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We left the beach Saturday around 3:00pm just as the rain started rolling in. From the northwest a dark cloud had sat in the distance for about an hour before it decided to grow quickly and head in our direction, ending what had been a lovely, sunny afternoon by the Pacific. We saw the sheets of rain off in the distance, grabbing more territory as they moved towards us along their path. Our spot for the day was further past the usual sun-bathing Santa Clara guests so it took us a bit longer to carry our collection of beach gear, towels and coolers back to the parking lot. By the time we arrived back at the car we were soaked, over-heated and ready to enjoy the coziness of a little mountain town called El Valle.

Kalu Yala will not be Panama’s first mountain, rainforest community. Since the early 1900′s, residents of Panama City have been joining those in the interior to make homes and second homes in the cooler altitudes of Panama’s highlands. While a majority of the time it is sunny, 85 degrees and blue sky, living in eternal summer can make you desire a change in weather and environment which you can find that easily without leaving the country.

We head east and then north into the highlands. With the beach finally to our south, the altimeter follows us as we climb. First, slowly, only a 50 meter rise every 5 minutes but as we get closer, it doubles to 100 meters. Our ears pop as we climb over the ridgeline taking in the view of the beautiful green bowl surrounded by low-hanging clouds. The rainforest seems to disappear off into the sky.

During my time as a resident here in Panama, I have had the opportunity to repeatedly visit Panama’s three main mountain rainforest towns; Boquete, Volcan, and El Valle. While there is a lot of literature available on the advantages of living in Panama, not as much focuses on what life is like in highlands here.

BOQUETE is Panama’s largest mountain community. Depending on who you speak to and where they define the boundaries, Boquete’s population ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 including an estimated 2,000 foreigners. Known for its world-class coffee, Boquete is the mountain town in Panama with the most complex economy. The main industries are agriculture, tourism, real estate and banking. Neighborhoods and developments in Boquete have found their way to international popularity including Sam Taliaferro’s Valle Escondido. There is no lack of websites and blogs that will tell you about what life in Boquete is like. This town is my personal favorite because it is the only mountain town with nightlife. Its largest drawback – a 6 hour drive from Panama City or a one hour flight to the town of David with an additional 45 minute drive into town. I just don’t like leaving my car behind, there is too much to explore.

On the other side of Volcan Baru lies the quaint agricultural town of VOLCAN. It’s commonly referred to as “Panama’s bread basket,” because almost 80% of the produce consumed in the country is grown in this region. More spread out than Boquete, Volcan feels like a much smaller town. (Although during my last trip I counted almost 20 local restaurants in Volcan compared to Boquete’s 30.) It was just this year that the year-round spring-like weather and fresh produce there inspired International Living to name Volcan one of the World’s Healthiest Places to Live. While there are not as many tourism operators in Volcan as in Boquete, what there is to do is worth the visit – some of the best bird-watching and hiking in the country.  In my opinion one of the most magical places I have visited in Panama is 20 minutes north of Volcan, a small town called Cerro Punta, but both of these incredible places are simply too remote to visit as often as I would like.

With only 2 days to spend outside the city, we chose to visit EL VALLE since it’s much closer than Boquete and Volcan – only an hour and a half from the City.

As we pull onto the main street of town it starts raining harder. Instead of it being a nuisance we are pleased to have a reason to call it a day and seek the comfort of our cozy hotel, Los Mandarinos. A former estate owned by a local family, the grounds are representative of homes in the area, lush tropical gardens with views of the surrounding hills covered in dense rainforest. Upon arriving, we quickly settle in and make our way to check out the pool. I’m delighted to find that the water contains no chemicals, appropriate since El Valle is known for its “eternal youth” spring water and healing hot springs, Los Pozos Termales. I know the rain will stop soon and we’ll be able to go for a dip.

We spend the weekend hiking, swimming, enjoying local cuisine, and checking out the local organic farms. One of my favorite activities is visiting the El Valle Farmers’ Market, stock full of locally cultivated crafts, art, produce and plants. Strangely enough I end up buying the only non-local plant as a souvenir, a cactus – I think it will be more at home in the heat of the city. For me, mountain life in Panama is happily social. Although considerably slower than city life, I have met some of the nicest people during my trips to El Valle and Boquete.

In addition to El Valle, Volcan and Boquete, Panama has two large subdivisions located in the highlands, one to the west of the city, Altos de Maria, and one to the east, in the same direction as Kalu Yala, Altos de Cerro Azul. Both offer lovely views and a cooler climate, perfect for those who like the tranquil seclusion of being outside the social environment of a town.

Two short days later we must pack up and return home. We find ourselves on the highway with many others returning to the city for the work week (I am sure all sharing the same sentiment as me – one more day away wouldn’t have been so bad). We can feel the temperature change as the altitude drops to sea level the closer we get to home.

I smile knowing it won’t be long before we’ll be able to stay up in Kalu Yala full-time and then the city will become the place to visit for business meetings, doctor appointments and just the occasional afternoon of shopping.