We’re going to try to keep your expectations down for the Pipeline Trail, an enjoyable and relatively easy out-and-back through thick, mystical highland cloud forest that leads to a waterfall at the turnaround point.

Mostly dirt trail with a few rocky paths and short, river crossings, it's arguably the most suitable trail in Boquete (of the three or four famous ones) for older travellers, less experienced hikers, those with small children, and those who aren’t able to do some of the area’s more challenging hikes.

Totally immersed in nature, it’s pleasant walk rather than a steep slog - and we actually thought was a more scenic than the better-known El Pianista.

However, it’s impossible for us to talk about this trail without first telling you that we accidentally saw a bloody quetzal!

We’re not twitchers and tend not to get terribly excited by birds, but the Resplendent Quetzal isn’t just any bird: it’s probably Central America’s most famous and elusive. Birdwatchers come to this part of the world seeking them out specifically and, despite so many trips here over the last decade, we’d never even caught a glimpse.

Then, out of the blue, there was one - a beautiful specimen just hanging out in the tree above Emily, mere feet away.

No binoculars or patience required.

We genuinely couldn’t believe it, but then realised on our descent that the Pipeline Trail is as much a super popular bird-watching spot as it is a hiking trail. After passing five or six different groups with local spotters and all the specialist gear, we felt even jammier about our sighting.

So, whilst we can’t guarantee that you’ll see a quetzal out here, we can 100% recommend that you keep your eyes and ears open at all times for these beautiful creatures.

In this short guide, we’ll share everything you need to know to plan for the Pipeline Trail, including timings, route, costs, how to get there independently from Boquete, birdwatch tours, and what to pair it with nearby.

The Pipeline Trail Essentials

What / Popular cloud forest walk + birdwatching route near Boquete
Distance / 6.5km total
Time / 2 to 3 hours
Difficulty / Easy
Trail / Out-and-back with gentle incline and decline
Cost / $5 USD per person
Bring / Water, snacks, and layers
Route / The Pipeline Trail on AllTrails
Know / Not to be confused with The Pipeline Road near Panama City
Book / If you want a guide and transport, this tour is highly-rated

How To Get To The Pipeline Trail from Boquete

Public Transport

There are colectivos waiting on Calle 1a Sur outside the Casa Bruña supermarket (maps) - look for one with ‘Bajo Mono’ on the front. These cost $2.50 per person, and the driver we spoke to said they leave every 45-60 minutes. For this trail, we’d recommend trying to be on one for around 7.00 - 7.30am.

If staying outside the town (i.e. at the popular Bambuda Castle), then ask your hotel/hostel where’s the best place to stand on the roadside to hail it.

Depending on stops and how full the colectivo is, the journey time will be about 30 minutes from Boquete to the bus stop right by the Pipeline Trail entrance road - find it here on Google Maps.

By Car or Taxi

We had a rental car for half of our month in Panama, and it was ideal for independently exploring the fincas and trails around Boquete.

It's a beautiful 20-minute drive out from the town: winding narrow roads over hanging bridges, past little fincas, and rose farms over the river. When you come to what looks like the end of the road by the bus stop (it's not - it curves round to the left), you'll see signposts for several walks: Quetzales Trail, The Pipeline Trail, and The Lost Waterfalls Trail.

We parked by the bus stop and walked up the signposted road (note the sign says both ‘Pipeline Trail’ and ‘The Waterfall Trail’; don’t be confused as it’s not the ‘Lost Waterfall’ trail), however there’s a small car park for five to six vehicles by the ticket office (here on Google Maps) which should have space if you don’t arrive too late.

To get to the carpark, it's a bit of a rough track followed by two concrete wheel guiders, but you do not need a 4x4 or high-clearance vehicle to access it.

If you don’t have your own wheels, a taxi driver will be delighted to take you to the Pipeline Trail. You’ll find them stationed outside Parque Central (maps) - we were quoted prices ranging from $12-16. Alternatively, ask your accommodation to arrange a ride on your behalf.

