Valle de La Mina guide

Valle de la Mina guide: The peaceful highlands of Panama

Discover the hidden paradise of Valle de la Mina, nestled between Los Planes and Hornito! This off-the-beaten-track haven offers a serene escape, where tranquillity meets breathtaking sunsets. Imagine waking up to the symphony of jungle life, as vibrant birds and playful animals greet you each morning. Let the beauty of this untouched gem inspire you – dive into my Valle de la Mina guide and unlock the secrets of this enchanting retreat!

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Topics

Tropical marvels

Coffee tour

Hikes

Accommodation

Travelling to other destinations

Tropical marvels

Panama’s jungle is full of surprises. Because you have to choose accommodation among the trees in Valle de la Mina, you will soon come face to face with many spiders, insects, amazing birds and monkeys. Do not be startled by a scorpion or a Panamanian white-faced capuchin suddenly appearing in front of your eyes.

During a cosy evening at the Lost & found hostel, a monkey suddenly jumped out of the tropical forests, looking suspiciously like the Panamanian white-faced capuchin. Then we wanted to sleep soundly, but were surprised by a scorpion in our bedroom. All in all, it comes with the territory. Eventually, the hummingbirds make up for it in the morning, when they flutter by cosily during the breakfast.

Coffee tour

Sustainable coffee tour

If you are into coffee, you could take an informative & fun coffee tour. We did one at Don Kune’s Coffee, a farmer in the neighbourhood. He has a farm where he grows coffee, among other things, as well as vegetables, fruits and sugar cane. It was interesting to see how coffee is made, from the bean to roasting the coffee. He has a 10-hectare territory where chickens roam happily. The coffee is delicious in my opinion. If you would like, you are able to buy some beans and even grounded beans to take home.

Did you know... When choosing this coffee tour, you support the local economy?

Jugo de Caña

In countries like Panama, sugar cane is grown commercially. But also, in Southeast Asia and India, they love it. At Don Kune’s Coffee, it became clear to us exactly how it is made. Using a home-made bar, sugarcane juice is squeezed from the stem of the sugarcane. Tadaa! There you have the so-called ‘Jugo de Caña’, in other words, sugarcane juice. To this, they then like to add an Ugli.

Did you know... Ugli really is ugly? This citrus fruit is a cross between a grapefruit, orange and a mandarin, which is deliciously sweet and orange-yellow inside. In my opinion, the name is for a reason, because it is not that pretty with its lumpy and slightly misshapen round shape.

Hikes in this Valle de la Mina guide

This area offers fantastic opportunities for a hike. Take a lovely walk to a stunning viewpoint or stroll towards the river, there are plenty of options. In case you are staying at The Lost and Found hostel, there are plenty of opportunities to complete routes, these are described at the reception. Surprisingly, you will find an ancient tree, also known as the ‘Tree of Life’. What an extraordinary and large tree, because the roots grow above the ground, you can literally walk through the tree.

Tip! Should it have rained a lot in the past few days, it is recommended to be careful during your hike, the stones can be very slippery.

Accommodation

Despite the area being hidden in the jungle, you will find plenty of nice accommodation here, check them out in my Valle de la Mina guide. Whenever you are searching for tranquillity or just want to party, there is a place for everyone. Choose to enjoy luxury or a basic stay. Honestly, just relaxing in this environment is not a bad thing.

Some nice accommodations are:

Roots Hostel, for a back to basic hostel.
El Refugio La Brisa del Diablo, if you would like to have a bit more luxury.
Lost & found Hostel, with its amazing sunsets and party along the trees.

Lost & Found Hostel

My boyfriend and I stayed in a wonderful and primitive hostel called Lost & Found, where we first had to hike for 15 minutes through the jungle to get to the top. Once you get there, you have an amazing view over the valley and the volcano Barú. If you are lucky, then you will experience a beautiful sunset, that slowly hides away behind the volcano. Catch a party at Lost and Found, because this is absolutely the place to be. Experience the mega game of ‘Jenga’ or play table football.

Did you know... Meals are really inexpensive over here, just a few euros per plate, and for the vegans among us, at the time we went here everything was vegan.

Parties

At The Lost & Found hostel they party a lot, we had the luck that we could celebrate St Patrick’s Day here, what a fun night it was though! They love to play beer pong & table football, do not be surprised if you suddenly see a giant ‘Jenga’ passing by.

Did you know... In case you are not up for a party night, no worries, they celebrate their parties a little further out.

Travelling to other destinations

Travelling to Bocas del Toro

Take the bus towards Almirante, almost all buses passing by, go there. From there catch the boat towards Bocas del Toro, depending on which island your final destination is, you can specify where you want to go and hop on the next taxi boat that way.

Travelling to David

If you want to go to other parts of Panama, then the best option is heading to David. Same as above, you can catch a bus the other way. From David, you can go multiple ways, choose to go to Boquete, Panama City or head to Santa Catalina via Santiago de Veraguas and Sona.