What are the main cities, towns, communities and developments of the Boquete area and what is each one like?

This is a huge question. I will confine my answer to greater Boquete area. First of all there are many neighborhoods, each with some distinctive characteristics.  Here's a listing of some of the neighborhoods:

This is a huge question. I will confine my answer to greater Boquete area. First of all there are many neighborhoods, each with some distinctive characteristics.  Here's a listing of some of the neighborhoods:

There are several thriving housing developments and also several that seem to be abandoned (or at least stalled).  These are the better known developments:

Some are more high-end than others. I'll let someone else address how they differ.

 

 

Boquete itself is a municipality, like a county or township in the US.  There are several towns, communities and districts within the municipality of Boquete, each with their own unique characteristics.  Bajo Boquete is the town itself and what most people consider as Boquete.  It is literally at the end of the highway from David.  Bajo Boquete is the seat of the municipal government and is a mixture of old, traditional styles and new...

 

Boquete itself is a municipality, like a county or township in the US.  There are several towns, communities and districts within the municipality of Boquete, each with their own unique characteristics.  Bajo Boquete is the town itself and what most people consider as Boquete.  It is literally at the end of the highway from David.  Bajo Boquete is the seat of the municipal government and is a mixture of old, traditional styles and new influences.  Most of the restaurants, stores and services are located here. 
 
Above Boquete are several other districts including Jaramillo, Alto Lino, Los Naranjos Palo Alto, Volcancito, Palmira and a few others.  These are the traditional agricultural districts and there are still coffee and vegetable farms (fincas) in the area.  For expats, most of the homes in these areas have larger properties and are surrounded by incredible vistas.   All these areas are mountainous with lush forests and climates that vary depending on elevation.
 
As you travel south from Boquete toward David you move through several other districts including Alto Boquete, Las Trancas, Los Frances, Caldera and others.  Unlike the mountain setting of Bajo Boquete, the terrain in Alto Boquete opens up as you travel down an ancient lava flow to the coast.  This area is marked by sweeping views of mountains, river canyons and the Pacific coastline in the distance.   Traveling down the new highway connecting Boquete to David (now just a 30-minute drive) you lose elevation quickly and the weather becomes warmer the further south you go.
 
The concept of the residential community started about 12 years ago with the development at Valle Escondido.  Located in Bajo Boquete, Valle Escondido is a resort-stye community with a variety of custom homes, townhouses and condominiums.  The community has a 40-room hotel, restaurant, 9-hole golf course and a clubhouse with an indoor pool and gym.  Valle Escondido was the first project in the Boquete area and now has homes with values well over $1 million.
 
Going south from Boquete toward David you’ll encounter another residential community, Boquete Country Club.  Just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from downtown Boquete, this project was originally designed to appeal to the equestrian crowd and has extensive stables and an indoor riding area.  Homes and condominiums here range from the mid-$200,000’s to the mid-$400,000’s.
 
About 8 kilometers (5 miles) to the east of Boquete Country Club is the golf community  of Lucero.  Lucero was built for the serious golfer in mind and has the only 18-hole championship golf course in the province of Chiriqui.  Based on residents looking for an active lifestyle, Lucero also has three clay surfaced tennis courts, again the only ones in the province.  Homes here run in the $600,000 to over $1 million and the development has incredible views of the Boquete area and the Pacific coastline.
 
Further down the road is Hacienda Los Molinos.  This project is well established and has nearly 100 completed homes.  Situated along a river canyon, the homesites along the canyon offer incredible views of the river below, Volcan Baru to the west and the coastline to the south.  The project has a hotel, restaurant, bar and convention center.  Because of it’s proximity to the main highway it’s distance to David (25 kilometers or around 15 1/2 miles) Hacienda Los Molinos has become an attractive option for young professional families from David.  Prices range from the mid-$170,000’s for a 2-bedroom townhouse to the low $500,000’s for a large custom home with canyon views.
 
Similar to Hacienda Los Molinos, Boquete Canyon Village has sweeping mountain views and is also located along a scenic river canyon.  The project is in its early stages with 36 completed homes, four homes under construction and two more homes scheduled to begin building in August.  Boquete Canyon Village is a pure residential community and has no central commercial activity like a hotel, public restaurant or a golf course.  The community has a recently renovated clubhouse that includes a resident’s lounge area, a coffee shop/Internet café, and beautiful outdoor swimming pool, pool bar, social area, and beautifully landscaped gardens.  Surrounded by the Talamarca mountains to the east, Volcan Baru to the north and the Pacific coastline to the south, the views enjoyed by residents of Boquete Canyon Village are stunning.  New home prices on custom building site start in the mid-$270,000’s.
 
