Gualaca

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.

Understand
Gualaca is in the middle of Chiriqui Province. The capital of the district is the eponymous town of Gualaca, which despite being the largest town is still quite small and sleepy. Gualaca is set at the base of the mountains, and is usually hot and steamy. Highway 10 is the spine of the district, and as you follow it north and up the mountains, the landscape goes from mountainside farmland and pine forest in Los Planes, to jungle and cloud forests in Hornito and the Reserva Forestal de Fortuna.

Get in
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. It runs every 30 minutes in each direction, and costs about $3 from David, and $8 from Bocas del Toro.

Get around
The 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. They follow mostly the same route.

Eat and drink
There are a number of small restaurants (locally called Fondas) along the highway.

Go next
Gualaca has always been a stopping point, and most people passing through are on their way to one of these locations:


 * Bocas del Toro
 * Boquete
 * Santa Catalina (Panama)