We (the three bloggers and husbands) all went out for lunch yesterday. Lunch was at the Jungla de Panama wildlife refuge. I believe the restaurant is independent of the refuge, but they are all on the same property. I had heard about this place for a long time and it was on my list of places I wanted to visit, so this was perfect!

The outside of the refuge.

The lunch bunch.

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The drive up is quite spectacular. Turn west at the Plaza San Francisco in Alto Boquete, follow the road as it twists and turns up into the mountains, and you will find the refuge up in the cloudforest. (See their website for more detailed directions if you want to visit)

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The grounds of the refuge with the monkey and animal enclosures ahead.

Looking back at the entrance, the restaurant ahead and the band on the lower level.

The enclosure for chickens, geese. and other birds.

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The Jungla website has much better photos of the animals so I only included a few here. The animals are very secure behind double enclosures which is good for them, but doesn’t make for good photos. There was also a field of goats, an enclosure with a turtle, a macaw in the tree, and a number of dogs on the property.

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This monkey sat still long enough for me to snap a photo.

There were a number of goats at the gate interested in their visitors.

The daddy goat wasn’t at all interested in the visitors though.

The macaw in the tree was gorgeous.

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Lunch was good. The staff had some trouble getting everything out so we could eat together, but the food was good. The company, of course, was excellent and the setting was beautiful. There is both inside and outside seating, and we enjoyed being outdoors in the very pleasant weather. There was also live music, which I believe this is the case every Sunday afternoon.

What a nice way to spend an afternoon – in a beautiful place with good friends.