Volcán Barú Farm Roads

Volcán Barú tops out at 3,474 meters — the highest point in Panama — and its lower slopes are laced with rough farm tracks and old roads cut across ancient lava fields. That's our playground for the day: 35 kilometers of loose rock, hardpack, and rutted doubletrack with 900 meters of climbing.

We start at 07:30 to catch the clearest air of the day. The climbs are long and the surfaces are honest mountain terrain; nothing here is groomed.

On a clear morning the flanks of Barú serve up the best views in Chiriquí — the whole Volcán valley spread out below, ridgelines stacking toward the Costa Rican border, and on the luckiest days a glint of the Pacific far to the south.

What goes up comes down: the second half of the ride is dominated by long, fast descents on farm roads where you'll want both brakes and all your attention. This is the ride our guides do on their days off.

Experienced mountain bikers only. You should be comfortable descending on loose rock, braking hard on steep grades, and climbing for 45 minutes at a stretch. Minimum age 14, maximum group of six, and a guide who knows every rut on the mountain.