A 35 minute drive from our home in Alto Boquete is a place called Los Cangilones de Gualaca. It is a natural canyon slot in Chiriqui that has stood the test of time and is thousands of years old. The large rock formations have been shaped through the years by the Esti River. It is indeed a great spot to hang out with friends, cliff jump, and swim! Cangilon means “bucket” in Spanish or “deep vessel for collecting water”. I’ve heard that they charge $2 a car but yesterday no one was collecting money. A day of fun for free! We got there early and found a great place in the shade to set up camp. We packed lunch and libations and laughed a lot. The water was a bit cold at first but once you were in, it was very refreshing, especially since the sun was quite strong. I wore my water shoes as the rocks in the water are quite slippery.
Los Cangilones de Gualaca are very unique. The mini canyon runs for more than 130 feet until the canyon opens up. It really does look like the earth has cracked and opened up leaving the water in between. It is an awesome spot for a little adventure. You can jump from the sides of the canyon into the blue water. Craig and some friends were brave enough to jump. I chose to watch! Some of the locals were telling him “No Fear”. Here the current will carry you down to where the canyon walls subside and the water is shallow. That is a good place to get out of the water. Some of the young Panamanians were skilled enough to rock-climb up the canyon wall and do it again! Craig said that he tried to find bottom after jumping in, but did not find it.
It is summer here in and school is out. There were many families there with children enjoying the splendid day. Some people brought their dogs, music was playing, one family had an open fire cooking chicken feet soup. It smelled good, once you get past the feet part.
I recommend a visit to this place. Even if you don’t go in the water, it is truly an awe-inspiring visit. We will definitely be back.
