Premium
#1714
Adventure in the Mountains of Panama
House • Santa Fe Panama
Exchange types accepted
Statistics
Listed March 2019
Views 4013
General overview
Lonely Planet describes Santa Fe de Veraguas as "the undiscovered gem of Panama" and we like that our village is still off the radar. Santa Fe is on the border of a 70,000 hectare national park where jaguars still roam. We are known for rivers, waterfalls, orchids and butterflies. The hiking is incredible. There is a new road to the Caribbean side for those wanting river/beach adventure. We live in paradise.
Our home is about ten minutes from Santa Fe in an area called La Pandura. The area is peaceful and quiet. In the garden are orange, tangerine, lemons, bananas and guanabana trees. You are welcome to harvest whatever fruit is in season. We have no need for air conditioning or heating, as the climate is perfect year round. Several years ago we transitioned to entirely solar power in the main house.
The space
Our house was designed to take advantage of the 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. We have a solar system that powers the main house and carport. Power outages are no longer a problem! Our internet/wifi is through Starlink. The main floor has a large kitchen and dining room, expansive living room and a screened porch. Two spacious bedrooms, and a full bath, are downstairs and have a private terrace with hammocks. The private master suite is located across a bridge connecting to the main house. The master bedroom has a king size bed and private bath and terrace. The covered third floor is perfect for watching the afternoon sunset and having a cocktail in the evening. There is plenty of room for everyone to spread out and enjoy. We do ask you leave $75 for Victorio and Fulvia as a cleaning fee when you depart.
Guest access
The house has three stories and sits on six private hectares (15 acres). The master bedroom is on the main floor and is wheel chair/handicap acessible. There is also a small apartment across the yard which has one bedroom, a small kitchen/living room and bath.
Notes
Adventurous travelers can use our cabin in the mountains, a two hour walk from Santa Fe. Or you can take a four wheel drive taxi road conditions permitting. The cabin is rustic, but has a propane stove, indoor plumbing and kerosene lanterns for light. The waterfalls cascade below our cabin. Observing life in the village is one of the highlights of a trip to Panama.
The large city of Santiago is about an hour south of Santa Fe. In Santiago you can find good grocery stores, gas and banks.
We have a worker, Victorio, Monday through Friday who takes care of the garden animals. Our little dog will be with a friend during your stay. The two cats are outdoor cats. Fulvia will clean before and after your visit and once a week during your stay.
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Wheelchair accessible
Smoke alarms
Bed sheets
Towels
BBQ
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Covered porch / verandah
Travel Styles
Long term
Adventure
Family
Sport and leisure
Eco
Luxury
Village
Mountains
Beach
Water
Remote
Tropical
Hiking
House rules
Unsuitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Smoke free
Dates of Availability
Click on availability periods to see exchange types and descriptions.
Non-reciprocal Only
Neighbourhood
If you are looking for the "real" Panama, Santa Fe is it. Our neighbors are Panamanians and few people speak English. Having said that, you will be made very welcome in our town. People are friendly and curious. Our home is about 10 minutes by car from Santa Fe in a beautiful, tranquil setting with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. The house is a 10 minute walk to an idyllic place on the river to swim.
Getting to my home
Most people fly into Tocumen International (Pty) in Panama City to spend a few days before traveling on to Santa Fe. Buses run to Santiago every half hour from Panama City (4 hours). Or you can rent a car which is useful for seeing the country and getting around our area. Four wheel drive is not necessary. I can arrange for a driver to pick you up in Santiago, take you grocery shopping, and bring you to our home outside of Santa Fe. The road to Santa Fe from Santiago can be challenging. A new road has been approved but that may take a while. Getting to Santa Fe is part of the adventure!
Nearest airport
Santiago has a private airport that offers twice weekly flights from Panama City
Getting around
Panama has excellent public transportation. Buses pass by our gate almost every hour. Taxis are inexpensive. All major rental car agencies are available in Santiago or Panama City if you choose to rent a car.
