La Yeguada Lagoon

La Yeguada sits in a volcanic crater at around six hundred metres in the Veraguas highlands, a lake enclosed by hills that were planted with Caribbean pine decades ago, which gives the whole place an appearance that has nothing to do with the tropics. The lake feeds a small hydroelectric plant. It is cool up here, the air is thin of the coastal humidity, and local families come at weekends to picnic and fish.

What you actually see

• The crater lake - water held in a volcanic bowl at around six hundred metres.
• The pine forest - the planted stands ringing the lake and hills.
• The cool air - highland conditions unlike the lowlands below.
• The reservoir use - the small hydroelectric operation the lake feeds.

When to go

December to April is drier with better road access. The rains make the last stretch difficult. Weekends bring local families.

Honest expectations

The access road is rough and the last section needs four-wheel drive after rain. Facilities are almost nonexistent. The planted pine forest is monoculture rather than natural woodland.

Nearby

Santiago is south, and San Francisco de la Montaña is southeast.