Galleries: Volcan

Setting the standard: in Chiriqui real estate

Why invest in Chiriqui Real Estate and live in Volcan?

Volcan, "The Land of Eternal Spring"

Located in the foothills of Volcan Barú, a dormant volcano and the tallest point in Panama (11,397 feet/3,474metres), the small mountain town of Volcan is nestled in the provincial Chiriqui Highlands, and is known locally as the "Land of Eternal Spring" because of its 60-80 degrees average temperature, and its great natural beauty. Mountainous tropical forest, punctuated by waterfalls and natural springs slope down to a seemingly endless unspoilt coast. Oh, and apparently the local river fishing is excellent too.

Warm all year around: The Volcan region in Chiriqui Province has started to attract more international visitors, drawn to the warm year-round weather, set within gorgeously diverse natural beauty. Many residents speak some English, and the American dollar is the official currency, a reflection of the U.S.'s close ties to Panama and the building of the Panama Canal.

Volcan, a frontier town

Although Volcan is well established, it also has quite a frontiers-town type feel. A vibrant little sprawl of a town with friendly locals and a thriving community. Ranchers ride through on their horses, side by side with the 4 x 4's. At a pinch, it has just about anything a person could need (at last count, two banks, three bakeries, four supermarkets, four gas stations, five hardware stores ... and more than twenty places to eat - all in a town of around 10,000 people). It is also safe: violence is practically nonexistent and it is quite common for people to leave their keys in their cars when in town.

Volcan Barú National Park

Thirty five thousand acres: Volcan is best known for Volcan Barú National Park, 35,000 acres of moutainous cloud forest. And its centerpiece, the ever-present Volcan Barú, a dormant volcano, and the highest point in Panama. On a clear day the summit offers spectacular views of both the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans.

The largest highlands forest: Friendship Park

Friendship Park, all 1,570-square-miles of it, shares a border with Costa Rica, and is the largest highland forest in Central America. Mostly mountains, the protected park is justly renowned for its bio-diversity (which includes more than 400 bird species).

David: provincial capital of Chiriqui Province, Panama

Set between 4,000 and 5000 feet, Volcan is about a 45-minute drive from Panama's third-largest city, David (the provincial capital of Chiriqui). David is the region's main commercial center and is right on the Pacific coast. The city is the focal point for the area's mainstay, the thriving agricultural industry. Cattle and horse ranches spread out over the surrounding area, as do orange, coffee and sugar plantations. Also, Real Estate in Chiriqui has enjoyed a minor boom in the last few years, on the back of substantial development in Boquete (and the beginnings of development in the Volcan area).