Map of Approximate Location
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Feedback
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We stayed in Janet and John's beautifull house in Sant Fe and had a wonderfull time. We haven't had the change to meet them in person, but met quite some people of their community. We had a welcome dinner made for us by a friend, the housekeeper Victorio and his son Victor helped us with our plans and we stayed in their hut while a family cooked for us. It was a wonderfull experience and we got to meet so many wonderful people. The national park of Sante Fe is beautifull. We did a night jungle tour, hiked and swimmed in a waterfal and it all felt amazing. -
Thank you Janet, for the great experience. We really loved the amazing nature, beautiful home and neverending hospitality. Thank you for everything! -
This is one of the best exchanges we have ever done (in over 100+)--if you get the opportunity, definitely go! Janet and John are so welcoming and a wealth of information--I am so glad we changed our original plans to visit Santa Fe for a such an incredible week...from the welcome dinner, to staying at their very cool cabin in the mountain village of el Salto, lots of gorgeous waterfall hikes to secret swimming holes. Santa Fe is a hidden gem (and not super touristy). We also just loved hanging out at their casita and picking oranges to make delicious fresh squeezed orange juice. The hikes and views are spectacular. Also I loved that I got to speak Spanish with the local families who guided and cooked their local specialty sancocho for us. We spent a day going with Janet and John to see another cottage they are building in Calovebora on the Caribbean coast (and hope to return to stay there at some point!). Janet also was a wealth of info for the rest of trip (Casco Viejo in Panama City, La Enea, Santa Catalina and Coiba Island, and Valle de Anton). I can't recommend this exchange enough-5 stars! -
Janet & John's stunning, spacious & comfortable home is surrounded by trees with great views across the valleys to the mountains beyond. It is very well equipped with everything you need and is a unique design with a third storey bird watching area plus a large master bedroom connected by a bridge. The friendly and kind Victorio is on hand to sort out any problems and Janet is only a message away. She is incredibly helpful, arranging things from afar and very generous organizing a welcome meal on arrival. The local coffee & eggs provided was also a real treat. We thoroughly enjoyed our walks along dirt roads & tracks, swimming in rivers and meeting an extremely welcoming community of locals & ex-pats. We were delighted to see and hear approximately 50 different bird varieties including 3 species of toucans. Janet & John, a thousand thanks for a pretty amazing exchange! See you in NZ. -
We just returned from a fabulous trip to Panama and an even more fantastic stay at Janet and John's incredible place in Santa Fe. Although we are experienced travelers, we did not know much about Panama and even less about Santa Fe. After visiting friends in Panama City, we travelled to Santa Fe where we found a lovely home surrounded by flowers and trees. Everything was prepared for our arrival. The house is very private and there is a wonderful caring and interesting community. Vittorio, the guard, always available for questions and help, his son to drive us around, Claire who filled our fridge with tasty food, fresh greens and eggs, the hotel of Cindy where we could use internet, Esther and Egberto in El Salto, who showed us the waterfall and served one of the best soups of Panama. And there was Christian, a very knowledgeable bird guide of Santa Fe National Park. And, from a distance, Janet made sure all was organized to perfection! Janet & John's place is a gem, very tastefully decorated and furnished. The eye for detail and their love for the environment speak volumes. We enjoyed every minute and spent hours on the terrace watching birds. In one day birding with Christian we already saw close to 60 species. And on a Sunday morning we were woken up by a stunning Lineated Woodpecker. We were lucky to have 3 weeks in Panama and our trip included other beautiful places like Isla de Coiba, Cerro Hoya, El Valle de Anton and the Metropolitan Park in Panama City, but the stay in Santa Fe formed the best introduction to Panama we could have imagined. We really fell in love with Panama. We used a globe for this stay, but we sincerely hope Janet and John will visit The Netherlands/Amsterdam one day so we can return some of their hospitality. It was an unforgettable visit. -
Janet's home was fantastic in every way! It is an incredibly beautiful home with so many gorgeous details everywhere. It is very comfortable, and the views from the deck are incredible. It was a pleasure to get up every morning and watch the changing fog, and the birds, from the hammocks on the deck. We even saw toucans in the yard! We felt to lucky to be able to exchange in Santa Fe, as it is a fantastic community with beautiful scenery and so much for an outdoor-loving person to do. Everything was so close and so available to explore. We loved going to the swimming holes in the Santa Fe area, not only for the swimming, but bird watching and people watching too! And the waterfalls were great, especially at the El Salto cabin. Janet was always available to offer advice and assistance, really helping make us feel welcome and nothing was too much for Janet to assist with! We really appreciated it, and her Panama friends and colleagues were also so very helpful and helped us figure out the intricacies of life in Panama. It was a truly unique area, a fantastic place to explore and a relaxing and unforgettable holiday. We feel so lucky that we were able to exchange with Janet and look forward to her stay at ours. -
We had a fabulous time at this gorgeous home and in this warm, welcoming community. Janet was an amazing host; warm, friendly, attentive and so very, very thoughtful. The house and gardens are beautifully designed and maintained - we couldn't believe our luck when we arrived. The kids loved the hammocks. We loved the handmade furniture. We all loved the thunder and lightning shows out over the mountains every evening. If you're feeling adventurous, but love your home comforts, this is a dream come true. Thank you so much Janet and John. We cant wait to have you at ours!
Premium
Janet
John and I have been home exchanging for over 15years and love this way of traveling. We've lost count but I think we've done over 100 exchanges all over the world. We're adventurous people who look for places off the beaten path. But we enjoy cities and are open to just about anywhere. Sometimes we travel with another couple or our adult children.
Travelling group
Desired Destinations
Open to any destination
Can travel at any time
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
"Would love to visit in August 2026 for the eclipse"
Dates flexible
"Would like to visit Alaska during September 2025"
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