How are the stores and shops in Boquete, Panama? How's the shopping in Boquete, Panama?
Linda Jensen
Boquete is not like a city. Being ia small town of around 20,000 - 21,000 people it has a few more stores than some other small towns. However not a lot to choose from.
Tuesday Market is held every week in the 
BCP area just across the bridge over the Calder River.
In this market you will see hand made arts and crafts; herbs and local oils or tonics for your health. There is usually a chiropractor doing...
Boquete is not like a city. Being ia small town of around 20,000 - 21,000 people it has a few more stores than some other small towns. However not a lot to choose from.
Tuesday Market is held every week in the
BCP area just across the bridge over the Calder River.
In this market you will see hand made arts and crafts; herbs and local oils or tonics for your health. There is usually a chiropractor doing his treatments; hand made jewelry, wood and ceramic art and so much more. The photos show the Tueday
Market in December 2012.
The downtown department store is a big surprise! La Renya is a well stocked mid-price range department store that stocks clothing and shoes for the family; home goods, some furniture, dishes, appliances, school supplies, a baby items, cosmetics, and so much more. Smaller shops offer an eclectic mix of household items, assorted clothing and shoes, jewelry, some offer trinkets and tourist souvenirs. The photo below shows the twin bedspreads I purchased at Le Reyna ($28 each set); the vase came from a small shop up the street. Although Le Reyna has wall art, the large picture is from Conway ( a Target affiliated store) in David. The red sarong on the chair was $10 at tiny shop in Boquete. Still I enjoy shopping in Boquete.
Posted May 31, 2013
Linda Jensen
If you need a new outfit Le Reyna is 
the place to shop! Boquete's full
service department store has a wide
array of popular styles and sizes for the entire family. So if you are just visiting or live in the Boquete area this store offers something for everyone.
You will want to have time to browse. The store front is very misleading a makes it appear quite small.
You won't find a lot of terribly expensive...
If you need a new outfit Le Reyna is
the place to shop! Boquete's full
service department store has a wide
array of popular styles and sizes for the entire family. So if you are just visiting or live in the Boquete area this store offers something for everyone.
You will want to have time to browse. The store front is very misleading a makes it appear quite small.
You won't find a lot of terribly expensive clothing but most items are priced in the average person's price range. This is a family owned store, they are nice people and the stall is helpful, most speak enough English to be of service, if not they will get someone who can translate.
All up and down the main streets are small mom and pop shops that offer unique clothing or apparel items. Panama hats, caps, sarongs. hand made purses, exquisite jewelry, high end hand bags and watches in the hundred plus category are also found in Boquete.
This photo is of the Plaza downtown. 
Buses and taxis drop people off here. People linger here druing the day for conversation and relaxation.
Posted May 31, 2013
Linda Jensen
Regarding shopping malls, Boquete is a work in progress. As of this year (2013), there is no shopping mall here, in this beautiful, serene, small town. You can, however, usually find what you need here, or, if you cannot, what you want can usually be found in David, a much largerr city only a short 45 minute drive away.
Thankfully the shopping that most ExPat's want is found along the Pan-American Highway on the less ( only somewhat less)...
Regarding shopping malls, Boquete is a work in progress. As of this year (2013), there is no shopping mall here, in this beautiful, serene, small town. You can, however, usually find what you need here, or, if you cannot, what you want can usually be found in David, a much largerr city only a short 45 minute drive away.
Thankfully the shopping that most ExPat's want is found along the Pan-American Highway on the less ( only somewhat less) hectic side of David. Conway is like a target store, Arrocha is a beautiful home and pharmacy type store, with a huge toy and baby department on the second floor. Rey is a nice upscale grocery store, Do It Center is like a Home Depot, Price Smart is Costco. There are appliance stores, cameras, boutique shopping for ladies and men, pet stores and so many things all located in such a handy location. You can take a cab or a bus to David from Boquete.
