Our horseback ride to Bermejo Falls is one of the most popular tours we offer. Since we leave from the inn, we have the horses here and ready beforehand (hopefully…unless one has wandered off in the pasture and refuses to be caught, which also happens….). Our son is one, and loves visiting the horses! Since they are not here every day, it can be a surprise when they are here. Take a look at the time series – as he spots the horses and then mounts them! I think most of us have the same feeling as we go out on a horseback adventure-though we may not show it as much: What’s that? Really a Horse! I can get up. Hey I’m up. Hey this is fun! Now I’m confident! Cele, my husband, guided this tour, thus the camo pants.
If you’re driving or hiking around Santa Fe, you may benefit from some of the new signs that my husband organized to be constructed to mark the waterfall trailheads for hiking near Santa Fe National Park. I’m so proud of him for organizing this – even though it doesn’t directly benefit us.
So here’s the story.
Over Carnavales, which is the five days before Ash Wednesday in Mid February this year, we were super busy. We’ve had guests go out hiking before and not find the waterfall they were looking for. However, over carnavales we had two great Panamanian ladies who wanted to go exploring and hiking – and when they got to Alto de Piedra, where one of the waterfalls is in the National Park, down a trail that leads off from the road, people wouldn’t tell them which path to take, saying that they needed to hire a guide.
I can understand that you hire a guide to give an enriched experience. We do this in our tours. Our guests enjoy this. And we do it proudly. (And I guarantee you will have a better experience for going out with us). Now, maybe these people were visitors to Santa Fe themselves, and just didn’t know… BUT you don’t hire a guide for directions to a public location. Giving those directions is just part of being human.
So, my husband, Celestino, went to talk with ANAM, the natural resource management agency that manages Panama’s national parks. He got permission from ANAM to put in signs and talked them into throwing in sign supplies, talked with the local tourism coop, and now there are signs marking the trailhead locations and directions to some waterfalls.
I love that he did this. I will post a picture tomorrow!
Do you like that he did this? Want to help? Stop by and let us know!
Lauren in Santa Fe National Park, Veraguas Source: Panama Portal
Last week we had Lauren, from Panama Portal, a website focusing on Panama travel, stop by! Check out her review of our hotel, and trip highlights in Santa Fe:
Country Church in San Francisco, Veraguas, on road to Santa Fe. Like what you’re momma taught you -don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Rustic outside – over the top baroque interior.
So, I admit, I’m not a big church tourist traveler. Something about ornate wood in enclosed spaces makes me impatient. Now, let me note, I am Catholic, and not liking ornate decorations, has nothing to do with faith itself (see Mom). We stopped by the Iglesia de San Francisco in San Francisco, a small town on the road between Santa Fe and Santiago. I wouldn’t choose it for a trip in itself, but it’s worth a side visit.
What’s special about the Iglesia de San Francisco in Veraguas?
While it doesn’t look like much from the outside, it’s one of the oldest chuch’s in Veraguas, founded in 1621 about a year after the founding of the community itself. It is likely the best example of baroque art in the country, and the interior is unique where indigenous influence can be seen in the art. The alter is gold encrusted and among the oldest Baroque alters in the Americas.
Inside the church. Photo Source: Autoridad de Turismo, Panama
In the 1600s, the population of San Francisco was quite small (30-50 indigenous families). By the 1700s, the town had grown to nearly 3000, and this is when it is believed that the decoration of the interior started. The church underwent major repairs in the 1930s after an earthquake toppled the former 4 story bell tower. Recently, plans have been approved (without funding) for restoration of this church.
Today, the church is a national monument, and is being considered for a UNESCO site.
Do you recommend going?
This isn’t my usual type of travel destination.That being said, it can make a perfect little side trip to stretch your legs on your way to or back from Santa Fe. There is a nice little typical Panamanian restaurant, Charilynn’s (spelling)on the main road. Good food, good price, and clean.
How do I get there?
The church is off the main road from Santa Fe – Santiago. If you’re heading North from Santiago, make a right into town. If you’re heading south from our hotel, make a left into town – don’t forget to grab a bite at Charilynn’s. Some of the cleanest bathrooms I’ve seen in a restaurant, excellent food, and honest service.
When I was working for the Forest Service, I heard of a family that tried to follow Yahoo maps directions that found the shortest distance between two major town…. along US Forest Service Roads, the unmaintained, forget paved, not even graded kind. Got stuck, and then were complaining that it was on Yahoo. This was years ago, and directions have since improved…in the US.
If you’ve searched for Santa Fe, Panama on Google Maps, you’ll see a nice, yellow line marking the highway between Santa Fe to the Caribbean. You think, oh fun! I could visit the beach.
Ah no.
I love the map in that it builds hope that one day this construction project potentially could be completed. This could be referred to as a visionary map, a hope map, a potentially some day, somehow, somewhere this road will be built map. Of course with a town of 300 as the final destination and 30km to cut the road one wonders about the funding, but it could be possible map.
But please don’t view it as a road map. You may hear me on the posts refer to a site being along the “road they’re building to Calovebora”. This should be interpreted much in line with “along the beach that will be formed when the bedrock erodes” or “near the canyon that will form with the flow of the creek in the back of our inn”…This road has been in the process of being built for a few years, with current funding to go to Rio Luis, which is about 3/4 of the way to Calovebora. However, between you and me, many road projects never meet their objectives. Rio Luis, Santa Fe, Panama on Road to Calovebora
So,while you likely won’t visit Calovebora on this trip, I don’t blame you for being curious…and the road is a wonderful trip in itself. Cele and I went hiking to Rio Luis. The mini-San Francisco like suspended bridge connects Bocas del Toro. I’ll write more about the road itself in another post!
