//
Corregimiento in Chiriquí, Panama
Photo: Trini1988, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Gualaca is a district and town in the Pacific West of Panama. It is a diverse area, where in a short bus ride you can go from plains and farmland to mountain peaks and cloud forests. It is commonly visited as a stopover when heading to or from Bocas del Toro.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
There are hiking trails throughout the national park. They take you mostly through the cloud forest. The best trails are at Lost and Found hostel - trails are accessible to the public.
Cangilones de Gualaca
Water from the Rio Esti is forced into a narrow canyon carved through a large sheet of rock. Cliff jumping, bouldering, swimming, or just chilling in the shade are great ways to spend a day here. Bring snacks and sunscreen.
There are a number of waterfalls in the area, but the locations aren't published online. Your hotel or hostel should know the locations of a few and have maps available.
This is an interesting geological formation and stream great for swimming, jumping from a 5-m cliff or just chilling in the shades. Bring your goggles, sunscreen, water and food.
Good, cheap local food. Great stop on the way to or from the Gualaca River Canyon.
Good food and good prices. Good for a snack on your way to or from Lost and Found hostel, or when hiking on the jungle trails that start there.
Great and social hostel in the cloud forests of the National Park. Rooms are clean and beds are comfortable. Gets cold at night - bring a hoodie. Hosts a communal dinner ($6) every night which is good for meeting fellow guests, and has a bar which opens when busy enough. Packed in the high season, quieter/chiller in the low season. You have to hike about 20 minutes from the road - not too challenging, and definitely worth it.
Modern hotel with good views of the mountains. Has a pool and hot tub. Reviews in July 2023 are less than stellar.
The only road between Bocas del Toro to the north and David, Boquete, and the rest of Panama, passes through Gualaca. The bus between David and Changinoula is the most common way to get here, and to move on.
Read in the guideThe David-Changinoula bus line is also the best way to get around Gualaca. At most it should cost $2 to go anywhere in the district. There is also a Gualaca-Hornito bus line for the same price.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
David · Regional · DAV
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Gualaca and Panama.
Nature & adventurePanama has 16 national parks conserving a wide range of plant and animal species across several types of ecosystems including both Caribbean and Pacific beaches, coastal wetlands, mountainous rainforests, and rugged…
Wikivoyage
ItinerariesInterstate 5 (I-5) is a United States interstate highway that starts at the border with Mexico in San Ysidro, California and runs 1381 miles (2223 km) north through the states of California, Oregon and Washington to the…
Wikivoyage
ItinerariesThe Oregon Trail is a 2,200 mi (3,500 km) National Historic Trail across the United States, traditionally beginning in Independence, Missouri and crossing the states of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho before ending near…
Wikivoyage
Nature & adventureHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often on hiking trails.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.