Sendero de Pianista

When you type “hiking in Panama” in Google the chances are that the results will return the numerous news reports about two Dutch girls that disappeared in April 2014 and couple of months later were found dead (well, parts of them at least).

This happened on the Pianista trail in Boquete. I hiked the trail with the Canadian traveler that I met a day before, and it quickly became one of my top hikes in Panama. Aside from the spooky background, this trail is everything I like: free, narrow, passing through deep forest and full of wildlife. We started around 9, were among the first to hike there that day (only saw one hiker coming back) and saw many animals that day. Highlights: two snakes, insect looking like wood, various birds.

The lower part of the trail is hot and humid, while as you climb the forest becomes denser and you enter the layer always moving clouds - the popular “cloud forest”. The trail becomes a narrow canyon-like path full of mud, which sides carry the greenery above your’r head and with just enough space for the shoulders to pass. Even though it’s only 4 kilometer long, it really is special.

I can see how easy it was for the girls to get lost on the hike - the fog (cloud) at the top is dense and if you go off trail you could be standing 5m from the trail and not be able to see it, wondering in which direction to go. The limited visibility makes it hard to oriente so I strongly advise staying on trek. However the passing clouds, wind and dense forests are definitely something special. Highly recommended trail, that I would gladly do again.Läs mer