La Casa de Lourdes

Top choice in El Valle


The creation of renowned Panamanian chef Lourdes Fábrega de Ward, this place has a nationwide reputation and an elegant setting around a garden patio in a lovely country villa. And the menu? Sea bass Thai curry, blackened chicken in a tamarind sauce and desserts from both sides of 'the pond': sticky toffee pudding and pecan pie.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby El Valle attractions

2. Zoológico El Níspero

0.39 MILES

About 1km north of Av Central, this zoo set in the forest is home to everything from tapirs and capuchin monkeys to jaguars and more than 50 species of…

3. Museo Victoriano Lorenzo

0.62 MILES

The exhibits in the three rooms of this small museum east of the center focus on local history and the eponymous mestizo national hero. The most…

4. Square-Trunk Trees

0.75 MILES

El Valle’s peculiar árboles cuadrados (square-trunk trees) are located northeast of the Hotel Campestre. After a 30-minute hike through the forest and…

5. Aprovaca

0.76 MILES

For the largest selection of orquídeas (orchids) in the region, visit this idyllic, not-for-profit garden east of the center, run by the local association…

6. Butterfly Haven

0.95 MILES

One of El Valle's top attractions allows you to walk among up to 250 butterflies as they flutter by in a screened 'flight house.' Learn more about these…

7. Museo Histórico Padre José Noto

1.11 MILES

The most interesting exhibits in this small, very central museum divided into seven sections are the ones focusing on petroglyphs and ceramics produced by…

8. Chorro El Macho

1.62 MILES

The most famous waterfall in the El Valle region is 35m-high Chorro El Macho, one of four cascades located about 2km north of town; it's a 15-minute walk…