The beautiful town of El Valle is located in an ancient extinct crater - a 5 mile crater that exploded 5 million years ago El Valle is located under 2 hours from Panama City. The climate is like many mountain villages - spring-like and cool. There is a popular market in the center of the town where you can purchase fresh fruit, handcrafts and local native plants like orchids and bougainvilleas.

The Valley is surrounded in lush tropical forest - Gaital National Monument, cloud forest nature preserve next to the Valley, is excellent for hiking, nature tours and birding.

Things to do in El Valle:

• Mountian Biking - Rentals available
• Horseback riding - from $5/hr
• Canopy tour
• Hiking - hire a guide or hike Gaital National Monument area
• El Nispero Zoo - local birds and animals and a lovely garden - home to the collection of golden frogs!
• Petroglyphs - on the outskirts of town are the Piedra Pintada - large pre-Columbian drawings of figures on huge boulders
• Chorro del Macho - 85 meter tall waterfall with a pool at the bottom to have a refreshing dip.