Checking In to Lost and Found Hostel in Chiriquí, Panama

jana meerman lost and found hostel panama-34

My mission while planning out my Central America trip was to make it as varied as possible, visiting both big cities and small towns, gorgeous beaches and remote forests. So, from Panama City, the first destination of my the trip and the furthest east I'd be traveling, we made our way by bus aross the country to Santa Catalina to snorkel in Coiba National Park.

From there, it was time to head inland towards the forests of Panama and the Lost and Found Hostel. Hidden into the forests of western Panama, the Lost and Found Hostel looks out over the Fortuna Forest Reserve and is a special place to spend a few nights.

My Central America trip covered five countries in five weeks; the first three (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua) with my partner Tobi and the last two (Guatemala, Belize) with Ina, one of my best friends from Salzburg.

Although it was a lot of work, I made daily vlogs on Instagram reels of every single day of my Central America trip which I branded "the backpacking series".

→ Check out my episode of the Backpacking Series from getting to the Lost and Found Hostel!

How to Get to the Lost and Found Hostel

The Lost and Found Hostel is not close to any other major backpacker destination, it truly is a destination within itself. As we were traveling around Panama, we quickly realized that Lost and Found Hostel is well-known and many buses, shuttles and private drivers have it included as a separate stop on their routes - here is exactly where you get off on Google Maps.

By shuttle: We arrived to the Lost and Found Hostel by shuttle from Santa Catalina on the southern coast. This was actually the only time we used a shuttle in Panama and only because the alternative of using public transport would have taken four buses and about 12 hours. We booked our shuttle with Shuttle in Panama and had a great experience. Our shuttle wasn't driving past the Lost and Found Hostel the day we went, so we were dropped off in nearby David instead from where we caught a local bus to complete our journey. The whole journey took us about eight hours.

→ Check out my episode of the Backpacking Series of taking a shuttle from Santa Catalina to the Lost and Found Hostel!

By bus: Depending on where you're coming from or headed, the bus connection might be easy. The closest "main" bus station to Lost and Found Hostel is in David, which is where you'd transfer from elsewhere in Panama. We took the bus leaving Lost and Found for our next destination of Bocas del Toro on the northern coast. Buses run from David to Almirante (where you take the ferry to Bocas) about every half-hour; just wave at one as it comes past down the road and let them know where you're headed. This direct bus takes between three and four hours.

→ Check out my episode of the Backpacking Series of taking the bus and ferries between Lost and Found Hostel and Bocas del Toro!

By car: If you have decided to travel through Panama or Central America by car, you can also travel to Lost and Found Hostel with your own wheels. However, parking is hosted by the nearby restaurant and not guaranteed. The infrastructure in Panama is generally excellent; it is the wealthiest country in Central America thanks to the flow of income from the Panama Canal and the roads reflect this. I don't have any experience with driving in Panama so please do your own research here.

→ Find out more about parking and other FAQs about directions to the hostel on their website.

Hiking Up to the Lost and Found Hostel

Checking In to the Lost and Found Hostel

The Lost and Found Hostel is a destination in itself. Located up in the Fortuna Forest Reserve, the hostel offers a number of different room types including private rooms and dorms.

The spacious grounds are designed to blend harmoniously with the surrounding forest. Different buildings are dotted around, each of which house a different facility. On site, you'll find the main common area with a kitchen, reception, games room and hammocks to hang out. You'll get the best sunset view from here.

Elsewhere, there is a bar, a staff kitchen in which meals are prepared three times a day, various bathrooms - with hot showers!, space for yoga and other staff buildings.

→ Book your stay at the Lost and Found Hostel.

Eating at the Lost and Found Hostel

The Lost and Found Hostel serves all three meals every day. The food they cook on site is all vegan and delicious, however there are some non-vegan snacks available for purchase at reception.

Each meal - breakfast, lunch and dinner - was USD $6 per person at the time of writing, all added to your account and paid upon checkout. Drinks and snacks cost extra. You have to sign up for dinner each day by 4:30pm because they only cook exactly enough food for whoever orders. There is one option for dinner daily.

→ Book your stay at the Lost and Found Hostel.

If you want something else to eat, we can also really recommend the little Restaurante Vista Hermosa at the base of the hike where the bus drops you off. We also picked up snacks and drinks at the mercado in nearby Gualaca.

Best Things to Do at the Lost and Found Hostel

Spot wildlife

Plenty of wildlife call these forests home - if you're lucky, you might spot hummingbirds, capuchin monkeys and coati.

The hummingbirds are often found floating around in the afternoon drinking sugar water. Find a hammock and see if you can spot a few. The capuchin monkeys, whose name you can remember because their colouring looks like a cappuccino, are regularly spotted during the hikes up and down to and from the hostel so make sure to keep looking up while you hike. The coati are cheeky and like to come out to the hostel at night and drink the hummingbirds' sugar water!

Day Trip to Gualaca Canyon

There are a number of activities you can do in the region from horse-riding to hiking and waterfall exploring; there are plenty of guides and information available at the Lost and Found Hostel to help make your decision!

We had one full day and chose to spend it visiting the natural rock pools in Gualaca Canyon. An easy busy ride away from the hostel, these gorgeous pools are cut into the canyon and popular with locals and tourists alike on a hot day to jump and swim in.

COMING SOON → A complete guide to visiting Gualaca Canyon!

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Jana Meerman

Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.

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Checking In to Lost and Found Hostel

Watch the sunset over the forest

Spot wildlife

Go on a hike

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