early evening and clear people out after 5:00 pm.
The best time to visit is during the week, outside of holidays, to have the best chance of enjoying the canyon to yourself. It's a very popular local spot so it can get busy and noisy at these times.
We arrived in the morning at 10:30 am and had the entire place to ourselves for a few hours. Another group was arriving as we left at 12:30 pm.
Amenities at Los Cangilones de Gualaca
There are very few amenities at Los Cangilones de Gualaca.
There is a gravel car park and a few (smelly) porta-toilets with a fee of 25 cents to use.
You will need to pack any drinks or snacks with you, but PLEASE take all your rubbish away with you. The canyon is sadly littered with cans and food packaging left behind by careless visitors.
If you’d like a meal before or after your visit to the canyon, there are some nice local fondas in Gualaca Town. Fonda Típica Lili is the best-rated option.
What to bring to Los Cangilones de Gualaca
- 👙 Swimwear (come wearing them, there is no change room and the bathrooms are gross)
- 🧖🏽♀️ Towel
- 😎 Sun protection (hat, sunglasses, reef-friendly sunscreen)
- 💦 Water
- 🥪 Snacks or picnic lunch
- 💰 Cash
- 🚁 Drone (if you have one, there were no restrictions when we visited and it’s the perfect way to appreciate the scale of the canyon)
Planning a trip to Boquete
If you’re planning a trip to Boquete, don’t forget to check out our Boquete travel guide. It covers all the important info you need to know, like getting there, getting around, where to stay and other handy tips to get your bearings.
Los Cangilones de Gualaca: Final thoughts
The Gualaca Canyon was such a fun activity to do around Boquete.
It takes a bit of extra effort, either renting a car, joining a tour, or taking a pretty long combo of buses, but in our opinion, it was worth it!
It was really unique and so refreshing on a warm day. We didn’t experience anything else like it in Panama or anywhere in Central America really.
There are so many other amazing outdoor activities to do around Boquete. We were in heaven with all the hiking, forest and waterfalls! We especially loved the Pipeline Trail and The Lost Waterfalls Trail.
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