The La Piedra de Lino hike is certainly not for someone who likes a straightforward, flat, man-made path and just fancies a couple of hours' stroll. It’s not a long walk at 2.8km, taking between 45 minutes to an hour each way, but it is a constant uphill, muddy scramble. We found it a lot of fun & one of the best hikes in Boquete! I would not attempt this trail during the rain or if it has rained heavily the day before. The whole trail was hard, compact, slippy mud & we went on our arses at least twice each! It’s a real calf burner but your efforts are rewarded however by the wonderful 360-degree view from the top!
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How to get to La Piedra de Lino hike
The trailhead is roughly 4km from the centre of Boquete town so it is possible to walk. Be warned though it is uphill on the way there.
We opted to hop on one of the collectivo minibuses from the collectivo stand on the corner or Calle 1a Sur & Avenue Belisario Porras,, paying $1 each & walk back (all downhill and a pleasant walk).
If you have your own car you can drive as there is parking. However, there was a sign that parking was $2.
Is there an entry fee for La Piedra de Lino hike?
No, the La Piedra de Lino hike is completely free!
Distance and time needed to complete
La Piedra de Lino hike is the shortest trail in the area, only 2.8km return but don’t let that fool you! It is very steep, gaining 322km in altitude over just 1.4km distance. The path is overgrown and very slippy so it takes longer than you think. 2 hours in total will allow you to take it at a fairly leisurely pace, stopping for water breaks, allowing 15 mins at the top to admire the view and coming down slow enough that you don’t break your neck!
Map of La Piedra de Lino hike
How difficult is the La Piedra de Lino hike?
The La Piedra de Lino hike is not a walk in the park & I would describe it as a difficult hike, but as it is only short it’s manageable. Your legs are going to feel it and you’ll no doubt be rather sweaty by the time you get to the top, but as long as you are reasonably fit and able bodied you can do it. I would not recommend the hike for small children, anyone questioning their agility or if you are unsteady on your feet. It requires a fair bit of scrambling; the path is very overgrown in parts and we even had to content with a huge fallen tree.
I would definitely recommend hiking boots for this walk. You could do it in sports trainers (they will get muddy!) but you want something with good grip, otherwise you’ll be sliding all over the place! Do not attempt it in sandals or flip-flops.
Description of the La Piedra de Lino hike
If you take the bus up to the La Piedra de Lino hike like us, it will drop you right at the end of a paved driveway. You follow this uphill, past several houses for 5-10 mins. The road sort of splits and you’ll see a sign pointing left for private property and right for La Piedra de Lino trail.
The path here appears to have once been a steep driveway but is now quite overgrown. At the top, you bear left and follow a small, dirt path up into woodland where you’ll soon reach a derelict wooden house. This is where, 6 days before we did the hike, a huge tree had fallen, right on top of the path! We started to climb up around it, slipping and sliding on the sheer hillside. Luckily a local man helped us find a more suitable route around the other side of the tree. It was quite tricky though climbing over the fallen branches, your feet disappearing deep into the leaves below!
At the top of this section the path becomes very overgrown but is still easy to see and follow. It continues to climb with fantastic views over the surrounding hills and town below. The path soon becomes less overgrown but steeper and slippier. The mud wasn’t gooey and slippy, it was compact and slippy, making finding secure footings difficult. Thankfully there were quite a few strong tree branches and roots to help you pull yourself up. I must admit, as we were going up, I did say to Dave, ‘How on earth do we get back down?!’, ‘Probably on our bums, either on purpose or by accident’ was Dave’s reply!
Finally, the path levelled out and turned left. We had a short section along the flat through the trees before one final rocky climb to the top of the rock of Line, hence La Piedra de Lino.
The views were fabulous and there was a well-positioned little tree at the top providing some shade!
The way back down was a lot of fun! We took it slowly and were careful with our footing, using the trees and roots again to stop us from sliding the whole way down. We both ended up on our bums more than once but no injuries, just a lot of getting muddy!
It took us about 1 hour and 40 minutes in total, including about 15 minutes taking photos and having a rest at the top.
We decided to walk back to town as I’d noted on the bus journey up that walking back was all downhill. It was a pleasant walk, with pavement the whole way & took less than an hour.
What to take with you
What to take with you for La Piedra de Lino hike Boquete
Sun cream - whilst a lot of the trail is shaded by the trees it is a good idea to apply sun cream.
Insect repellent - in the jungle there be bitey things! We would always recommend a repellent containing DEET.
Water - The walk can be humid so make sure to take plenty of water. If you carry a filter bottle like us (we use the Lifestraw Go) you can refill from the river.
Snacks - If this is the only walk you are embarking on for the day you probably don't need a full-on packed lunch but a piece of fruit or a couple of biscuits could be a good idea,
Camera - It helps with memories ;)
Summary of the La Piedra de Lino hike
I would highly recommend the La Piedra de Lino hike. It’s a good little workout with fabulous views & doesn’t take that long to complete.
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