The Lost Waterfalls Trail hike in Boquete was one of the most magical waterfall hikes we had ever done and it only took 2-3 hours. This was by far one of the most spectacular hikes we did in the whole of Panama so needless to say it should be high on your list of things to do in Boquete, maybe even top of your list..
As you weave through dense rainforest and muddy trails your eyes darting between beautiful flowers and thick tree roots on the trail, ready to trip you at any moment the sounds of the falls draw closer, the moisture in the air changes and all of a sudden, bam! You are greeted by three mind-blowingly beautiful waterfalls. This is the kind of experience you dream of on any tropical holiday and I can’t emphasize enough how beautiful it is.
How to get to The Lost Waterfalls trail.
Obviously there are several options for getting to The Lost Waterfalls and if you are driving yourself I will include a map underneath so it is super straight forward.
If you have your own transport it is the easiest way as you do not have to worry about time frames or going too early or late but yeah.
The next best and cheapest option is to take a collectivo, also know to us gringos as a public bus haha. They Depart from Calle La Sur a block from the main street but are not super frequent so if this is your option ask the front desk where you’re staying if they know the schedule.
They are $3 one way but might be a little harder to catch back unless you time it well.
Taxis are actually a good option for getting there if there are 3 or more of you. You can get a taxi for $8-10 dollars from town if you find the right driver which will make the whole thing cheaper if there are a few of you.
The whole trip should only take about 20 minutes
Directions to The Lost Waterfalls.
- As you head out of town you will pass the climbing wall and then the old castle.
- Eventually, you will see a blue wooden sing, well a few blue signs and a taxi stand type thing on your right. This is the entrance to the trail.
- Walk down the small hill, over the suspension bridge and then follow all the sings up the hill for about 10 minutes until you get to the cabin where you have to pay the entrance fee.
Here is a map to The Lost Waterfalls below that shows how to get to the start of the trail if you zoom in a little.
How much does The Lost Waterfalls Trail cost?
The entrance fee to the falls is $7 which is fully reasonable for this kind of experience. They will also ask you to sign in when you get there and then get you to sign out when you leave, which is nice.
When we left however there was no one in the cabin to sign out with and it looked like everyone had gone home for the day.
On top of this you will have to factor in the transport, so probably overall the whole day will cost you about $10.
The Lost Waterfalls Hike in Boquete
Like I said before you start on a suspension bridge and then follow the signs up the hill for 10 minutes to the cabin, pay the fee and then start The Lost Waterfalls trail.
The hike is a straight forward out and back trail and should take you about 2-3 hours. Expect a little longer if you are wanting to swim and take photos and so on.
As soon as you leave the cabin though you are immersed in the thick green dense jungle. It stays like this for the whole hike. You are constantly surrounded by beautiful flowers, giant palm leaves, hanging vines and the sounds of birds mixed cascading waterfalls.
We just went from waterfall one to two to three despite the recommendation from the gentleman in the cabin. But you can do whatever makes you feel good.
The first waterfall is only about a 10 to 15-minute walk and I can guarantee it will not disappoint. It is the biggest of all three falls. You can not really get down to the water here but that is fine as the second waterfall is only about another 30 minutes away. There is however an amazing viewing platform to watch it from.
We took a quick dip at the second waterfall which was not really as pleasant as you think it is going to be when you are sweating your ass off hiking. You are in the mountains and once you stop moving, being all wet already you get cold pretty quick, combine that with the wind from the waterfall and the actual water temp and what is a 1-hour swim in your head quickly turns into a 5-minute dip to wash some sweat off your body. Having said this it was still incredibly beautiful being in the falls letting the water cascade onto you as you try to stay upright.
So getting from the second to the third fall was fun… It was precarious and it was muddy as hell but the constant slipping had us laughing most of the way there.
The views the entire way there are incredible though, it gets a little steep a few times but you wind through the jungle with the river under the canopy which is such an incredibly beautiful scene that if you think you are up for a steep muddy hike make sure you do it!
We both loved swimming at the second waterfall but we could not get over number 3. There were just so many photo opportunities and it was so beautiful and the hike there… All of this combined had us in love with it, with the whole experience really but the third fall in particular.
Depending on what time of day you have decided to do the hike this might be the hardest part. Getting home. After a certain point in the day, all the taxis are gone and busses are infrequent if running at all. The walk back to town is 1-2 hours so not exactly what you want to do after a 3-hour hike through the jungle. Your best bet is to try and organize a taxi to come and get you at a set time or just hitchhike.
One of the beautiful things about Latin America is that hitchhiking is completely normal and as long as there are cars someone should pick you up. I am not making promises though haha.
If you’re heading further south check out our post about Hiking La India Dormida
Where to Stay in Boquete
Campestre House – Hostel – Popular with backpackers and travelers on a little bit more of a budget this super fun hostel is a great place to stay if you want to be in the center of town and are looking for some other people to link up with to hike The Lost Waterfall Trail with or any other activity.
Bambuda Castle – Set in what looks like an actual castle this is a pretty unique place to stay. Tucked into the mountains and complete with indoor swimming pool and climbing wall this kind of has something for everyone.
What Camera Gear We Use.
- Digital Camera: Sony A7riii
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro
- Landscape Lens: Sony 16-35mm F2.8
- GoPro: GoPro Hero 12 Black
- Favorite Lens: Sony 24-70mm F4
- Circular Polarizer: Hoya Digital PRO1
- Power Bank: Anker Portable Charger (A little heavy but amazing especially for multiday adventures)
- Tripod: Vanguard VEO 2 265AB
Gear we use
- Rain Jacket: Arcteryx Beta
- Hiking Boots: SALOMON Quest 4 GTX
- Reusable bottle: Sawyer filtered water bottle
- Dry Bag: Earth Pack 20L
- Headlamp: BLACK DIAMOND Headlamp
- Headphones: Jaybird Vista – Little update on these headphones. Its been a few years now since I got these and they are the most comfortable headphones I have ever used. I have been through a few other pairs as the years went on (beats, sony, JBL) for better sound quality but I always end up putting them in a draw as a backup pair and go back to these.
