After we left El Valle de Anton, we headed to Santa Fe. We had visited briefly five years ago because, well, we’re from New Mexico and the state capital is Santa Fe, and we wanted to see what Santa Fe, Panama, was like in comparison. There actually are a few comparisons, which we’ll get into in a bit. There are many, many things to do and see in and around Santa Fe, Panama. In addition, there are some things not to do, which will also be addressed.
WHAT TO DO
Drive through Santa Fe National Park
We have been blessed to see many beautiful places in the world. Outstanding among them is Santa Fe National Park in Panama. We came around one sharp curve in a deep valley, looking up toward a cloud-scraped mountain and both gasped, “majestic!” at the same time. The lush jungle, magnificent waterfalls, incredible views from up high and down low, exotic birds, and wide rivers are among the gems that make this drive nearly magical.
Construction began on the road in 2008, and it is the only one that drives through the mountains of Panama to the Caribbean Sea. (It’s not quite done. One more bridge is still under construction.) As a new road, it’s smooth, unlike some of the other roads we’ve been on in Panama. In addition, it’s an amazing drive with amazing sites. It takes you through several indigenous villages of the Ngobe-Bugle (or Ngule-Bugle) along with some of the most pristine jungle on the planet. The national park is part of a wildlife corridor that stretches from Mexico through Central and parts of South America. Biologists estimate between seven and ten percent of all animals on earth live in this corridor, including the elusive jaguar. We can’t wait to go back and spend more time hiking and exploring.
Stay at Hostel Bulaba (https://www.facebook.com/HostalBulaba)
Victor Rodriguez, the owner, is a fabulous host. He told us about all kinds of things to do, the best places to eat (we should have followed his advice more—see below), and places in the area to visit. The hostel is impeccably clean and comfortable. Victor and his team work hard to make sure everything is nice and well maintained. It’s a great, inexpensive place to stay.
Visit the Co-op
When we first visited Santa Fe five years ago, we were enchanted by the little co-op market, a combination grocery store/agriculture store/hardware store that supplied goods for all the small farmers in the area and helped them sell their products. It’s right in the center of town, about a block from the bus station. The best bagged coffee we’ve ever had came from there. We also got an amazing lunch at the Co-Op’s restaurant for a total of $5—our kind of lunch!
Maybe we’ve become a bit jaded since that first visit because we have now been to so many “mini-supers,” as convenience stores are called in Panama, but the Co-op isn’t quite as enchanting as it had been. And we didn’t make it to the restaurant this time because we were busy exploring other restaurants. Still, you should go and give it a try.
Visit the Santa Fe Coffee Shop
We got a good lunch there for about $7, and an ice cream cone is 40 cents (yes, cents) or two scoops for 75 cents (yes, cents). The service wasn’t speedy, but it was hospitable, and we enjoyed watching the comings and goings from the school across the street.
Go Hiking
Hiking trails abound around Santa Fe, and you can find everything from steep and long to fairly flat and still long, depending on where you start and where you want to end. The town itself is hilly and surrounded by river valleys that give way to steep mountains. Trails seem to lace the entire area. Find one or many, and go have fun.
Go Driving
Many roads lead out of Santa Fe, into the river valleys and up into the mountains. It’s a terrific place to explore. We saw quaint villages, big and small farms, rivers and forests all around. We recommend, though, a 4-wheel drive vehicle, which we did not have. One steep road, leading down to a gorgeous river, was packed clay covered with loose gravel. Since Bob is an excellent driver and experienced on terrain like that, we made it out okay, but it was close.
Take Earplugs?
OK, this sounds weird. However, I have never heard as many roosters crowing before sunrise as I did in Santa Fe. They start around 4:30 in the morning and go for a couple of hours. They are everywhere, all over town: pet roosters, working roosters, feral roosters. Just be prepared to hear them, and know that if something gets them excited, they might start crowing as early as 3:30 a.m.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Do not eat at the Dorado Café. The night we went, we were the only patrons in the place, and we soon figured out why. The restaurant has a great menu, but the night we were there, only four of the items on the menu were available. Bob got a burger, and it was terrible. I veered off my vegetarian diet since nothing vegetarian was available and had shrimp. It was perfectly okay. The red wine was served chilled, which was probably just as well since it had no flavor, anyway. It was kind of like drinking chalk. Just don’t eat there.
Do not eat at the hostel/restaurant in Calovebora, the town on the Caribbean at the end of the great new highway. Lunch was highway robbery—$14 for Bob to have fish and fries, me to have salad and fries, and two canned beers. It’s the most expensive lunch we’ve eaten outside of trendy Casco Viejo in Panama City (http://heathers6wadventures.com/casco-antiguo-muy-viejo-muy-interesante/) We recommend taking a picnic and eating it on the beautiful beach.
Don’t expect too much. Santa Fe is a small town that is not particularly tourism oriented. It’s pretty far off the beaten path, and doesn’t have many amenities. As in most places in Panama, though, the water is fine to drink.
FINALLY, SANTA FE VS. SANTA FE
Santa Fe, Panama, was founded by the Spanish in 1557; Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1610.
Santa Fe, Panama, is near the Comerca (reservation) for the Ngule-Bugle indigenous people. Santa Fe, New Mexico, is close to numerous indigenous peoples from the Tewa, Tiwa, and Keres language groups, among others.
Santa Fe, Panama, is surrounded by beautiful mountains and bisected by numerous rivers. Santa Fe, New Mexico, gets the beautiful mountains but not the rivers—at least not with the crazy volume of water that Panama has.
Both towns are near the continental divide, and it’s the same continent! The land mass is just a lot wider near Santa Fe, New Mexico, (nearly 2,500 miles), than it is near Santa Fe, Panama (less than 100 miles).
Santa Fe, New Mexico, is one of the great tourism meccas of the world and is often featured in trendy travel magazines. Santa Fe, Panama, gets a lot of backpackers and adventurers, but isn’t even on every map. Santa Fe, New Mexico, is full of fantastic restaurants and expensive, beautiful hotels. Santa Fe, Panama, is not.
Both are great places to visit, in their own right, though, and after you’ve been, I’d love to hear about your Santa Fe experiences.
I found t his to be very interesting! What great experiences you are having.
It’s one of the prettiest places we’ve ever been, and we look forward to going back and hiking more. It’s amazing how much there is to see and do in this long, skinny country.