Travel Tip // If you’re doing a lot of hikes and finca visits, having your own wheels is super convenient in Boquete. There are a few rental companies scattered around town charging about $40/day, whilst you can also find some deals on Rentalcars.com. If you’re considering a Panama road trip, then absolutely must read our essential Panama driving tips post.

By Tour

It’s easy to reach the Pipeline Trail with public transport or taxi, and the hike can be done without a guide, but we appreciate that some of you may prefer to have someone else take care of that for you or be joined by a knowledgable local guide - this is particularly true if you’re main goal is to spot birds!

This popular four-hour tour is well-priced and highly-rated and inlcludes your entry to the trail.

Alternatively, this option is also available on GetYourGuide. It’s an hour longer but quite a bit more expensive.

You will also see the Pipeline offered as a half-day guided tour at various accommodations and tour agencies in town.

If you’d prefer a specialist, private full-day birdwatching workshop in Boquete, then consider this highly-rated option.

Remember: whilst both popular spots with birdwatchers, Pipeline Trail in Boquete is not the same place the Pipeline Road in Panama.

The Pipeline Trail in Boquete

Opening Times & Tickets

The official opening time for the Pipeline Trail is 8am, however when we arrived at 8.30am there was no one from whom to buy tickets (the lady showed up a few minutes later). The access gate marked with ‘private property’ was however open.

If you arrive earlier than 8am, you could theoretically pass through these gates, hike the trail and pay on your way out but we can’t be certain when the gates are actually opened.

Last entry is at 3pm.

The entry fee is $5 USD per person, and you need to sign in at the time of payment. There is an official payment kiosk on the left-hand side of the gate, but the ticket lady may be milling about with a clipboard rather inside it.

There were also lots of long sticks at the kiosk which walkers could take, but we don’t know if there was any fee.

By the way, this was the only trail we did Boquete that had a bathroom available. It’s to the left, toward the house and likely past some chickens and dogs, but you’re best off asking the lady. It was very clean but, as one of us unfortunately discovered after too much of a rogue hot sauce the previous evening, there may not be any toilet paper (which this is the reason we always have an emergency stash of tissues / toilet paper in our daypacks in Central America).

Good to Know // The Pipeline is very close to the entrance for the equally popular but more challenging Tres Cascadas / Lost Waterfalls hike, so combining them into the same day trip from Boquete seems to make a lot of sense.

But it’s not quite as simple as that.

In fact, the daily rhythm of Boquete’s very specific climate - clear skies and crisp sunshine in the early mornings, then cloud and rain beginning to roll in from around midday - means all hikes are best done in the morning. Anything started in the afternoon has a significant chance of being wet, grey, and less enjoyable. You may get lucky with exceptional weather, but in our experience and from asking lots of locals, that pattern is very much the rule of thumb and may thwart your plans to double up.

Instead, a better idea is to do the Pipeline and Tres Cascadas on separate mornings.

Going Up

Once you’re in, the Pipeline Trail is pretty straightforward - you can find and download the Pipeline Trail route map we followed here: Hidden Waterfall via Pipeline Trail

To begin with you'll pass grassland, wild flowers, and a few houses at the start, and whilst the rocky trail feels quite flat, it’s actually a very gentle ascent.

About 30 minutes/1.5km in, there are two short, creaky pipeline bridges to cross over and, as the name suggests, it’s one of many pipeline sightings you’ll have on the walk and general area. These hulking metal tubes transport fresh water from the cloud forest and hills down to the town and run alongside several roads, but most of the pipeline you’ll follow today is white plastic.

This section of the trail is largely through a glorious, humid part of the cloud forest, with beautiful foliage all around. There's less canopy cover here than many cloud forests we’ve hiked previously, so you actually get to the enjoy the light hitting the plants and it’s all rather lovely. It felt as close to a Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) sort of experience as one could hope, rather than a sweaty upward slog, so do drink + breathe it in.

At two kilometres, there’s a sign to the left saying 'Habitat del Quetzal, recorrido 2 kilometros, 1780 feet above sea level', and it was mere metres before this that we had our incredible encounter with the wild quetzal. Just look at how gorgeous he is!

