Practicalities
There's no bus terminal in El Valle, but all buses run down Av Principal. Buses from Panama City (2hr 30min) arrive every 35 minutes or so between 7.30am and 6.30pm, and minibuses arrive every 45 minutes from San Carlos (20min). The small IPAT office (Wed-Sun 8.30am-4.30pm; tel 983 6474), in a kiosk next to the market, has lots of information, including good maps. The Banco Nacional has an ATM on Av Principal by the turn-off for El Nispero. The Hotel Don Pepe offers Internet access to clients (the Residencial El Valle is also planning to open an Internet cafe). You can rent bicycles (US$2/hr) from the Residencial Don Pepe , and horses (US$3.50/hr) from a little kiosk near the Hotel Campestre , about ten minutes' walk out of town to the northeast. In both cases you'll probably get a better price on weekdays, or for a whole day. There's a good range of accommodation in El Valle, though it's relatively expensive and tends to fill up at weekends, when prices go up. The Santa Librada restaurant (tel 983 6376; US$5-15) on Av Principal is the best budget option, with several rooms of varying size, comfort and price; while the Motel Nina Delia (tel 983 6110; US$10-15), also on Av Principal, has small gloomy rooms and a pleasant patio and garden. Moving upmarket, the Hotel Don Pepe (tel 983 6425, www.pmaol.com/hotelpepe.htm ; US$25-40) and the very similar Residencial El Valle (tel 983 6536; US$25-40), next to each other beside the market on Av Principal, both offer modern, comfortable rooms. The most luxurious place is the Hotel Los Capitanes (tel 983 6080, fax 983 6505, www.panamainfo.com/loscapitanes ; US$60-80), which has spacious, well-furnished rooms set amid beautiful grounds. Locals sometimes rent out rooms - ask at IPAT. There are several restaurants in town, though most only open at weekends. Of those that are open daily, the Santa Librada , on the main street, is by far the best, serving very good tipica food; its sister restaurant, the Santa Librada II , is much the same. For basic, filling and inexpensive meals, try the restaurant inside the covered market. Opposite the market, Pinocchio's serves decent pizza and ice cream. The restaurant at Los Capitanes serves good but expensive international cuisine, with main courses from about US$10. Moving on from El Valle you can either take a direct bus to Panama City or a minibus to San Carlos, where you can flag down buses heading in either direction along the Interamericana.
Your Tip for El Valle
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to El Valle - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to El Valle - visit the main El Valle forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the El Valle webguide section below! Thanks.
|
