Located in the Cordillera de Talamanca, in the western province of Chiriqui, Volcan Baru is the highest peak in Panama and the third highest active volcano in Central America, surpassed by Fire in La Antigua and Santa María, both in Guatemala.
 
Climbing the Baru Volcano is one of those "must-do" routes in Panama. They call it the roof of Panama because from its privileged 3,474 meters high you can appreciate the Caribbean Sea and the South Sea. Today we want to show you the different routes to get to this wonderful place.


Baru Volcano, Panama


Climb the Baru Volcano in Boquete
Known as the east route, it is one of the simplest but requires good physical preparation since the complexity lies in the inclination of the terrain. The climb takes 4 to 7 hours and the descent - on average - about 3 to 5 hours. Although we suggest you take your time while climbing to the top and through green hills, jungle, and rocky cliffs.

Climb Baru Volcano By Wide Pass
The western route is preferred by hikers and mountaineers because it is one of the biggest challenges in mountaineering in Panama. It requires a lot of physical preparation and especially mental strength, so we recommend you to go with a lot of preparation and a guide since you can easily get lost.

Baru Volcano, Panama

Climb the Baru Volcano along the Los Quetzales Trail
This is one of the most popular treks that connects Boquete with Cerro Punta and passes through the Volcan Baru National Park. The tour takes approximately 6 hours and during the tour, you will be able to appreciate different types of birds and, if you are lucky, you will be able to observe a quetzal.

Climb the Baru Volcano in a 4X4 car
If you like 4 × 4 cars, you can climb the volcano through a stone path marked by these cars that you can rent to take you to the top and return that same day. It's a pretty good experience if you do not have the physical conditions to climb the routes indicated above.