We had been hearing about this great swimming spot in the river canyons near Gualaca for some time, so today we decided to go check it out. What a great afternoon! We had such a good time.
Gualaca is a town about 45 minutes from David. We took the Pan-American highway east about 14 kilometers to Chiriqui, and then headed north to Gualaca. The river canyons are just north of town and there are signs directing you to the spot.
It was a beautiful day and a beautiful drive. As we left, we stopped by to say hello to my friend Cedo. She had never been there so we brought her along. Good times are always even better shared with good friends.
It was a beautiful day for a drive.
The road from town to the canyons is also very beautiful.
As we parked we could hear the children below, and then we saw the water.
It was a nice Sunday afternoon and there were quite a few people having fun.
There were beautiful trees with bromiliads and other plants growing on them.
This huge old tree was clinging to the side of the hill.
What a beautiful place!
Mi esposo y mi amiga (my husband and my friend)
There were many families enjoying the afternoon.
I thought the water would be cold but it was very pleasant.
The water is very clear. You can see the underwater rocks in this photo.
This dad was teaching his boy to swim.
The view upriver. It wasn’t as deep here so people were swimming farther down.
The water is below that crack in the rocks and kids were having fun jumping from here to the water below.
At the end of the road where we parked is this beautiful teak forest.
There was a stream flowing through the forest the went out to the larger river.
There will definitely be more visits to this beautiful spot! If you are in the area it’s well worth a side trip to relax, swim, or just enjoy the scenery.
One more photo of the deepest part of the canyon, or the part highest above the water
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About Kris Cunningham
We live in David, Chiriqui Provence, Republic of Panama! This blog is about some of our experiences in our new country.
The Panama Adventure 
Fantastic! Gotta check that out when we get there.That’s great that you brought Cedo. A very nice lady. Great pictures as usual!
Thanks!
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Yes definitely. It’s not far from main routes and easy to find, and well worth it.
Cedo is one of my best friends here and it’s always fun to do things together. 🙂
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I’m so glad to see you guys finally got out there! Its really such a fantastic place!
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Yes, we made it! 😀
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Oh the photos are wonderful! (You are a great photographer Kris)
I’m adding this place
To my “must visit” list.
Thanks so much. Just lovely!
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Thank you so much. I’m very interested in photography so I’m happy that you like my photos 🙂
There are tons of beautiful places in Panama but if you are in this area, this one is really nice and easy to get to.
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Like, like like! My like button still won’t load. 🙂 This place is gorgeous. How could you not have a grand day here?
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Yes for sure! There are so many lovely places here, but this one is especially beautiful.
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We sure have chosen a great place to live, haven’t we?
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Oh yes indeed!
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What was the temperature at this enchanting place Kris?
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My husband thinks it was about 84 for the high today. I know some think that’s hot but I thought it was a very pleasant day, especially in the shade or with a light breeze.
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Sounds like a perfect temp!
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The sun can be strong and hot here, but generally it’s pretty pleasant.
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We are so looking forward to being warm. So cold at times on the coast here in Oregon. Beautiful though. 🙂
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Wait! It’s summer in Oregon. It’s supposed to be warm now! someone needs to turn up the heat for you all.
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Haha…I know! It was in the mid 50s here today. Gorgeous sunny day….but blowing soooo hard from the North. And cold! We get the cold Northwest wind in the Summer, and really cold Southwest wind in the Winter. And then on occasional….a warm east wind will blow, bringing the temp up to high 70s….sometimes high 80s! These kinds of days are few and far between. I cherish them when they come! I must say the cold coastal wind is starting to get to me. But still, I am counting my blessings….to be living in such a beautiful place in the world……and now, planning for a warm retirement in paradise. Panama looks so wonderful.
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Wow, I didn’t know it was so chilly there. One of my daughters lives in Seattle and summers are warmer than that. There is plenty of warmth waiting for you here!
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That’s cool to see how high the water level is. When we were there in November it was much lower.
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Really? that’s odd because November is the height of the rainy season and you would think it would be highest then. I’ll have to go back at different times and see how it is.
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Yeah, it rained the day before too! I remember jumping about 10-15 feet into the gorge before hitting water.
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I wonder if it’s just the photos. There is one area where there is just a crack in the rock and the water is a fair ways below. Other parts made for better photos though. I’ll add one more photo to this post of the deepest part.
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Yep, that last one looks about where we jumped in and water looks to be same level as when we were there. It’s definitely a fun spot!
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OK, I thought it might be something like that. Good for you for jumping! I think i’d ease myself in a bit farther downstream :o)
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