# Retiring in Boquete

Boquete is a cool highland valley in Chiriquí, at about 900 to 1,200 m (3,000 to 3,900 ft). The official station at Los Naranjos averages 20.5 °C (69 °F) all year, December to March is dry, and the nearest airport and regional hospital are in David, about 50 minutes away.

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[Photo: Cristhian Carreño, Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/person-standing-on-green-grass-covered-hill-under-white-clouds-and-blue-sky-during-daytime-I1k4RQp1v60?utm_source=iurispa&utm_medium=referral)· [Unsplash License](https://unsplash.com/license)

## Living in Boquete

Boquete sits in a mountain valley crossed by the Caldera River. It is coffee country, the home of Geisha coffee and of farms you can visit, with trails and waterfalls, rock climbing at Los Ladrillos and the Caldera hot springs. It is also the starting point of one of the routes up the Barú Volcano, the highest peak in Panama at 3,474 m, and the door to La Amistad International Park.

- [Tourism Authority of Panama, visit page](https://www.tourismpanama.com/places-to-visit/boquete/)

## Population

The district of Boquete counted 23,562 people in the 2023 census, 4,203 of them in Bajo Boquete, the town.

- [INEC, 2023 Census, table 10](https://www.inec.gob.pa/archivos/P0705547520231109105354CUADRO%2010.pdf)

## Climate

Two official stations give the temperature: Los Naranjos, at 1,200 m, averages 20.5 °C (69 °F), and Planta Caldera, at 920 m, 21.0 °C (70 °F). The monthly averages change by little more than one degree through the year. The tourism board gives a wider range, 12 to 30 °C (53 to 86 °F), for the whole area. December to March is dry and April is a transition. September and October bring the heaviest rain, and the town station at Bajo Boquete recorded about 3,200 mm a year.

| IMHPA station | Altitude | Average | Months under 100 mm of rain |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Los Naranjos (108-017) | 1,200 m | 20.5 °C (69 °F), monthly averages 19.7 to 21.1 °C | |
| Planta Caldera (108-003) | 920 m | 21.0 °C (70 °F), monthly averages 20.2 to 22.0 °C | |
| Bajo Boquete (108-005) | 1,060 m | 3,206 mm of rain a year | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar |
| Los Naranjos (108-017) | 1,200 m | 2,442 mm of rain a year | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |

- [IMHPA station Los Naranjos (108-017)](https://www.imhpa.gob.pa/es/clima-historicos-data?id=108017&tipo=TEMP)
- [IMHPA station Planta Caldera (108-003)](https://www.imhpa.gob.pa/es/clima-historicos-data?id=108003&tipo=TEMP)
- [IMHPA station Bajo Boquete (108-005)](https://www.imhpa.gob.pa/es/clima-historicos-data?id=108005&tipo=LLUVIA)
- [IMHPA station Los Naranjos (108-017)](https://www.imhpa.gob.pa/es/clima-historicos-data?id=108017&tipo=LLUVIA)

## Getting there

By road it is about 6 hours from Panama City to David on the Pan-American Highway and one hour more to Boquete; buses from Albrook to David take about 6 hours. The faster route is a domestic flight to Enrique Malek airport in David and about 50 minutes by car or taxi.

- [Tourism Authority of Panama](https://www.tourismpanama.com/places-to-visit/boquete/)

## Health care nearby

In town there is a Social Security polyclinic and a Ministry of Health center, both in Bajo Boquete. Hospital care is in David, at the Rafael Hernández regional hospital of the CSS.

- Policlínica Dr. Ernesto Pérez Balladares (CSS), Bajo Boquete
- Centro de Salud de Boquete (MINSA), Bajo Boquete
- Hospital Regional Dr. Rafael Hernández (CSS), David

- [Ministry of Health, list of health facilities 2023](https://www.minsa.gob.pa/sites/default/files/publicacion-general/listado_de_instalaciones_de_salud_ano_2023.pdf)

## Cost of living

There is no official cost of living figure for Boquete: the Ministry of Economy and Finance does not include the district in its food basket. Any number you see for Boquete comes from a private estimate.

- [Ministry of Economy and Finance, basic food basket, July 2026](https://www.mef.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/MEF-DAES-Canasta-Basica-Familiar-de-Alimentos-JULIO-2026.pdf)

## Festivals and seasons

[Photo: BETZY AROSEMENA, Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/green-mountains-under-blue-sky-during-daytime-PxXWXsHTBCY?utm_source=iurispa&utm_medium=referral)· [Unsplash License](https://unsplash.com/license)January

### Flower and Coffee Fair

Ten to twelve days of gardens, parades and coffee tastings by the Caldera River in Boquete. The 2024 fair ran from January 11 to 21.

[Official source](https://www.atp.gob.pa/calendario/feria-de-las-flores-y-del-cafe-de-boquete/)

March or April

### Boquete Orchid Expo

An orchid show in Boquete. In 2023 it ran from March 30 to April 9.

[Official source](https://www.atp.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FERIAS-Y-FESTIVALES-2023-1.pdf)

## Your residency, wherever you live

The Pensionado visa is the same in every province: the US$1,000 monthly pension, or US$750 with a property of more than US$100,000, and the same documents, wherever you plan to live. The discounts of the retiree law apply all over the country.

- [Who qualifies](/eligibility/)
- [Documents](/requirements/)
- [Retiree discounts](/benefits/)

Choosing where to live before you apply? Tell us the town and we will check what changes for your case, if anything.

[Free consultation](/contact/)

## Planning your retirement in Panama?

Book a free 15-minute call. We will check your pension and tell you exactly what you need.

[Book your free call](/contact/)[Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/50761970238?text=Hi%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20consultation%20about%20the%20Panama%20Pensionado%20visa%20(from%20panamapensionado.com).)