Highland climate: Boquete and Chiriquí

When people think of Panama they think of tropical heat, but in the Chiriquí highlands the climate is completely different: cool, green and misty.

Why it cools down with altitude

Temperature falls with elevation. In Boquete (around 1,200 m) the nights are pleasant and cool all year; on the slopes of the Barú volcano (3,475 m, the highest point in the country) it can get genuinely cold.

The "bajareque"

This area is known for the bajareque: a fine, wind-driven drizzle often paired with rainbows. It keeps the coffee farms and gardens permanently damp.

What to bring

If you go up from the coast to Boquete or Cerro Punta, pack a light jacket and a rain layer even if it is hot in the city: up there the weather is a different world.