“Boquete” is more than just a small mountain village community in Western Panama.  It is a diverse area with a variety of stunning (but different) vistas, a wide range of climate choices and residential communities and small private properties to suit just about any taste and budget.

The Boquete area can be divided in several ways. There are places which have cooler weather, up into the mountains, which some people prefer, because they want to pursue growing certain plants, for instance. As you leave Boquete and go back towards David in the lower regions, the weather is different and warmer.
 
There are other factors that people should be aware of, like water. Panama as a country, and the Boquete area particularly, is blessed with an abundance of water,...

The Boquete area can be divided in several ways. There are places which have cooler weather, up into the mountains, which some people prefer, because they want to pursue growing certain plants, for instance. As you leave Boquete and go back towards David in the lower regions, the weather is different and warmer.
 
There are other factors that people should be aware of, like water. Panama as a country, and the Boquete area particularly, is blessed with an abundance of water, but there are delivery problems, and in some places, there are severe delivery problems. Right now, there is a sufficient supply of city water and usually it is maintained well. However, most prudent people have their own supply of water as standby. We have tanks that carry a thousand gallons, or something like that. We seldom need to tap those tanks, but in just in case, when there is a municipal shortfall, we have water in reserve.
 
Money-wise, near the center core of the town tends to be more expensive, and there are some more expensive and some less expensive enclaves. Valle Escondido is the biggest and most well-known enclave and has condominiums that range from US $250,000 to homes that are around $2.5 million. In Valle Escondido you will get a country club atmosphere around a small 9-hole golf course. Valle Escondido was put up and devised by a fellow named Sam Taliaferro, an American. He died a couple of years ago. His wife and their sons manage Valle Escondido. The residential resort was a great idea and helped put Boquete on the map. You can buy in there as long as you have $300,000 to $500,000.
 
Lucero Homes is on a full sized golf course. The family responsible for Lucero owns a large printing business in Canada. They print labels all throughout Canada and the US. This family has an estate out of town and around the golf course. I think there is not a place there that is under $300,000 or $400,000 and many going up to the million dollar mark.
 
My development is just outside of Boquete on the road going towards Volcancito. This is also where many wealthy Panamanians have chosen to have secondary homes. That is why I located my tract here, appealing to both the expats and the locals with means.
 
There are some other nice areas in the Boquete area. The further you go down south towards David, the weather gets warmer, and the plots of land that the locals have are much smaller, so you will find more Panamanians who are more economically challenged. I have been told by many that security gets to be a problem in these areas. For instance, if you leave the window open and there is laptop within reaching distance, it is more in these areas where you will hear people say, “Oh I lost something, ” claiming somebody leaned in the window or something like that.
 
You should also know the road situations in the Boquete area. Some roads are far better than others and it tends to be that the closer you are to downtown, the main roads are looked after, because notable residents, like ex-presidents and their brothers use the thoroughfares, and they have homes close by. I think there are about three or four presidents who have third, fourth, or fifth homes in the Volcancito area. Also, Boquete has been the home of the former dictator, Manuel Noriega and his family. In fact, some of his children are still in Boquete. So, for these reasons these places have good roads. Every Panamanian family of any size has a second, third, or fourth home in the Boquete area.

There are several gated communities in the Chiriquí, Boquete area.
 
The one that started all of the development in this area is Valle Escondido.  It is the most expensive and the most impressive, with a golf course, hotel, spa, pool and event center.
 
Los Molinos is at a lower elevation, right on the edge of a beautiful canyon.  It’s my favorite for dining or a few drinks overlooking the waterfalls and canyon.
 
There are a variety of...

There are several gated communities in the Chiriquí, Boquete area.
 
The one that started all of the development in this area is Valle Escondido.  It is the most expensive and the most impressive, with a golf course, hotel, spa, pool and event center.
 
Los Molinos is at a lower elevation, right on the edge of a beautiful canyon.  It’s my favorite for dining or a few drinks overlooking the waterfalls and canyon.
 
There are a variety of expat gated community developments. One in particular Bella Vista, in the Jaramillo area.  Bella Vista is the worst example of the environmental destruction that greedy developers can create. They completely clear-cut hundreds of acres, right down to the bare soil. Now we have tremendous quantities of mud flowing into the rivers every time it rains.
 
So, before buying into a community, it is best to really do your homework, or you could be one of a number who suffered from landslides, eroding hillsides, floods and one house even disappearing over the cliff.
 
Most everyone goes to David (the nearest large city and provincial capital; about 40 minutes away by car) for major shopping, which is good for commercial purposes only.