El Jilguero Reserve, Cerro Punta

We built this 2 storey wood cabin in 1976 for family holidays. We now have 1 ha of garden, telephone, Wifi and electricity, mobile phone coverage, tap water from a spring, 6 hectares of cloud forest, at 7,200 feet above sea level, or 2,200 meters. Wonderful walking country. The ground floor has a double sided wood burning fireplace, one side opens to the dining and kitchen area, the other to the sitting room. And there is a deck at the front with table and chairs for al fresco meals and star gazing. And birdwatching! Quetzals, Black Guan, hummingbirds, Slaty Flower-piercer and many other endemic birds, also endemic plants and mammals. Great for nature photography.

Extraordinary birdlife, Resplendent Quetzals and Black Guan, for example, and 30 plus species of the Endemic bird area of the Chiriqui and Costa Rica Talamanca highlands. Also home to endemic plant species, including Oaks, (Quercus family) and flowering plants, orchids, tree ferns, Anthurium, Begonias.

We are on the Sendero Los Quetzales, Los Quetzales Trail. This is one of the most famous and scenic walks in Panama, taking you to Boquete in the valley the other side of the Volcan Baru. Above us is the Volcan Baru National Park, part of the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve.

From the front deck there are phenomenal views, facing southwest, to the International La Amistad Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We are 3 kms from the nearest small agricultural town, of Cerro Punta, with hotels, cafes, supermarkets. For more information find us on Facebook, El Jilguero Reserve.

Further information about the area available from Los Quetzales Hotel or Tamandua Nature Tours, Guadalupe, 3 kms away, and from ECOTOURS in Volcan. There are several websites about the Volcan Baru National Park and the Sendero Los Quetzales.
Also waterfalls and moutain streams to explore and dip in.

The house is fully furnished, plenty of blankets, with an open wood fire for heating, plus electric radiators.

The on-site Caretaker lives in a separate house on the property. He takes care of maintenance, chops the firewood, lights the fire when necessary and makes sure you are comfortable. He is also a Guide and speaks some English. The house has 3 bedrooms, upstairs, 1 with 2 single beds, 1 with a double bed, and 1 with a double bed and 1 single. There is one bathroom, with full size bath and shower upstairs. Downstairs there is the kitchen, dining, living area and a toilet with hand basin and coat hanging and boot storage. Water is piped to the house from a natural mountain spring.

The stairs are steep, please be careful. No candles or naked lights allowed, as the house is ALL wood. Double panelling. Well maintained.

About the location

The weather is a bit like English summer. Can be hot and dry, can be cold and wet! ie mountain weather. Drier in the months of February to April. You can always warm up by driving down the hill to the town of Volcan, which has restaurants, cafes, and two supermarkets, as well as gas stations. And beautiful views of Volcan Baru, Panama´s highest mountain.

The house is at 7,200 feet, 3 kms above Cerro Punta on a rural road. The town of Volcan is at 5,000 ft. The town of Boquete at 4 000 feet is an hour and a half away. And the international airport of David, the provincial capital of the Chiriqui province of Panama, is 2 hours away. At sea level. (Max one hour flight from Panama City. Rental cars available at the airport.)

Great birding, enjoying the sounds and sights of nature, walking in the hills and cloud forest.The Los Quetzales Trail starts just by the property, one of the best hikes in Panama, over the mountain pass of El Respingo to Boquete, 4-6 hours depending on your conditioning and how many birds you stop to look at.

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