Hiking Cerro Cara Iguana in Beautiful Valle de Anton, Panama.

Hiking Time: 1 hour from start of trail or 1 hour 40 from town.
Distance: 2kms
Elevation: 910 meters
Trail Type: Out and Back

Hiking Cerro Cara Iguana Anton Valle — A few hundred meters out of the forest heading to the summit.

Cerro Cara Iguana in Valle de Anton was the second hike we did in this area. It was beautiful and short and gave incredible views over Valle de Anton nestled into the volcanic crater below.

We did this hike after hiking La India Dormida for sunrise so we were a little tired but it was still very manageable. The nice thing about the different hikes around Valle de Anto is that everyone gives you a different perspective of the town.

The inhabitants of Valle de Anton live deep inside a volcanic crater which seems kind of wild that people thought the best place they could start a town was in the crater of a volcano. Never the less it created an incredibly special place surrounded on all sides by volcanic mountains and amazing hikes. It is said to be the only town in the world that is actually located inside the crater of a volcano.

For a complete of things to do in El Valle de Anton click the link

Hiking Cerro Cara Iguana

The hike is actually a fairly easy one especially if you have your own transport or organize a ride up the hill. If you do this the hike is only about a 1-hour return trip. The incline can be a little steep at times but overall it is a pretty chilled out hike.

There is a building at the start of the hike which means it is almost impossible to miss the turn off the road and up the mountain. Once you start on the trail it is a steady incline through a small forest and once you exit here you will be able to follow a small trail until you get to the ridgeline. From there you just walk along the rim of the crater until you find the ridge poking out into the middle of the crater.

This is about as far as you will be able to get into the crater on any ridge and it makes for some pretty beautiful photos.

The only thing I would do differently about this hike is I think we should have waited a little longer to start the hike so we could have seen the sunset over the valley. However, the weather prediction was not great so we made the call to go earlier.

How to get to Cerro Cara Iguana

Getting to the Cerro Cara Iguana hike is pretty easy. If you do not have transport up the mountain it is about a 20-minute walk from the center of town. Adding an extra 40 minutes to your return trip but overall that is not too bad.

Now if you zoom in on the map and look to the south you will actually be able to see the trail heading all the way to the ridge and the road leading from town to the start of the hike so finding it should be pretty easy.

Where to stay in Anton Valle

Rooms can get a little expensive on the weekends especially with it being so close to Panama City and with its popularity amongst the locals so if you have to luxury of time try and get there during the week. You will, however, want to spend at least 3 to 5 days in the valley so you can experience everything it has to offer.

Budget: Bodhi Hostel & Lounge – The go-to spot for backpackers and budget travelers. Bodhi Hostel has a super laid back vibe with everything you need including wifi, kitchen, and garden.

Midrange: The Golden Frog – Free bike rental is huge! There is also an outdoor pool and the rooms are beautiful.

Luxury: Caracol Hotel Boutique – Perfect spot for a couples week or weekend. Pool, spa, free bikes, and an apparently amazing breakfast.