Papito Santos
Papito, a.k.a El Mono, started working for Boquete Outdoor Adventures in 2003. In addition to being an amazing guide, he is also an incredible athlete. He’s a local star on the soccer field and is a natural kayaker as well. After just one year of paddling, he learned the skills necessary to paddle world-class stretches of Class V whitewater, including a few first descents. He is currently practicing his command of English so that he can share his vast talent as a whitewater kayak instructor.
A native of the Chiriqui Province, Papito possesses a wealth of knowledge about the geography, flora and fauna of the area. Papito can spot a Quetzal on a rainy day at dusk. He can find a trail when there appears to be none. And if he can’t find one, he can manage to create one with a machete, always mindful not to disturb the leaf-cutter ants making their way home. If you ever find yourself in the jungle after dark during the rainy season, let’s just hope you’re out there with Papito, because he can show you which wet tree is best for starting a fire, which plants to eat, which sounds to be afraid of…you get the idea. Papito currently lives in Caldera, about 15 minutes from Boquete, with his wife, Carolina and his daughters, Adelys and Estafani.