We have La Reyna or Le Reina (it is spelled both ways) here in Boquete. This is a nice clean department store suitable for most family needs. They sell furniture, some bedding and linens, kitchen gadgets, cosmetics, school supplies, toys, shoes and more. All over Boquete you find small stores that have clothing, housewares, hardware,
car needs, tools, parts, lawn and garden, as well as farm stores. There are pharmacies, beauty shops, travel agents, real estate offices, laundry and computer stores.
Remember that Boquete has what you need and David has what you want. If it isn't in David you will find large, high end, very American style shopping malls in Panama City!
Posted June 13, 2013
Paul McBride - Inside Panama Real Estate
Over the past 10 years or so, the availability of goods 
and services has grown dramatically in Boquete. There’s a grocery store from a major supermarket chain (Romero’s) located in downtown Boquete and several smaller grocery stores (or tiendas) located in town and along the highway leading to David.
and services has grown dramatically in Boquete. There’s a grocery store from a major supermarket chain (Romero’s) located in downtown Boquete and several smaller grocery stores (or tiendas) located in town and along the highway leading to David. Boquete also has a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable stands, vendors selling fresh fish and other food items as well as pharmacies, car repair...
Over the past 10 years or so, the availability of goods and services has grown dramatically in Boquete. There’s a grocery store from a major supermarket chain (Romero’s) located in downtown Boquete and several smaller grocery stores (or tiendas) located in town and along the highway leading to David.
and services has grown dramatically in Boquete. There’s a grocery store from a major supermarket chain (Romero’s) located in downtown Boquete and several smaller grocery stores (or tiendas) located in town and along the highway leading to David. Boquete also has a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable stands, vendors selling fresh fish and other food items as well as pharmacies, car repair services, gas stations, banks, small department stores, bakeries and, of course, high quality coffee shops. When you live in the Boquete area you’ll find that just about anything you need is available somewhere in town. (The picture above and to the right is of Los Establos Plaza, in Boquete.)
One of the fastest growing categories of businesses are new restaurants. 10 years ago, Boquete had about 5 or 6 small restaurants to choose from. Today, there are over 40 restaurants to explore with a variety of different cuisines with prices ranging from down right cheap to simply reasonable. The quality of the dining experience here has increased dramatically over the years and going out to dinner is one of the most popular social activities for both locals and expats.
Although the number of stores and services in Boquete
has grown over the years, the new four-lane highway to David makes shopping there easier than ever. David, the provincial capital city with a population of over 200,000 people, has everything you need, including large department stores (Conways, which is our version of Target), a PriceSmart store (operated by Costco), major supermarket chains (Rey, Super 99, Super Baru), and every conceivable service you can imagine. The drive from Boquete to David used to take about an hour. Today, with the completion of the new highway (pictured to the right), the same drive can be done in about 30 mintues.
Living in Boquete is no longer the challenge it was in the past and most new expats are surprised to find out how much is here and how easy it is to shop.
One of the fastest growing categories of businesses are new restaurants. 10 years ago, Boquete had about 5 or 6 small restaurants to choose from. Today, there are over 40 restaurants to explore with a variety of different cuisines with prices ranging from down right cheap to simply reasonable. The quality of the dining experience here has increased dramatically over the years and going out to dinner is one of the most popular social activities for both locals and expats.
Although the number of stores and services in Boquete
has grown over the years, the new four-lane highway to David makes shopping there easier than ever. David, the provincial capital city with a population of over 200,000 people, has everything you need, including large department stores (Conways, which is our version of Target), a PriceSmart store (operated by Costco), major supermarket chains (Rey, Super 99, Super Baru), and every conceivable service you can imagine. The drive from Boquete to David used to take about an hour. Today, with the completion of the new highway (pictured to the right), the same drive can be done in about 30 mintues.Living in Boquete is no longer the challenge it was in the past and most new expats are surprised to find out how much is here and how easy it is to shop.
