Volcán Barú
©
Volcán Barú

Volcán Barú

Panama's highest peak, climbed overnight for a dawn view of two oceans

At 3,475 metres, Volcán Barú is the highest point in Panama and an active stratovolcano, though the last eruption was around 1550. The cone dominates the highlands of Chiriquí; on a clear day you can see it from Boquete, Cerro Punta, and most of David.

There are two ways to the top. The trail from Boquete is 13 km one-way on a 4x4 service road; most hikers start at 11 pm or midnight to reach the summit for sunrise, then descend in the morning before the cloud closes in. The Volcán-side trail from Paso Ancho is shorter and steeper but less developed. Either way you need warm clothing — temperatures at the summit drop to near freezing — and a headlamp.

The view from the top on a clear morning is the reward: both oceans, the Costa Rican mountains, and the entire province laid out below. The summit itself is a clutter of communication antennas, which is the only disappointment.

A story
Volcán Barú is one of the very few places in the world where you can see both the Pacific and Caribbean oceans at the same time from a single point. The trick is to be on the summit before dawn on a clear morning; the curvature of the isthmus is just right and the volcano is just high enough.