I went on the most BEAUTIFUL 4×4 drive with Cele and Rafael on the 3rd up on a little known route towards Cerro Tute along a place called Cerro Redondo. We had 180 degree views of the mountains, of Santa Fe National Park, of the town of Santa Fe, of the beautiful Santa Maria River that traverses the valley.
So the thing is this, I was wrong. OK. I’m going to go ahead and say it- I was wrong. I’ve always been underwhelmed about Cerro Tute as a destination in the area. It’s written up in all of the guide books (by people who only visit the area overnight – I argue), as somewhere to visit. (Why spend 5 hours hiking up an unforested hill, when the rainforest of Santa Fe
We took a 4×4 road off the main road of Santa Fe to Cerro Redondo (between Montanuela and the Community of Tute Abajo). The dirt road was in good condition, and while we definitely needed 4×4, it was easily passible. The road connected to the road to Cerro Tute, and we looped back down to Santa Fe. Total time: 1.5 hrs.
I would love to come up with a tour that goes along this route – sunset horseback ride anyone? While I still maintain that the normal route to Cerro Tute is not that great (not what you should do if you only have a couple days in the area) – this route is. And is a great short alternative.
I’ve always been intrigued by Cerro Mariposa. It’s one of the two mountains that make up the western arm of Santa Fe National Park; it’s mentioned by birders and scientists, as a refuge for species, but it’s not that popular with tourists because it’s hard to access. Unlike Cerro Tute, where you have farms and a 4×4 road to the top, Cerro Mariposa is a six hour round trip hike on a footpath some of the year (and with a machete the rest of the year) in mud and rainforest to reach the peak – and a guide is a must.
We recently had a group of more adventurous guests make it up there, and I’ve asked Edgar, the guide, to guest write a post:
Just the Facts
Elevation: 1,424m
Location: Western Arm, Santa Fe National Park
Type of Vegetation: Rainforest
Hike Duration: 6hrs Round Trip
Ascending Cerro Mariposa
Sunrise through the forest ascending Cerro Mariposa in Veraguas
It was 7AM, March 15, 2016 when the group of explorers, Josepus, Oliver and Edgar (me, the guide), prepared to set off on the hike to Cerro Mariposa, located in Santa Fe National Park, at an altitude of 1,424m. We spent 20 minutes driving from Coffee Mountain Inn to where we began the hike in Alto de Piedra. We began our hike accompanied by the songs of diverse bird species. And we weren’t alone. 100 meters from where we began, we spotted Jaguar and Ocelot tracks and soon came across a Trogon (Trogon aurantiiventris) very close to the trail. 600 meters later we found one of the Jaguar monitoring stations that use trigger cameras to capture night life with a motion sensor (take a look at other work of AMIPARQUE (Amigos del Parque Nacional Santa Fe)). I showed them some previous fotos that had been taken by the cameras. We could also hear Keel-billed Toucans and a Great curassow (Crax rubra).
Calathea species along trail: Cerro Mariposa, Santa Fe, Veraguas
In the midst of the forest, we saw many different plants with flowers like the newly recognized species of Calathea (Calathea galdameciana), endemic to the area and discovered by scholarship student through Smithsonian Tropical Reseach Institute (STRI). Orchids, bromiliads, mosses, ferns, athurium and philodendrons were plentiful.
After walking for three hours, we ascended from the rainforest to the dwarf rainforest of the ridgeline.
Arriving to the Peak of Cerro Mariposa
We reached the peak. At first it was cloudy, but then we hit a break in the clouds after a few minutes. The ridgeline of El Tute extended before us, the town of Santa Fe far below, and the rainforest of the National Park on the hills below us.
Cerro Delgadito, Southward View from Cerro Mariposa, Santa Fe, VeraguasFrom Cerro Mariposa, looking over Santa Fe National Park, Panama
We rested, taking in the beautiful views offered to us, with the clouds in our face, the constant wind, cool temperatures before descending again. Halfway through the decent we were surprised to spot a rare lizard (Anadia Vittata), hard to spot because of the camouflage in dry leaves.
We arrived at the end, in perfect health, happy and thrilled with the adventure.
We often have guests who dream one day of owning their own B&B. This may be the chance for them in a crowdsource funding type of contest these folks are giving away their business in exchange for a nominal entry fee and one excellent essay. Have you ever dreamed of owning your own Bed and Breakfast? Think you would love to have an inn? Check out this essay contest to win the Claiborne B&B in Virginia, USA. More about the contest
One of my husband’s favorite waterfalls next to Santa Fe is Bermejo Falls, located about 3 miles to the northwest on a 4×4 road.
What are my impressions of Bermejo Falls?
It’s a beautiful area-and definitely worth a day trip. The falls themselves are located on el bermajito river. A 60 ft waterfall cascades down to a rocky pool (with very slippery rocks) where you can swim. Forested cliffs reach up around the falls. The pool is larger than any of the waterfalls at Alto de Piedra, and the view is more impressive. Guests have seen monkeys at the falls and my husband saw an ocelot one morning. It is a longer hike to get to the falls, however – through an EXTREMELY muddy trail. Then the trail meanders through a cow pasture and an orange grove, making it easy to lose it.
Hiking the trail requires mobility – and takes about 45 minutes one way – but what a 45 minutes it is! Let me first say that Bermejo means red soil. What type of soil is red? Clay. What happens when horses pass over clay soil in a rainforest? You get a muddy, slippery mess of a trail for hiking! I was pondering this as my black rubber boots sank down in the mud past my ankles, sometimes up to my calves as I desperately was looking for firm ground my first time hiking the trail. Some months it is drier, but be prepared for mud!
How to get to Bermejo Falls
We offer a horseback riding tour to the falls, $95 for two people and $25 for additional people – people love it. But don’t feel obligated if horseback riding isn’t for you – I want people to have the experience that’s right for them, and that’s not for everyone. You can also drive to the trailhead and hike, if you have a 4×4. Budget in about 20 minutes in a 4×4 to drive the 3 miles, and 2 hours to hike there and back with some time at the falls.
Others hike from our inn, but they usually come back wiped out. We recommend taking a taxi ($5 – $6 for the first person + $ for each additional person) to the falls if you don’t have a 4×4. That way you’re not too tired to enjoy the waterfall when you get there. You can catch a taxi in the town square.
To get to the trailhead, continue downhill from our inn, cross the vehicle bridge and take the first left up the steep hill. Continue making lefts when the road splits until you hit a small chapel. When the road splits, take the right fork and continue on the 4×4 road until you see a sign for Bermejo Waterfalls on the right hand side. Park your car and the hike should take about 45 minutes to get to the falls. Be careful of the slippery rocks near the falls.
This is not an official tourist trail. It is not maintained – it’s a foot path that farmers use to access their lands, and you hike through private land to get to the falls.
One of my pending research articles was published! I do spatial ecological modeling. Here we looked at how changing the land cover (urban development/forestry/farming) in the watershed for Mobile Bay changed water quality which in turn changed submerged plant distribution (they need light and with more turbid water, they can’t survive). Check it out: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jawr.12263/abstract
