At Lagarterita, a clear connection to Lake Gatún, a long cycling route, and a historic carnival procession come together. The community of La Lagarterita is mostly surrounded by the lake; the long GFNY Panama route turns around in Lagarterita, and the historic procession led to the festivities in La Chorrera. These offer different perspectives to help you choose a destination: geographical location, cycling connections, and cultural history. This can help you decide which aspect matters most for your trip.
Lagarterita on Lake Gatún
The community of La Lagarterita is mostly surrounded by Lake Gatún. This makes the lake the main geographical reference point for locating the area. If the location on Lake Gatún is a particular priority when choosing a destination, you can start by placing Lagarterita in this context. The lakeside setting is distinct from the other two perspectives: the GFNY route describes a sporting course, while the procession describes a historic journey from Lagarterita to the festivities in La Chorrera. Together, these connections allow you to understand the area geographically, in terms of cycling, and through its cultural history.
The long GFNY Panama route
The long GFNY Panama route runs to La Lagarterita on Lake Gatún and turns around there. It is 170 kilometers long and has 2,021 meters of elevation gain. These figures describe different aspects of the course: the kilometers indicate its length, while the elevation gain indicates how much climbing it involves. Taken together, they give a more complete picture of the long route than the distance alone. The figures refer to the route as a whole; Lagarterita marks the turnaround point along it. If you are planning a ride connected with GFNY Panama, check participation in the current edition separately; route details may change.
Historic carnival procession
At the beginning of the 20th century, during carnival season, Congos from Lagarterita on Lake Gatún paraded to the festivities in La Chorrera with their queen, king, and princes Pajarito, Juan de Diosito, and Las Mininas. The starting point, occasion, and destination are all connected: the procession went from Lagarterita to the carnival festivities in La Chorrera. The named roles also bring the historic scene to life, as it mentions a queen, a king, and three princes. For those interested in culture, this offers a distinct way to explore the area alongside its lakeside setting and cycling route. The timeframe is the beginning of the 20th century; this account describes a historic event, not a current event date.
Getting there and finding your way
A description from 2020 names El Espino as the access road and gives the distance from Lagarterita to the Inter-American Highway as approximately 34 kilometers. The distance is approximate, and road conditions can change. If you use this information to plan your journey, check the current route before setting out. The 34 kilometers refer to the Inter-American Highway, whereas 170 kilometers is the length of the long GFNY Panama route. These figures answer different planning questions: one is the approximate distance to the Inter-American Highway, the other the distance of the cycling course.
Discover more destinations: Contadora, Panama, La Laguna, Alcalde Diaz, Campana, Cruces, San Miguel, Santa Clara.
Go to the main travel overview: Panama.
