E-biking in Panama is a fabulous way to see the beauty of this tropical country. In the more temperate cities of Boquete and El Valle de Anton, a cycling trip is a perfect opportunity to experience the jungle, wildlife, and culture of Panama. I did a morning e-biking trip in each city as an overview of the scenery of the area. E-biking makes the journey accessible to all travelers and lets you be more in touch with nature than a car trip.
I share my experience of the E-biking tours in Boquete and El Valle de Anton, along with some tips for your biking adventure.
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Where are Boquete and El Valle de Anton?
Both Boquete and El Valle de Anton are popular areas to visit in Panama for incredible experiences in nature. The climate in both places is cooler and less humid than in places such as Boca del Toro, the San Blas Islands, or Panama City.
Boquete sits high in the cool highlands of western Panama, tucked into the foothills of the Barú Volcano, the highest mountain in Panama. Coffee plantations occupy the hillsides, producing some of the world’s most sought-after beans, including the famous Geisha coffee, rated the #1 coffee in the world. Outdoor adventurers flock here for hiking in the cloud forest, bird watching, white-water rafting, and hot springs. E-biking on the quiet roads has caught on as a popular way to immerse in the natural beauty of Boquete.
El Valle de Anton, also known locally as El Valle, is set inside an extinct ancient crater. The fertile valley is ringed by steep crater walls, filled with small farms, forests, and a quiet village atmosphere. Flowering plants line the nearly empty roads. Hikers will find waterfalls, wildlife, and petroglyphs on the trails climbing the crater walls. E-bikers can marvel at several prominent mountain peaks that form the caldera ridge, such as La India Dormida and Cerro Gaital.
El Valle is located about a 2-hour drive from Panama City. It’s easy to get there by bus from the Albrook bus terminal.
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E-biking in Panama
The E-biking Company I Used in Panama
I did e-biking tours in Boquete and El Valle with E-Valley Bikes. The company offers tours, as well as rents e-bikes at each office.
The e-bikes they rent are in excellent condition and ready to go after a short briefing. The bikes can be rented for 2, 4, or 8 hours, or by the day or week. A helmet is provided. Be aware that the e-bikes are not step-through; therefore, you will need to swing your leg over to mount. If you tip the bike frame toward you to lower the height, it’s easy enough to get on.
If you rent a bike, the staff can show you where to ride on the map mural painted on the wall. They have also designed routes for all levels that you can load on your phone.
E-Valley Bikes also offers tours to see the scenery, accompanied by a guide to explain it. The guides I biked with were excellent — super knowledgeable, friendly, and able to adapt the tour to your interests.
I was surprised by the accessories they have available to make your ride more pleasant and safe. It is unusual for bike companies to provide accessories beyond a helmet. However, E-Valley Bikes had bike gloves, wrap-around glasses to protect your eyes, and small backpacks. They provided cold water bottles for the ride, too.
Clearly, E-Valley Bike is a professional, well-run e-biking company focused on safety and the natural beauty of Panama.
E-Biking Tour in Boquete
Boquete is a gorgeous area of rushing water, green-clad mountains, colorful flower bushes, and quiet roads that are perfect for riding. If you are looking for a way to immerse yourself in the splendor of the rainforest and mountains, then an e-biking trip in Boquete is for you.
I did the Panoramic group tour with E-Valley Bikes. The Panoramic ride is perfect for your first day in Boquete. The tour provides an overview of the area so you can get a lay of the land and be inspired by different adventures you may want to pursue during your time there.
We started at the bike shop with a quick overview of the bikes. We headed out on a back road past the beautiful park behind the library to a loop up in the mountains. Our guide, Andrish, pointed out the names of the mountains surrounding us.
Andrish was knowledgeable about the plants we saw along the way. There were so many kinds of flowers in riotous colors. We stopped to smell the dangling, cream-colored angel trumpet flowers. He told us that the poison is extracted and used by Colombian criminals to stun their victims into compliance. Pretty wild for a lovely-smelling flower! His stories helped us become familiar with the area’s culture and history.
As we rode the bikes up the hill, the air got cooler, making the bike riding very pleasant. The tour went up and down hills, and we were happy for the e-bike motor. We stopped at a viewpoint and could see the Pacific Ocean about 40 miles away.
E-biking past Coffee Farms
We headed to Gran del Val, where acres of coffee plantations were spread over the hills. E-Valley Bikes also has a popular coffee tasting tour. They ride up to a coffee farm and then hike up through the coffee trees to learn about the process of making coffee from the beans. Coffee grown in the groves we saw is popular throughout Panama. Being served Gran de Val coffee in a coffee shop in Panama City or Bocas del Toro brings everything full circle.
At one point, we stopped the bikes at the local climbing area along the route. Beautiful basalt columns and octagonal rocks lined the roadside. The area is being developed for climbing, and we could see bolts and belay points on the rock.
There were also roadside vendors at the rock climbing area. We bought some beautiful jewelry and then went across the street to stock up on homemade banana bread.
