Chiriqui Highlands Region
Hotel Finca Lerida
Finca Lerida is one of Boquete’s oldest and most traditional coffee estates. Established in 1922 and, since 1957 until recently, owned and run by members of the Collins family, At an altitude of 5,500 feet on the foothills of the Baru Volcano in western Panama, the estate is surrounded by expanses of primary and secondary cloud forest, preserved originally to protect the water source needed to process the coffee, and contains some of the richest biodiversity of the region. Finca Lerida has a network of professionally built trails where one can usually see the resplendent quetzal and other high altitude birds, and marvel at the magnificent flora within its cloud forest, including huge tree ferns and boughs festooned with various species of epiphytes and orchids.
Facilities
Good network of trails, historic coffee factory, lush gardens
Local Wildlife
As per Robert S. Ridgley's A Guide to the Birds of Panama, Finca Lerida is a good place to go "searching for quetzals and other [cloud forest] specialties", something birders have done for over 70 years. An indication of its importance is the fact that a unique collection of over 1600 bird specimens collected in the vicinity of Lerida by its original owner was donated to the Chicago Natural History Museum in 1957 and now enjoys its own special exhibit. Highland species seen at the lodge include the resplendent quetzal, collared trogon, orange-bellied trogon, three-wattled bellbird, dark pewee, silvery-throated tanager, sulphur-winged parakeet, black guan, violet sabrewing, stripe-tailed hummingbird, white-tailed emerald, volcano hummingbird, white-throated mountain-gem, scintillant hummingbird, prong-billed barbet, red-headed barbet, acorn woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, silvery-fronted tapaculo, barred becard, black-faced solitaire, buff-fronted quail dove, spotted wood quail and the rufous-collared sparrow.
Optional Activities
Birdwatching, hiking, horse riding, coffee estate tour, visit the picturesque town of Boquete
John Melton
Area Specialist
Look out of the resplendent quetzal whilst exploring the Finca’s private cloud forest reserve.
If you have any questions regarding our Panama tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
Overall excellent - good accommodation, delicious food and an especially excellent guide.