Posted July 30, 2014
Philip McGuigan - Chiriqui United, an Association of the leading humanitarian organizations in the Chiriqui Province of Panama
Shopping in Boquete is pretty darn good. We have two or three choices of grocery stores and there are a number of good hardware stores here, too. People go to David to buy printer ink because that is something you don't find here. Also, people tend to go to PriceMart to stock up on 50-pound dog food because it is a couple of bucks cheaper there than if you buy it in Boquete. People go to El Ray or to Super Baru here in David to get things that are hard to find. ...
Shopping in Boquete is pretty darn good. We have two or three choices of grocery stores and there are a number of good hardware stores here, too. People go to David to buy printer ink because that is something you don't find here. Also, people tend to go to PriceMart to stock up on 50-pound dog food because it is a couple of bucks cheaper there than if you buy it in Boquete. People go to El Ray or to Super Baru here in David to get things that are hard to find. I have become addicted to Shasta Diet Creme Soda. You can’t always find that in Boquete, but if you look, you can find that in one of the two places where I shop in David. Super Baru is in David and they have Deli Baru up here in Boquete, which is a satellite. Deli Baru is the only place I know where you can get pretty good pastrami in Panama. They also have Haagen Dazs ice cream and sherbet.
There is a bakery here in Boquete called Sugar and Spice and the guy who is running it is a world-class baker. Having been in the bakery business myself, I consider myself at least average as far as my ability to judge. Before Sugar and Spice came in, the best bread in Boquete came from Deli Baru and the bread they had there were frozen from Spain, and then shipped to Panama. If you want to show off to your friends and you knew the dirty secret, you could ask for frozen Pan Gallego and you would bake it in your oven at home. Then you would tell everybody that you had been up all night baking!
Deli Baru has a more deli feel to it and it is the right way to compete here in Boquete because there are already different supermarkets like Romero’s and there is another good supermarket close to our office called El Dorado and they have wonderful inventory. You can only get specialty items in Deli Baru, so if you want some really nice Swiss cheese, go to Deli Baru. Because Deli Baru is a small store, I love going there and the lady behind the counter corrects me if I make a mistake speaking Spanish. She is just amazing.
There was a pretty good Jewish deli in Panama City, but it was very pricey and their pastrami was just not like the New York pastrami nor was the pastrami that they have in Deli Baru here in Boquete, but it is pretty close.
The cost of the goods here are a little cheaper compared to New York City, but it also depends on where the goods come from. It has been seven years since I have gone shopping in the US, but when I went back about a year and a half ago, I stayed with one of my best friends from college and the first thing I did was to buy a 6-pack of Heineken. I almost had a heart attack when I got the bill. It was so expensive! Here in Boquete, you get a great bottle of national beer for 50 cents.
There are four major domestic beers that are produced in Panama, which are Panama, Soberana, Atlas, and Balboa. My favorite is Balboa, which is higher in alcohol content than Atlas, but I have a very warm place in my heart for Atlas (pictured) because it was named by my aunt. My family has been in Panama since 1906. When my aunt was just about 12 years old, there was a contest in Panama City to name the new national beer and my grandfather entered his kids in the contest. It was my aunt’s turn and my grandfather asked her, what she thinks they should name the new beer. My aunt looked at my grandfather and said, “Atlas… holding up the world.” So my grandfather entered "Atlas", and they won. I asked my aunt what the prize was for winning that contest, and with a sourpuss look, she said, “A lot of beer!”
Posted December 21, 2014
Lissy Lezcano - Lissy Lezcano Attorney & Mediator
You have to come down to David to shop if you want to buy clothes, shoes, electronics, and other things that you might need because you don’t have a lot of selection in Boquete. It takes about 35 to 45 minutes to get to David from Boquete. Once you get to David, the shopping is very nice because you have a lot of selection and a lot of stores to from which to choose. David has a couple of malls. They are not that...
You have to come down to David to shop if you want to buy clothes, shoes, electronics, and other things that you might need because you don’t have a lot of selection in Boquete. It takes about 35 to 45 minutes to get to David from Boquete. Once you get to David, the shopping is very nice because you have a lot of selection and a lot of stores to from which to choose. David has a couple of malls. They are not that big so if you really want to go to a big mall, then you have to go to Panama City.
