Admittedly, we stumbled across the Pipeline Trail (Toma de Agua) completely by accident. In our attempt to find the Three Lost Watefalls Hike, we took a wrong turn in the Bajo Mono area and went straight instead of turning right, and by the time we had figured it out we were far enough in that we decided to just continue. However, we’re very happy we did! The hike is beautiful and definitely a must-see if you have some time in the area!
HOW TO GET THERE
- Take a collectivo van (one of the white vans which run throughout the area) from the stop in Bajo Boquete. It doesn’t have any clear markings, but it’s right across from the “Mandarin” grocery store and there will usually be a group of people waiting around. The price is $2/person to get to the “Bajo Mono” area. OR, if you have a group of 3 or more, taxis are only $8 for a one-way trip. Tell the driver you’d like to go to the “Bajo Mono” area. With our group of four (us two, plus two German girls we had met through the Couchsurfing app), this was the option we opted for.
- You’ll arrive at a clearing with various trailheads and a sign saying “Cascada Escondida” and “Pipeline Trail”. Go this way!
- A few people will be waiting there waiting to collect the trailhead fee ($5USD) and also to take your names down in their “Guestbook”. You’ll also have to “check out” on your way down afterward. Pay the fee, sign in and enjoy the hike.
The Pipeline Trail takes you through a relatively flat and easy stretch of jungle that, you guessed it, follows an irrigation pipe. The trail alternates kilometers of full, lush rainforest and empty grassland stretches which offer great views of the valley below.
Early on in the hike, you’ll reach an area with an active Quetzal population. What’s a Quetzal? It’s a colorful, majestic bird, with a four foot long tail that has great significance in many parts of Central America. We were lucky enough to have seen three Quetzals along our hike, accompanied by guided bird watchers who let us look into their spotting lens and capture these close up shots of them. These are some of the most elusive birds in the world, so shoutout local guides hired by other tourists for making our wildlife spotting ventures so much easier!
After about 2KM of hiking, you’ll arrive at a thousand year old tree that will probably make you feel insignificant in both size and age. We took a few minutes just to admire.
After another 1-2KM of a slight incline, you’ll find yourself at a massive canyon clearing with a tall, lightly spraying waterfall. This is the end! We asked a local, and apparently the waterfall never really flows more than a trickle… that’s just the way the water sits above. But it’s still a very nice cool-off to stand under it and enjoy the falling mist.
After about twenty minutes of admiring, we set off back down the trail we came from. The trip back only took about 45 minutes, bringing the total of this hike to two and a half hours. Definitely do-able in a half day or in conjunction with another hike in the area (we did the Pipeline and the Three Lost Waterfalls in the same day without getting overly tired).
Although we were a bit concerned about how we were going to get back to Boquete, we were quickly picked up by a collectivo en route to town, and were back within 20 minutes of finishing the hike.
