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How
do I get to El Valle?
El Valle is located 125 km (77.67 mi) from Panama City - about a 90-minute drive. To get there you must take the Pan-American Highway and go past San Carlos until you reach the road that leads to El Valle (a 98 km drive).
After reaching San Carlos look for the sign for the road up the mountain
to El Valle. The road is well marked. From that point you must drive 28 km up the mountain and down to the village - a truly beautiful scenic drive.
If you are driving from the West (David, Santiago) start looking for
the El Valle signs after you pass through Rio Hato and Anton. There are
many signs directing you to the turn off to El Valle. If you reach San
Carlos you have gone too far!
If you are riding a bus just tell the driver's helper you want to go
to El Valle if you are on a through bus. He will let you off at the
correct bus stop to catch a bus to El Valle. From Panama City you can
buy a ticket to El Valle and you will be delivered there.
Bus traffic to and from El Valle is frequent. There is no need to
know the schedule of buses. They pass by every 15 minutes or so. Before
you can finish asking when the next one is due it will probably be
there!. What clothes do I need
in El Valle?
Because
of it's elevation, El Valle is very cool in the mornings and late
evenings. Long sleeve shirts, light jackets or light sweaters are useful
during these hours. Most of the
year you will encounter light to heavy rains (December, January being
the exceptions) making a "para agua" or umbrella a useful
item. If you plan to engage in exploring the rich, wild natural
beauty of El Valle you will need tough walking or climbing shoes plus
tough cloths for the climbs in the mountains and through the natural
tropical growth you will encounter.
General dress in El Valle is causal.
You will be totally at ease in neat casual attire any place in the
pueblo. There are excellent formal restaurants in El Valle where you
will be comfortable in more dressy causal attire. Coats and ties are
seldom seen in the pueblo!. Is Information available on El Valle Real Estate?
Yes. Enrique has extensive knowledge of the real estate market in and around El Valle. He will be happy to advise you based on his first hand knowledge of local real estate. Enrique is not a real estate agent but he can call on his personal knowledge and experience with local real estate to give you an insiders view of the local market. Just tell him your interests and he will be happy to share his knowledge with you. What about laundry
service and fixing my own food? There is a Laundromat
and facilities for doing your own clothes. Inquire at the hotel desk in
David's Gift Shop. Also, a communal kitchen is available, the market
next door sells fresh produce and fruits and there is a grocery store
across the street. If you like bakery products you can find the very
best at the local bakery within walking distance of the hotel, just past
the Pizza Restaurant! Can I do my email some
place in El Valle? There are a number of Internet
access facilities in El Valle. For a very modest price you can check
your email and surf the web. A community facility is also available in
the local library adjacent to the Old Church on the main thoroughfare of
the pueblo. Tourist or local, you will be welcomed there to use the
computers interfaced to the Internet or to use the other library
facilities.
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