During the last years, Panama has attracted a wave of tourists that are looking for places within the country with natural attractions to be explored, which has made the Baru Volcano (Volcan Baru for its name in Spanish) one of the most visited tourist attractions.

The Baru Volcano is inactive and it is the highest elevation point of Panama and of the South of Central America with an altitude of 3.475 meters above sea level, at the feet of the volcano you will find the picturesque towns of Volcan, Cerro Punta and Boquete.

If you would like the climb the Baru Volcano and you are in the physical condition to do so, you can do so individually on in groups, there are many agencies with tour guides who are dedicated to providing these services.  Baru has 7 craters of which only two are accessible, since it is very difficult to enter the others because of the unsafe land.  You can access by car through the populations of Boquete, Cerro Punta and Volcan, where the paths that allow you to reach the feet of the volcano begin, but we recommend going up through the town of Volcan. 

While on the path towards the Baru Volcano, you will be surrounded by a variety of flora and you will have the opportunity to get know the wild life of the forests and humid jungles, with a variety of environment and sceneries that will permit for extreme sports.  In addition, you will be able to observe the diverse species of animals that are harbored in this zone, and if you are lucky you can admire the beautiful and rare bird called Quetzal which is considered one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

The tour, to get to the peak of the Baru Volcano, is of around 12 hours, but it is well worth it because you will be able to appreciate the gorgeous views, the sunset, the clouds below you, the view of the towns of Cerro Punta, Volcan and Boquete and during the clearer days you can also appreciate the cities of Santiago and Puerto Armuelles on the Costa Rican/Panamanian border, you will also have the privilege to see Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea with their unique and spectacular views.

The climate through the path is temperate, but once you arrive to the top it is cold and can easily drop to below 0 degrees centigrade, and therefore there have been occasional reports of snowfall and the forming of frost is quite frequent, thus we suggest you go with boots, comfortable clothing and very warm clothing, do not forget to take climbing and camping equipment, dry foods, bottled water and a first aid kit.