The shutdown for communities in Santa Fe and San Francisco is about two hours east of Panama City. This turn takes you away from the beach and towards the highlands, which eventually leads to Santa Fe National Park. This is a relatively unknown place for Panama that is ideal for anyone who wants to get off the main road. On the way to Santa Fe you pass via San Francisco, a small town with a nice main place and one of the country’s oldest churches, Iglesia de San Francisco de la Montana, which is from 1727. This picturesque church is available daily to 16.00 but is closed during the lunch hour.
Balneario El Salto is a hidden swimming hole about a mile along the way. On hot days, the water pours over the rocks into a small natural pool, and swimmers come with their inflatable donuts and other toys to cool. Santa Fe, further up the road, is a modest nice mountain town with some of the same qualities as Boquete, but significantly less and less developed. Hiking, bird watching, coffee plantation trips, river pipes and 4×4 driving are popular activities in the national park that can be easily organized.
You will not find as many restaurants as you would do in Boquete, but it is more likely that you have intimate interactions with local owners while eating in their small businesses. Since English is not often spoken here, it is a huge advantage to know Spanish. Santa Fe is at an altitude of 1,500 feet, so it has a milder climate than lower regions and may seem like a welcoming break if you have just come from the coast. Please note that virtually all restaurants are closed on Tuesdays, and that from 10am. 15.00 Every day a small insect arises that does not look and feeds on exposed meat. The pieces are not painful, but they leave many red spots that disappear in the morning.
