The Best Places in the Anton Valley to Explore with Kids
On the whole, Panama has been an amazing place to visit! There’s tons to see and do in Panama City, from the colonial architecture of Casco Viejo to Panama’s world-famous canal. These are some amazing spots that are well worth the visit, but Panama has a lot more than that to offer.
If you’re looking for something a bit more off the beaten path, the Anton Valley, just a couple hours from Panama City, offers a slower-paced Panamanian experience that’s perfect for traveling with kids.
Anton Valley, Panama
Main features:
- Amazing mountain views
- Hikes with a variety of difficulty levels
- Beautiful waterfalls
- Petroglyphs
- Abundant animal life
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Anton Valley is located at the bottom of a crater of an extinct volcano, with ridges of mountains surrounding the entirety of the town. Its small-town feel, combined with its unique location makes Anton Valley a wonderful place to visit if you’re looking for interesting places to visit with your kids.
Amazing Views in the Anton Valley
Anton Valley is best known for La India Dormida, or the sleeping woman. It’s a local mountain that looks like a sleeping woman from afar, and which offers some of the best hikes and views in the area.
Hiking trails in Anton Valley
There are a variety of hikes in the area of varying difficulties, including some sunrise trails that give a great view of the surrounding landscape. Each of them has its pros and cons, but if you’re looking for just one to do, definitely check out La India Dormida loop trail.
My family really enjoyed the loop trail, which starts off at the base of La India Dormida. It’s a trail that begins easy and gets progressively more difficult the higher you climb. Since my kids are younger, we stuck with the easier portions of the trail but were still able to see some interesting petroglyphs created by some of the valley’s earlier inhabitants, as well as a couple waterfalls, tucked away behind one of the mountain’s rock walls.
If you continue higher on the trail, there are more petroglyphs and even a small cave! However high or low you hike, make sure to grab a sweet coconut duro on the way out as a cold, refreshing treat for your efforts.
Waterfalls in Anton Valley
There are several waterfalls in the area, with the most popular ones being Chorro Macho and Chorro Las Mozas. Chorro Macho is the largest waterfall in the area, with a drop of around 70 meters, but my family chose to visit Las Mozas on our trip.
From the entrance of Chorro Las Mozas, there is a riverside trail that will take you further downriver. Steep walls and tall trees lined either side of the river, providing shade from the sun and giving a secluded feeling to our trip. There are some small waterfalls nearer the entrance, but if you hike a bit further down the trail there are some larger falls, as well as some wide, shallow pools that make excellent swimming holes.
Be sure to bring your swimsuits!
Scenic Lookouts around the Anton Valley
Not far from Chorro Laz Mozas is a lookout at Cerro La Cruz. From there, you can get a great view of the whole valley!
Our guide actually took us a bit past the lookout itself to a trail that leads to the peak above the lookout point. He mentioned that sometimes the wind there can be a bit dangerous there, but when we visited there was nothing more than a slight breeze. Still, it’s a good thing to keep in mind.
Unfortunately, the one part of the valley that you can’t see from here is La India Dormida, because the lookout is located on her legs!
If you want those pictures, we got the best pictures of La India Dormida along the entrance road to the hot springs.
Seeing the Animal Life in the Anton Valley
My favorite part of any trip is getting the chance to see some animals, and the Anton Valley has a few different options there! You can, of course, spot wildlife from the trails, but I didn’t have much luck on that front, this time, so I was happy for some other options.
El Nispero Zoo
Anton Valley has its own small zoo located at the base of the Cerro Gaital National Monument. The zoo has a number of exotic birds on display, as well as some larger tropical animals such as the margay and some tapirs.
It’s a fairly small zoo, and probably not up to United States standards, but if you’re wanting to see some local animals up close, it’s one of the easiest options in the region.
Butterfly Haven
My family loves going to butterfly gardens, and we’ve made a habit of it throughout our travels, but we ran out of time and didn’t make it to that particular spot. Even so, it’s hard to go wrong with butterflies and flowers!
El Serpentario
This was one of the more unique places that we’ve ever visited, and my kids really enjoyed the experience. While we’ve seen plenty of rescue centers focused on birds or mammals, El Serpentario’s focus is on snakes and other reptiles! They’re a rescue center, so most of the animals you’ll see there are former pets from homes that can no longer take care of them, and the eventual goal is to release as many of these animals back into the wild as possible.
Alongside snakes, we saw a ton of turtles, some caimans, a couple of coatis, and even an eagle!
It’s an interesting place to check out, but it’s also fairly small, making it easy to fit into the schedule. We only spent about half an hour here, and that was plenty of time.
Amenties in the Anton Valley
One of the things I really enjoyed about Anton Valley was the way it balanced a small-town feel with some great local amenities. It doesn’t have everything you could possibly want, but it does have plenty to make sure that you are comfortable during your trip.
Places to stay in the Anton Valley
My family chose to make a day trip of our visit to the valley, and drove back to our place outside Panama City in the evening. However, as the valley is a couple hours from Panama City, so if you want to really explore everything that the valley has to offer. You can choose a place from the map below, or keep reading for my top 3 picks.
Golden Frog Inn
The Golden Frog is a beautiful hotel located just a short distance outside of town. It features a swimming pool, an on-site restaurant, and an absolutely beautiful garden area. Importantly, they also have family rooms, so the entire family can stay together.
Cabaña Villa Victoria
If having space to spread out is more important for your family than having a nice hotel bed, you may want to look into a townhouse at Cabaña Villa Victoria. These townhouses come with 2 bedrooms, as well as a space for cooking and a living space. There’s also a great garden outside, and included Wi-fi for those who need to stay connected. This is probably the route that my family would take if we did it again!
Caracoral Hotel Boutique
The Caracoral Hotel is a bit pricier than the other two options on this list, but the increase in price comes with a corresponding increase in luxury. Beautiful rooms, garden access, and free bike rentals are all available to guests, making this a rainforest hotel experience that you won’t want to miss.
Delicious and Family-Friendly Restaurants in Anton Valley
Restaurants are always some of my family’s favorite places to check out, and Anton Valley has a few good ones to choose from.
La Casa de Lourdes is a local Bed and Breakfast that opens its restaurant offerings to hungry tourists looking for a grand meal. It not only serves some of the best food in town but also has a great ambiance. Be sure to walk around their grounds!
La Divina Commedia offers great Italian food at a great price with some of the best pasta and pizza in town.
But my family ate at La Bruschetta, under the recommendation of our driver. La Bruschetta is conveniently located at the center of town, making it super easy to find, and the food was excellent! Definitely try one of their namesake bruschettas as an appetizer!
Hot Springs
The hot springs are a leftover phenomenon from the days when the Anton Valley was still the crater of a volcano, but they were unfortunately closed during our visit to the area. The springs are noted for their mud facials, which do wonders for the skin.
After a day of hiking the trails with kids, an afternoon in the hot springs is a well-earned reward.
The Anton Valley is filled with beautiful vistas, challenging hikes, and plenty of great ways to relax in nature. Whether you’re planning on just spending the day or taking it slower, there are tons of great opportunities to get outside with the kids and see some amazing sights.