From this point you’ll continue along the Pipeline Trail toward several of the giant, magical-seeming trees in this wonderfully untamed, tangling virgin forest. The main attraction is a ginormous THOUSAND year-old Mexican tree on the left of the trail.

If there’s a tree that could convince you to set aside any cynicism and lay your hand on it for a bit of energy or healing, this is probably the one.

At 3km, you’ll see the first sign for the waterfall ('Hacia la Cascada’) from which you need to continue straight, toward the sound of tumbling water, before reaching a second sign and a shallow river crossing. This wasn’t a problem in the dry seaon, but may be more challenging after heavy rains. From here the trail becomes a little less clear and ascends a little more sharply. You’ll encounter what looks a like a small landslide but there is a path up through the rocks with a rudimentary wooden handrail that requires a little bit of scrambling. We did read reports of others struggling with this section, but we personally had no problems.

This is where you’ll get first sight of the two waterfalls, seemingly hidden within a secret, ancient kingdom, somewhere untouched and undisturbed save for the presence of a white plastic pipeline. Indeed, the waterfalls themselves really aren’t that impressive during the rainy season (especially in comparison to the nearby Lost Waterfalls Trail), but the setting is truly magical.

That, alongside the enjoyable walk immersed in nature, is the main reason we recommend this - plus the rare chance to actually spot that elusive quetzal!

Note that there is a small handmade sign saying 'no pase peligroso' (don’t pass, dangerous) before the short section of trail which led to the waterfall. However, all the routes we saw and referred to included the waterfall as the culmination and turnaround point, so we’re not sure if this is new. Use your judgement, but we feel quite confident in stating that this impassability will be based on when the water levels swells, so it won't be relevant all times of year.

However, please do let us know if that’s not the case or the situation changes, and we’ll happily update the post.

Distance | 3.25km

Time | 90 minutes

Going Back

Once you’re done, simply turn back and return along the same trail. It took us about an hour, again at a gentle pace, and there were five or six large birdwatching groups scattered along the way and lots of hummingbirds.

There was nobody at the entrance desk, so we just kept on walking back down to our car. The lady appeared out of nowhere though, rushing down with her pen and paper, so do make a point of signing out before you leave!

For the colectivo back to Boquete, simply continue on down the road to the bus stop.

Distance | 3.25km

Time | 40 minutes

Bring & Know

If you’ve read any of our other hiking guides, you’ll know we’re always banging on about how important hiking boots are for doing Central America right. However, this is the one trail where your footwear choice isn’t as important, and you’d be fine with a decent pair of trainers (just not your favourite white ones).

However, proper hiking boots are still your best friend to avoid slips, trips, and minimise injuries!

You need to bring any snacks and water with you as there’s nothing available at the entrance or nearby. We’re huge fans of Water-To-Go filter bottles, and they’ve joined us on this hike as well as many others in Latin America. You just fill them up from nearly any source, and the filter does all the hard work to instantly give you clean drinking water. You can buy them here on Amazon or get a discount on the official website with the code ‘ADR15’

We always recommend having a route map and GPS downloaded before setting off on a hike, but it isn’t really essential for this walk; we used and recommend AllTrails, and this its Pipeline Trail route map. The app is super useful as recent hikers leave reviews and updates on conditions or changes.

We should also mention the Sendero Los Quetzales, a challenging 18.2-km out-and-back trail that’s popular with birders. However, it’s been closed for a while (including on our visit) and information about why and whether it will reopen again is really inconsistent.

The eastern trailhead https://maps.app.goo.gl/t19UmeXna7iTPouw7

Travel Tip // Two of Panama’s most prestigious coffee producers are in the same ‘Bajo Mono’ loop, and we recommend heading over to one of those after your hike’s done. Finca Lérida is the most-visited and offers a cafe plus more affordable coffee tasting tours & workshops, we suggest those who really love a good coffee to savour head to Elida Estate Coffee (maps) If you’ve got time on your hands, they’re just a short walk from each other, so it’s possible to do both.

Plan // Find more hikes and inspiration your visit in guide on the best things to do in Boquete