It is said that:

If you have heard this introduction, you have been with the children "Cuenta-cuentos" of the Piedra Pintada in the Valle de Antón; otherwise, we invite you to visit El Valle, listen to the legend of "La India Dormida" and the explanation of Piedra Pintada.   The painted stone is a large dacitic volcanic rock and an archaeological sample of Panama; Some hypotheses indicate that it is a map of El Valle and its surroundings.


India Dormida

The walk on India Dormida:  
If you like hiking and adventure, after listening to the story, we invite you to take the tour about India. There are several trails that can be taken, in this post we will tell you the one that runs from his hair to his feet.

Starting from the Piedra Pintada you must continue in the direction of the waterfalls, the places at this point are beautiful with waterfalls of various heights. Stop a few minutes and contemplate its greatness.

Cierro India Dormida

You must take into account: wear appropriate footwear for hiking, a bottle of water and capote. If you have never done the tour, or practiced hiking, you can pay a child to guide you.   Next stop: the stone of the toad, another example of archeology. After that, you will find a resting point, stop and recharge your energies.   After this point, the road becomes steeper, be careful. You see, a change in the type of terrain that indicates that you are reaching the top.
 
At the summit, you can see the volcanic caldera where the town of El Valle sits. A beautiful view, where, in the company of the clouds, you can appreciate facing The Three Brothers: Gaital, Pajita and Caracoral.
 
Here the path invites you to follow, but you can return along the same path. We walk in the direction of the feet of India. Although in this area, the vegetation is grass; You must know how to orientate yourself so that you can take the path that leads to the Cerro La Cruz road. Remember that the road is steeper, with abrupt changes of slopes.


India Dormida by Night

The Story behind the Legend  
Humanity will always seek an explanation for the wonders of nature; mainly, if a mountain has the body of a woman lying down. The obligatory question is: How was this mountain formed?
 
Geology has its answer. El Valle de Anton, is a volcanic caldera. That is to say, the magma (molten rock) that was inside its chamber emptied after great and successive eruptions, emptying and sinking; That's why we see all these walls around in the form of an amphitheater. Sleeping India is part of those walls.
 
Now, the new question: Why is the Indian hair a forest, while her body is just grass? The answer, the geological ages of each zone. Indian hair is 6.9 million years old; It is a rock that was formed before the collapse of the boiler, which time has degraded until it becomes soil, where vegetation and trees can grow. The area of ​​Cerro de la Cruz and the body of India have been covered by one of the last recorded eruption inside the caldera, they are very young rocks, without enough degradation.
 
How do we finish our adventure?  
After touring the entire mountain of India, you reach the main road of Cerro La Cruz. Once on the road, we decided to wait for a bus from the route; There are several that pass through this site and arrive at the town of El Valle. This walk lasts 3.5 hours, considering the stops for photographs and rest. Go ahead and discover the magic of the adventures in the volcanic caldera of El Valle de Anton.