Yesterday we decided to explore Puerto Armuelles. It took us slightly over an hour to get there from David. We went to Paso Canoas on the Panama – Costa Rica border and then south, on good roads all the way.
I learned most of what I know from this article HERE. Chiquita Banana, a part of United Fruit used to have banana plantations in the area. Supertankers with Alaskan oil also used to come to the deep water nearby to have their oil loaded on to smaller ships that could pass through the canal, and then reach refineries on the gulf coast of the US. Since neither of these activities are going on now, the area is quite depressed.
But, there are plans in the works. There is a very good two lane road now, and they are currently working very hard to widen it to four lane. According to the article there are plans for a deep water container port, a cruise ship port, a marina, and storage facilities. The road will be part of a “dry canal” connecting these facilities to Chiriqui Grande on the Caribbean side of Panama.
Also, the government has forgiven the crushing debt of the banana workers cooperative that formerly managed the banana plantations, and has taken ownership of the plantations. It wants to sell them to companies who will employ the most workers.
It will be very interesting to see what goes on in Panama in the coming years. Is the new four lane road between David and Boquete part of this “dry canal”? If so, are they going to build more road past Boquete to connect it with Chiriqui Grande? Will there also be a port at Chiriqui Grande? All this road building is great but are they also going to do something about the state of the PanAmerican Highway between David and Santiago? It is the lifeline through the country and is in great need of repair.
Anyway, here are some of the photos I took of Puerto Amuelles so you can get an idea of what it looks like now. We thought about exploring more of the area to the south but we only found a bumpy gravel road. We were able to drive a ways to the northeast but soon found ourselves again facing only a gravel road so we only saw the main part of town. (our car isn’t the gravel road sort of car) Almost all of the photos were taken from the car so apologies for the quality of some of them.
So, that’s all I know about Puerto Armuelles. Please feel free to correct or fill in any information. I think the area has a lot of potential. There is a lot of waterfront with development possibilities, a good road, a big enough town to provide daily necessities and easy access to Paso Canoas and David. Right now it is an area in need of revival. But, in the future it might be something to consider for people who want to be close to the beach.
The Panama Adventure 
As usual, your descriptions and pictures make us long to be there and join the “adventure”. Can’t wait for June to hurry and get here.
LikeLike
I think there are other things that you will want to see first, but I was glad to go down there and see what it’s like.
LikeLike
Puerto Armuelles, or ‘Porto’ as the Panamanians refer to it, is the second largest city in Chiriqui Province, after David. When I was in the final stages of moving down here I was negotiating with someone to rent one of the old banana plantation houses. Fortunately I got a sweet deal house sitting a wonderful place in Potrerillos Arriba instead. I’ve taken one bus trip over to Porto and found it interesting, but definitely NOT a place I’d want to live.
LikeLike
Me either, but it will be interesting to see what the future holds. Some friends confirmed the plans for the port for the cargo and cruise ships. They also said if you follow the gravel road farther south there is a beautiful beach down there. I can see if things start happening in the area it could become quite a bit more attractive, especially for those who love to be close to the water.
LikeLike
I was interested in buying there. Until I discovered there are 17-20 foot tides on the Pacific side. Makes it almost impossible to moor a boat to take advantage of the beautiful water. Plus, most of the town is a dump.
LikeLike
17-20 foot tides??! Wow, that would be a challenge. There were a few small boats at the end of the pier but I didn’t see anything else. And, as you say there isn’t a lot to be said for the town at this point. But, if there is going to be all this development going on in the area maybe it would be an opportunity for someone who wants to buy some property.
LikeLike
Hi Kris. Well started a conversational Spanish class here in Charleston SC. Two of my classmates are from Boca Chica who haven’t arrived as of yet. oye. Hope to see them by class three. Ciao. David.
LikeLike
Really?! Small world, huh? You could always go get them 😀 Great excuse to visit a beautiful place, and you can practice your Spanish
LikeLike
Hello Kris, as usual your trips are very informative. I was wondering how it was in that area, thanks for opening my eyes. I think I will think of either David or Boquete as a place to live. Great photos and captions, we love your trips and the way you show us in a journal. Can’t wait to go back in June.
LikeLike
I’m glad you found it helpful. I was curious too. On the map it looks like an interesting area and it might be something to consider in the future but right now, probably not.
LikeLike