The Flower and Coffee Fair in Boquete

What it is

Boquete is a small town in the highlands of Chiriquí province, on the slopes of the Barú volcano. It is cool, misty and green, known for coffee, and its gardens are full of flowers that will not grow in the hot lowlands of Panama. Each January, for about ten days, it holds the Feria de las Flores y del Café. The fairground beside the Caldera river is planted months ahead with beds of marigolds, petunias, impatiens, dahlias and lilies. Around them are stalls of orchids, crafts, coffee and food, and music that goes on late. Families come from across the country.

Before you go

• Go in the morning for the flowers. Evenings are for concerts and are loud.
• The fairground gardens stay planted for some weeks after the fair, when it is calmer.
• The town also holds an orchid show, usually around March or April.

The flowers you will see

MarigoldA group of bright annual and perennial flowers known worldwide as marigoldsPetuniaA South American garden flower with trumpet-shaped blooms in many coloursDahliaA bushy perennial with tuberous roots and bright, star-shaped bloomsOrchidA vast family of colourful, often fragrant flowers found almost everywhere on earthArabian coffeeThe white-flowered shrub whose beans make most of the world’s coffee