Boquete, Panama

BOQUETE is set in the tranquil Caldera Valley, 1000m above sea level. Thirty-seven kilometres north of David, it is the biggest town in the Chiriquí Highlands. The slopes surrounding the town are dotted with coffee plantations, flower gardens and orange groves and rise to rugged peaks that are usually obscured by thick clouds. When those clouds clear, however – most often in the morning – you can see the imperious peak of Volcán Barú, which dominates the town to the northwest. Foreign investment has flooded the area in recent years, seeing the construction of an all-inclusive luxury condo, targeting retirees from the US, and the clearing of cloudforest to make way for golf courses.