Volcán Barú
Panama's highest peak and only volcano — the summit offers the only place on Earth where you can see both the Pacific and Caribbean on a clear day.
DAV · MPDA · Panama
Enrique Malek International Airport
David — Chiriquí — Boquete. 45 min to Boquete / 30 min to David city.
Runway
2743m
Surface
Asphalt
Elevation
26m
Hours
6am-8pm
Book your private flight to David
Airport at a glance
David — Panama
Chiriquí is where Panama gets cold. Not cold in absolute terms — but at 1,200 metres in Boquete you sleep under a blanket, and at the summit of Volcán Barú, 3,475 metres and the highest point in the country, there is frost before dawn and, on the rare genuinely clear morning, a view of both the Pacific and the Caribbean at once. It is one of very few places on earth where that is possible.
David, the provincial capital, sits on the hot lowland plain below it, four kilometres from Enrique Malek International Airport. For anyone heading to Boquete, Volcán, Cerro Punta or the Gulf of Chiriquí, DAV is the entry point, and it removes a six-to-seven-hour drive from Panama City.
Runway asphalt, at 27 metres elevation, on the south side of the city about 4 kilometres from downtown. ICAO: MPDA. Coordinates: 8°23′30″N, 82°26′04″W. Owned by Tocumen S.A. and a focus city for both Air Panama and Copa. Full customs and immigration — it carries international status on the strength of its Costa Rica services.
The runway extension. A project taking the runway from 2,100 to approximately 2,600 metres began in 2010, part of a roughly US$12 million programme that also covered the ramp, fuelling facilities, terminal and perimeter.
Fuelling facilities were expanded between 2008 and 2009, which distinguishes DAV from most regional fields in this network.
Getting there
Enrique Malek International Airport — Getting there
The Bocas connection is the interesting one. David and Bocas del Toro are on opposite sides of the Talamanca cordillera and the road between them climbs over the Fortuna pass — spectacular, slow and frequently fogged. Thirty minutes in the air against four and a half hours on that road makes a highlands-and-Caribbean itinerary work.
The San José link matters too: DAV is a port of entry, so a direct charter from Costa Rica avoids the Paso Canoas land border entirely, which anyone who has used it will consider money well spent.
| Panama City | ~55 min | ~6.5 h |
| San José | ~63 min | ~8 h + border |
| Bocas del Toro | ~30 min | ~4.5 h |
Nearby
Things to do near David
Boquete is 40 minutes north and 1,200 metres up, in a valley on Barú's eastern flank where the bajareque — a fine wind-driven mist off the Caribbean side — produces near-permanent rainbows and, more consequentially, some of the best coffee in the world. Geisha varietal grown here has repeatedly broken world auction records. Farm tours here are not a tourist add-on; they are a serious agricultural education.
The valley also holds Panama's best hiking. The Quetzal Trail links Boquete to Cerro Punta over Barú's northern shoulder through cloud forest that is among the most reliable resplendent quetzal habitat in Central America. The Barú summit hike itself is a hard overnight or a pre-dawn 4x4 ascent.
Volcán and Cerro Punta, on the western side, are higher, colder and more agricultural — Panama's vegetable basket, with dairy farms and the entrance to La Amistad International Park, the vast binational reserve shared with Costa Rica.
South, the Gulf of Chiriquí holds islands, mangrove and the Coiba marine corridor — humpback whales from both hemispheres pass here, and the diving around Isla Coiba is regarded as the best in Panama.
David is Panama's third city and the commercial centre of the west, with the cattle and coffee trade of Chiriquí passing through it.
Boquete
Panama's most celebrated highland town — world-famous Geisha coffee, birdwatching, white-water rafting and cloud forest trekking in Chiriquí Province.
Private Geisha Coffee Tour — Boquete
Boquete's Geisha coffee is the world's most expensive and sought-after — exclusive private farm tours and cupping experiences at origin.
White-Water Rafting — Chiriquí
The Chiriquí Viejo river offers world-class rafting — Class III to V rapids through pristine highland jungle in a protected watershed.
Canopy & Adventure Premium — Chiriquí
Ziplines, hanging bridges and rappelling through Chiriquí's cloud forests — the most diverse adventure circuit in western Panama.
Sunrise Summit — Volcán Barú
A private overnight guided ascent of Volcán Barú (3,475m) timed for the summit at dawn — the only point in Central America where you can see both the Pacific and Caribbean simultaneously on a clear morning.
Class V Rafting — Río Chiriquí Viejo
The Chiriquí Viejo's Class IV–V section is the most technical whitewater in Panama — a private expedition through primary cloud forest canyon with a certified guide team, safety kayakers and full rescue equipment.
Helicopter — Chiriquí Highlands Aerial
Private helicopter circuit over Panama's Chiriquí highlands — aerial views of Volcán Barú's crater, the coffee farms of Boquete, Volcán and Cerro Punta, and the extraordinary biodiversity of the La Amistad International Park.
Where to stay
Hotels near David
When to fly
When to fly
Chiriquí's lowlands follow the Pacific pattern — dry from roughly mid-December to April, wet from May to mid-December with September to November heaviest. The highlands are their own case: Boquete gets bajareque mist through much of the year and can be wet when David is dry. The clearest Barú summit views are most likely between January and April.
FAQ
Enrique Malek International Airport — Frequently asked questions
Where is Enrique Malek Airport?
About 4 kilometres south of downtown David, in Chiriquí province. ICAO: MPDA, elevation 27 m.
How far is Boquete from David airport?
Roughly 40 minutes by road, climbing to about 1,200 metres.
How long is the flight from Panama City to David?
About 55 minutes from Albrook, against a six-and-a-half-hour drive.
Can I fly directly from Costa Rica to David?
Yes. DAV is a port of entry, so a charter from San José — roughly 63 minutes — avoids the Paso Canoas land border.
How high is Volcán Barú?
3,475 metres, the highest point in Panama. On a clear morning both oceans are visible from the summit.
What is Boquete known for?
Coffee — particularly Geisha varietal, which has repeatedly set world auction records — along with hiking, cloud forest and quetzal viewing.