Boquete, Panama Trip Review: Momentum B & B and Restaurants

Boquete is a town at the base of the Volcans mountains about a 6-8 hour drive from Panama City and 30-45 minute drive from David. There are several flights per day between Boquete and Panama City, which are fairly inexpensive and easy to change on Air Panama and Aeroperlas. For the more adventurous, there are buses running between Panama City and Boquete, but this can take longer than driving. Boquete is known for it's many coffee plantations and it is near the Baru Volcano. Tours can be taken of the coffee plantations and weather permitting, the volcano. Many Americans retire in Boquete due to the climate, real estate and availability of many restaurants and shops. There are some private and public gardens, with a river running through the Boquete, which make for a nice day of walking, shopping and dining.

The Momentum B&B is south of Boquete and down a very rough, dirt road. In March 2009, the Momentum B&B in Boquete cost $65 for a simple room with private bath and breakfast. Momentum B & B also has cabins with full kitchens available for short or long stays. Momentum B & B is basically a house with a bedroom and private bath that is clean and comfortable, but there is no air conditioning in the room. There is a pool and large yard with a walking trail and benches to view of the Volcans Mountains. There is a nice walking path from Momentum down to a small river with a rickety old bridge for the more adventurous. Ken, the owner, is very accommodating and is happy to make restaurant recommendations or join you for a glass of wine. There are also resident cats and dog, so if you are allergic, this may not be the place for you, unless you rent a cabin.

Art Café de Crepe is a small, artsy café in Boquete town, offering mussels in garlic and butter for $5, fried Camembert with strawberry preserve for $4.50, a glass of wine for $4, and dessert crepes. The Romanov crepe has strawberries, whipping cream and custard for $5 and is a large enough for two. Art Cafe de Crepe accepts credit cards, which is not the case for all establishments in Panama.

Panemonte Spa is a historic, upscale hotel and restaurant. The bar is open air with seating in the bar, on the patio or on the lawn. There is also a nice fireplace on the patio for chilly evenings. The service in March 2009 was slow even though there were 3 people working in the bar. After about 10 minutes no one came to take our order and when we had an empty glass, we had to flag someone down to order food and more drinks. The cheese fondue with bread at $12.50, wine for $4 and beer and soda for $4, is not unreasonable, but due to the poor service the Panemonte would not be my recommendation.

Boquete did not offer as much as imagined from the many wonderful reviews that are posted on various websites. It was a bit chilly and there had been some rain, which may have contributed to some activities not being available (for example going to Baru Volcano). Although Boquete is beautiful and very popular, it is nice for a day or 2 but not someplace I would plan to visit again.

See additional Panama reviews on Bocas del Toro, Panama City and Boca Chica