Rancho de Caldera, Caldera,Boquete,Chiriqui,Panama

Surrounding Area

Rancho de Caldera is located in the mountains of western Panama, in the small town of Caldera. It is located 20 minutes from Boquete, 40 minutes from David and 6-7 hours from Panama City, or 1 hour by plane.

There are many attractions and activities in the area. Enjoy the natural hot springs in Caldera, hike through the canyons, climb the mountains, and explore the many waterfalls. If you are a bird lover, study and view the extraordinary variety of birds in the area. For excitement, try a day of world class river rafting or a tree trekking adventure. If you are a coffee lover, take a tour of a coffee plantation and factory, which includes a tasting. For an all day trip, go fishing, snorkeling or scuba diving in the Pacific.

Rancho de Caldera is completely off the grid and uses a combination of solar power and hydro-electric power to run the facilities. We have planted many types of fruit trees and vegetables which are already beginning to produce fruits and vegetables. We are growing jatropha to produce our own bio-diesel fuel, which will run our diesel vehicle and our back-up generator. Learn more about sustainability and independence at Rancho de Caldera.

Accommodations

All standard and deluxe rooms* include free wireless Internet, TVs, iPod docking stations, mini-refrigerators/freezers, microwaves, toasters, ample outlets, 400 count cotton linens, fans, local phones, and large, covered porches. These rooms have either a king bed and a large bathtub/shower combination, or 2 queen beds with a large walk-in double shower. All the standard and deluxe rooms have large, covered porches.

*Deluxe rooms include all of the above plus massage chairs and a closer proximity to the pool and restaurant.

Junior suites include all of the above plus a full kitchen, a dining set for 6, and a sofa set. The deluxe junior suite has all of the above plus a massage chair, and closer proximity to the pool and restaurant.

The 2 discount rooms have no TVs, air conditioning or outside porches; also, these 2 rooms share 1 bathroom.

Rooms/Suites

There are 2 types of rooms at Rancho de Caldera - bedrooms and junior suites, and they come as standard or deluxe rooms.

Overall, there are 3 large cabins, each with 3 separate standing but connected rooms; these cabins are the Arbor, Palm and Point houses. The Arbor and Palm houses are standard cabins, and the Point house is the deluxe cabin. Each cabin has a bedroom with a king bed, connected to a junior suite, and then connected to another bedroom with 2 queen beds. The rooms are connected with covered, locking, private hallways. Guest can reserve bedrooms, junior suites, full cabins, or any combination of rooms.

Amenities

Rancho de Caldera has a hilltop restaurant, Madre Tierra, with a breathtaking view of the Chiriqui Province and the surrounding mountains. Adjacent to the restaurant is the infinity edge pool, where guests can relax, swim and sun bathe. Other things to do at Rancho de Caldera include hiking through the canyon to see the waterfalls, horseback riding, touring the alternative energy facilities (by appointment), bird watching, weather watching and just plain relaxing.

The main building has a large room that can be used for small (up to 25 people) business meeting and seminars. There is a large screen and audio/video equipment.

Services Offered

In-room massages are available with trained massage therapists with advance scheduling.

Airport transportation is available for guests not renting a car, but we recommend renting a car if you are interested in seeing any of the local area or if you are planning to do any of the off-site activities. Local transportation is not reliable.

Restrictions

See the full description of all hotel policies on the website.

Children 12 and older are welcome at Rancho de Caldera. Children 11 and younger are not permitted at Rancho de Caldera.

Rancho de Caldera is a non-smoking facility and thus smoking is not allowed anywhere except on the private porches of individual cabins.

A 1 night deposit is required to hold the reservation and a minimum stay of 2 nights is required.

Rates & Availability

(Discounts available - see discount section below)

Rack Rates:
Standard Bedrooms: $160/night
Unit 1 – With a king bed and bathtub/shower combo
Unit 3 – With 2 queen beds and a large walk-in double shower
Unit 4 – With a king bed and bathtub/shower combo
Unit 6 – With 2 queen beds and a large, walk-in double shower

Deluxe Bedrooms (same as standard rooms but with closer proximity to the restaurant and pool, as well as having massage chairs): $180/night
Unit 7 – With a king bed and a bathtub/shower combo
Unit 9 – With 2 queen beds a large walk-in double shower

Junior Suites (with queen bed, full kitchen, dining table and chairs, sofa and massage chair, and shower): $190/night
Unit 2
Unit 5

Deluxe Junior Suites (with queen bed, full kitchen, dining table and chairs, sofa and massage chair, and shower, and close proximity to the pool and restaurant): $220/night
Unit 8

Discount Rooms in the Main House $60/night:
2 rooms in the main house with 2 queen beds, no A/C or TV, and a shared bathroom

Each room sleeps 2 people; one extra guest allowed in each room for $35/person/night

Other Information

Cancellation Policy:

High Season (Nov - April): If you cancel more than 30 days ahead, you will receive your deposit back less $30; if you cancel more than 14 days in advance and up to 30 days in advance, you will be charged 50% of the full room charges; if you cancel 14 days or less in advance, you will be charged 100% of the full room charges.