You can get everything you need in David but if you want a specific brand, then you might have to travel to Panama City to get that. Exclusive clothes and shoes could also be found in Panama City. I don’t travel to Panama City that much just to shop. I go maybe four or five times a year. I don’t find the need to go there all the time.
Panama City holds lots of concerts nowadays and that’s one of the major reasons people like to go there. If you are in David and you want to go to a concert in Panama City, you could take the bus, fly, or drive there.
(Pictured: David, Chiriqui Province, Panama.)
Posted June 23, 2015
Alberto Socarraz - Panama Vida
Shopping in Boquete is very limited. There are a lot of souvenir shops because Boquete is a tourist attraction. There is one semi-large supermarket there so you can do the majority of your grocery shopping there without having to go to David (the closest large town to Boquete). For the most part, most people prefer to go to David to do some heavy shopping and groceries only because shopping in Boquete is very limited to what is available in the town. David is only 30 minutes away from...Shopping in Boquete is very limited. There are a lot of souvenir shops because Boquete is a tourist attraction. There is one semi-large supermarket there so you can do the majority of your grocery shopping there without having to go to David (the closest large town to Boquete). For the most part, most people prefer to go to David to do some heavy shopping and groceries only because shopping in Boquete is very limited to what is available in the town. David is only 30 minutes away from Boquete on a brand new four-lane highway.You can do any kind of shopping in David. We have a Price Smart here, which is very similar to Costco in the US. There are three big malls in David. Any electronics you want or anything else such as clothing or even hardware is available in David. Shopping in David is very convenient and you can pretty much find anything you need.
(Souvenir Panamanian dolls, pictured.)
Posted September 17, 2015
Giselle Leignadier - Hacienda Los Molinos
You can get almost everything you want in Boquete. You can go to the supermarket. There are also stores where you can buy clothes. There are stores that sell natural, botanical products and if you need more, you can just drive down to David, which is only 30 minutes away from Boquete. In David, we do have Price Smart, which is like Costco and Farmacias Arrocha, which is a big drug store in Plaza Teronal.
(DVD stand in...
You can get almost everything you want in Boquete. You can go to the supermarket. There are also stores where you can buy clothes. There are stores that sell natural, botanical products and if you need more, you can just drive down to David, which is only 30 minutes away from Boquete. In David, we do have Price Smart, which is like Costco and Farmacias Arrocha, which is a big drug store in Plaza Teronal.
(DVD stand in Farmacias Arrocha, Panama, pictured.)
Posted November 17, 2015
Georgina Chanapi - Lucero Homes Golf & Country Club
There are not a lot of stores and shops here in Boquete. If you want to go shopping, it is better to go to David, which is about 30 minutes away from Boquete by car. You will find everything that you need and want in David. If you want to buy new appliances like a refrigerator or a television set, you have to go to David because you won’t find any appliance stores here in Boquete.
The stores here in Boquete do not have a...
There are not a lot of stores and shops here in Boquete. If you want to go shopping, it is better to go to David, which is about 30 minutes away from Boquete by car. You will find everything that you need and want in David. If you want to buy new appliances like a refrigerator or a television set, you have to go to David because you won’t find any appliance stores here in Boquete.
The stores here in Boquete do not have a lot of options or variety. There are clothing stores here but if you buy your clothes here, it is highly possible to see another person wearing the exact same shirt that you just bought! That is why if you need to shop for clothes, it is better to go to David, where you will find the Chiriquí Mall and the Plaza Terronal or to go to Panama City (6 hours from Boquete by car) because you have more choices out there. You will find branded items in David and Panama City. If you are shopping in quantity, especially now that Christmas is coming, it is better to go to Panama City where there are more choices. A lot of people from Boquete go down to Panama City or David to do their Christmas shopping.
The stores that you will find here in Boquete are mostly supermarkets and open-air markets, where you can find fresh vegetables and fruits.
(Plaza Terronal at Christmas time, David, Panama, pictured.)
Posted December 18, 2015