Ever wondered what majestic places you can visit that are near Panama City? Well I am here to tell you about one of the must-see places when either living or visiting Panama.

 

Living in Panama can sometimes be overwhelming and chaotic as it is a tiny city with way too many cars and traffic, so if you want an escape destination during the weekend this is the place to go. However, if you are only a tourist in this city, there is no excuse, you must go either way!

 

First a few warnings; this is a trip that you must do if you are a passionate hiking geek as the hike to get to the top of the mountain is quite challenging. Many websites will tell you that hiking rating is “MODERATE”, please do not believe this, it might be out of date or does not take into consideration the trail “La Cruz” which is the one that I will be talking about. To the general public, the hiking in my opinion should be “DIFFICULT”. Second, come accompanied or ask for a guide, just in case an accident occurs. Finally, be sure to bring lots of water and snacks, a sweater as it could get quite chilly up there, and finally some hiking shoes or old shoes that you are not afraid to get dirty, so please no flip flops or crocs.

 

When you are all packed up and ready to go, hop on your car and be sure to put the location on either Google Maps or Waze which will take you right to Altos De Campana. The journey by car is approximately an hour, once you arrive you will see a sign that you have arrived to your destination. You will have to pay a small fee (Foreign Visitors: $5.00, National Visitors: $3.00, National Student: $1.00, Retired: $1.50), so make sure you bring some change with you. If you are a National Student make sure to bring a letter from either the University or the school so they charge you the student fee.  Once you have paid, you are ready to start!

 

The trail that you want to go on is called La Cruz, which will take you to a beautiful cross at the top of the mountain with a glorious view that you probably never imagined you would see so close to the city, because that is exactly how I felt!

 

Once you have started the trail be sure to contemplate your surroundings, not only because you might get lucky and see exotic animals, insects or fauna, but also because you do not want to trip on a rock or branch. The time that I went it was rainy season which meant that it was very muddy and slippery, therefore if you decide to go during this season be sure to be very careful. At the beginning of the hike the terrain will be quite smooth, and as you continue you will realize that it will get harder and harder, but not impossible, don’t worry! There are some bits and pieces which are almost like a rock climbing hike, so you will definitely use your hands too (you will see on one of the pictures) When I went on this hike I realized that the path is not marked that much, so you only need to follow the colorful strings attached to the trees that will guide you until the end of the journey.  The hike until the top, the cross, took me approximately an hour, therefore in total it should take you around two hours.

 

Once you have arrived to the very top you will see the beautiful cross on a large stone, if you go to the back of this stone you will see a black rope that will help you get to the actual cross. This is a very tricky part as it is a very large and round rock, so be very careful! And that is it! You have reached the cross, now just sit, relax and enjoy the view!