Low Season (May - Oct): If you cancel more than 15 days ahead, you will receive your deposit back less $30; if you cancel more than 7 days in advance and up to 15 days in advance, you will be charged 50% of the full room charges; if you cancel 7 days or less in advance, you will be charged 100% of the full room charges.

Please purchase travel insurance!

Directions

From the David Airport:
1. As you exit the airport, bear right at the first Y (fire station in front of you), and then turn left out of the airport onto Hacia Aeropuerto.
2. Drive 3.2 km (you will see the prison on your right) and turn left onto Calle F.
3. Drive 1.6 km and you will come to a dead end; turn right onto the Interamericana highway.
4. Drive 2.9 km; before the turn you will pass a Shell station on your right and a Toyota dealer on the left; turn left onto the road just after the Toyota dealer, and just before the Novey Store. This is Hacia Boquete.
5. Drive 25.5 km and turn right at the Caldera turnoff (it is a large, main road); there is a large red cell tower on the right just a couple of hundred feet after the turn so if you pass the cell tower, you have missed the turn. You will pass Los Molinos on the left ½ mile before the turn.
6. Drive 9.5 km & turn left onto the asphalt road, between the church & the large soccer /baseball field.
7. Stay on this road for a total of 1.2 km; it has a 90 turn but just stay on the asphalt and about 100 yards before our entrance, the asphalt turns to gravel; keep going and turn left into Rancho de Caldera.
8. Drive 1 km to the parking lot near the top of the hill; it is across from the pool and to the left of the 3 cabins near the top (do not drive to the house all the way at the top); park there and walk by the pool to the office.

From Boquete:
1. Starting at the Cefati Building (the tourist center at the top of the hill on Via Boquete), drive 10.2 km south on Via Boquete, to the Caldera turnoff (just a couple of hundred feet after the large red cell tower).
2. Turn left.
3. Drive 9.5 km & turn left onto the asphalt road, between the church & the large soccer/baseball field.
4. Stay on this road for a total of 1.2 km; it has a 90 turn but just stay on the asphalt and about 100 yards before our entrance, the asphalt turns to gravel; keep going and turn left into Rancho de Caldera.
5. Drive 1 km to the parking lot near the top of the hill; it is across from the pool and to the left of the 3 cabins near the top (do not drive to the house all the way at the top); park there and walk by the pool to the office.

Driving From Panama City:
1. As you begin to approach the city of David (approximately 11 km outside of David), you will pass through the town of Chiriqui; watch for the signs for Gualaca. You will see a Delta gas station on the right – the road you want is just before the station; turn right.
2. (we are a total 52.5 km from here) Turn right onto this road and go straight. You will be on this road for about 30 km. After 21 km there is a Y sign for a road going off to the left – do not take this road (it is a smaller road); keep on the main road. Keep going straight, and after a total of 28.2 km, there is another Y in the road – this time bear to the left.
3. A couple of minutes later you will come to the stop sign in Gualaca (Huaquitas gas station in front of you), turn left. You are at 29.8 km.
4. At 30 km there is a curve in the road – keep on the main road – do not take the road to the left; same thing at 30.2 km
5. At 40 km you begin approaching the dam; be very careful as there are 5 NASTY speed bumps – go over them very slowly. There are 2 before the dam and 3 after it. The first bump is at 40.4 km and the last is at 41.3 km.
6. Continue on this road until it ends (at 47.7 km).
7. At the stop sign, turn right.
8. Drive 2.7 km & turn left onto the asphalt road, between the church & the large soccer/baseball field.
9. Stay on this road for a total of 1.2 km; it has a 90 turn but just stay on the asphalt and about 100 yards before our entrance, the asphalt turns to gravel; keep going and turn left into Rancho de Caldera.
10. Drive 1 km to the parking lot near the top of the hill; it is across from the pool and to the left of the 3 cabins near the top (do not drive to the house all the way at the top); park there and walk by the pool to the office.

Discounts Offered

Jubilado / Pensionado discounts available to eligible Panamanean residents.

High Season Discounts (November 2009 - April 2010):

25% off of all rooms except the discount rooms for stays of 3 days or more.