On our bikes again, we swooped up and down hills with a panorama of basalt limestone cliffs framing the Caldera River. Eventually, we arrived at a waterfall, spraying off the cliff. After a few photos, we started the ride back. The return to the shop was mostly downhill, which made for an exciting ride back. The 15-mile tour with stops took about 2 hours.
Logistics of E-biking in Boquete
We traveled to Boquete via a domestic flight from the Panama international airport to David. Then we took a $45 taxi ride to our accommodations in Boquete. The host at our beautiful house in Boquete arranged for a taxi to be waiting for us at the airport.
We stayed in a lovely 3-bedroom house with a beautiful bamboo grove to relax in with our morning coffee. The house was spacious and comfortable; however, the best part was its proximity to the charming town of Boquete. One person in our party would walk downtown each morning and bring back the most delicious fruits and pastries for breakfast.
Communication in Panama is mostly through WhatsApp. It’s the best way to set up tours, transportation, and reservations. Therefore, an e-SIM on your phone is the answer. I found that Ovosim has the best prices and coverage for Panama. It was simple to install, and the coverage was reliable in all parts of Panama.
E-Biking Tour in El Valle de Anton
I did an E-Valley bike tour in El Valle de Anton on my first day to get an overview of the area. My guide, Carlos, was an encyclopedia of knowledge about the area’s geology, botany, and wildlife. El Valle sits at the bottom of an extinct volcano, with the caldera walls rising over 900 feet around the town.
On the bike trip, we stopped to see the peaks circling the old volcano. Cerro Gaital is the highest point in the area. With the mountains Cerro Caracoral and Cerro Pajita on either side, the area is a protected cloud forest.
Panamanian Golden Frog
I asked Carlos about the famous Panamanian golden frog I had heard of. He suggested we ride over to the conservation center that protects this endemic toad, which is a national symbol of Panama with its own national holiday, Golden Frog Day.
While the tour group usually just rides by the center with a mention of its work, we stopped due to my interest in the protection of the frogs. The flexibility in E-Valley bike tours to respond to people’s interests was very evident in both bike tours I took.
Next, we rode down Millionaires Avenue, a quiet street packed with luxury mansions. Carlos pointed out the estate of the owner of Copa Air, the airline I used to fly to Panama. We stopped along the way to get a panoramic view of the India Dormida ridgeline, the most popular hike in El Valle.
La India Dormida means the “Sleeping Indian”, and you can see a reclining woman on the ridgeline. Her face is to the right, with the forest making up her lush hair. There is a Panamanian legend about an indigenous princess who fell in love with a Spanish conquistador during the colonization era. Her guilt over betraying her tribe caused her to die of sorrow, with the mountains forming her shape.
A Waterfall and a Sloth
Our next stop was the Chorro del Macho, the most popular waterfall in El Valle. We left the bikes to hike through the reserve, rich with birdlife and jungle plants. My highlight was seeing a sloth sleeping in the branches of a tree. There is also a natural swimming pool to take a dip.
You can also do this tour by yourself by renting e-bikes from E-Valley Bike. Carlos’ knowledge is wonderful for nature-loving adventurers; therefore, that might be a reason to do a tour. In any event, e-biking in Panama is a wonderful way to explore the peaceful roads of El Valle. Anyone with some biking experience will be able to ride the e-bikes, and the motor certainly makes the area hills a breeze.
Logistics of E-biking in El Valle de Anton
I took the public bus from the Albrook bus station in Panama City to El Valle de Anton. It cost $4.50 and took about 2.5 hours.
I stayed in Panama City near Albrook to be close to transportation. The room at Greg’s Place was the perfect accommodation for a nature lover like me. Greg is a wildlife expert with a backyard teeming with birds and mammals. He offers a delicious pineapple pancake breakfast served with a view of the tropical birds and mammals such as the Coatimundi and the Agouti.
In El Valle de Anton, the Golden Frog Inn is a gorgeous, tranquil hotel with lovely gardens, a relaxing pool, and a yummy breakfast.
I was super happy to use WhatsApp in Panama. As a solo traveler, communication through WhatsApp is critical. It’s the best way to set up tours, transportation, and reservations. Therefore, to have access to data, an e-SIM on your phone is the answer. I found that Ovosim has the best prices and coverage for Panama. It was simple to install, and the coverage was reliable in all areas of Panama.
Wrap Up of E-biking in Panama
If you are visiting the best temperate cities in Panama, you will want to get out on an e-bike for an overview of Boquete or El Valle de Anton. The cool temperatures make e-biking a delightful pastime. The nearly deserted paved roads are ideal for a safe ride.
Panama is a safe, friendly country to visit. E-biking in Panama is an optimal way to experience sweeping valley views, cool wind as you ride, and nature surprises around every corner.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of E-Valley Bikes on these trips. I was not compensated or asked to write a positive review. All opinions are from my honest experience.
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