Ola: Festival Traditions and Waterfalls in the Surrounding Area

Ola combines a distinctive founding history with festival traditions; waterfalls and bathing pools in the surrounding area add a nature-focused dimension. When planning your vacation, it is worth keeping these aspects separate: the local festivities are associated with Ola, while several natural attractions are located elsewhere in the wider region. This way, when looking for a vacation rental, you can first decide whether history and festival days or water landscapes are the focus of your trip.

Founding and Festival Traditions

Ola was founded in 1556 under the name San Lucas de Olá. The founding ceremony took place on October 18, the feast day of the patron saint San Lucas; Fray Pedro de Santa María and the chief magistrate of Natá held it. The date and religious dedication give the town’s history a specific point of reference. Visitors interested in culture will find this connection reflected in the local festivities, whose religious and public events follow a clear sequence.

The festivities include well-attended novenas and a procession, which take place before the street celebrations. Each year, the popular festivities begin with a folkloric gathering after the religious celebrations. This gives the religious celebrations and folkloric opening a clear sequence.

During the festivities in Ola, children can visit an amusement park. This offering is part of the festival context and is not a year-round program. At the San Roque festival, vendors sell festival souvenirs to worshippers in Ola’s park. This also highlights a specific part of the festivities: the souvenirs are intended for worshippers and are associated with this festival.

Waterfalls in the Surrounding Area

Los Chorros is located in the corregimiento of La Pava in the district of Olá. There, three waterfalls follow the course of the Río de El Caño. Los Chorros is considered Panama’s second-highest recorded waterfall. For nature lovers, this makes for a multi-part attraction: the named river and the three waterfalls are all part of this natural feature.

The Las Mesitas waterfall is located in the community of Hijo de Dios in the corregimiento of El Copé de Olá. Due to its natural beauty, it is known as the “little Eden of Coclé.” The two natural attractions offer different highlights: Las Mesitas is chiefly characterized by its natural beauty, while Los Chorros is distinguished by its three waterfalls on the Río de El Caño and its designation as the second-highest recorded waterfall. This can help you choose between the natural attractions based on the experience you are looking for.

There are bathing pools at the Chorros de La Pava in the surrounding area of Ola. This adds swimming as a separate nature-focused activity. If you plan to visit the pools, check access arrangements before your visit.

Choose Accommodation Based on the Focus of Your Trip

When looking for a vacation rental, it helps to decide what brings you to the area. If Ola’s history and festival days are your main focus, search in the town and take the event dates into account. If you are focused on nature, consider the location of each attraction when making your decision: Los Chorros is in the corregimiento of La Pava, Las Mesitas is in the corregimiento of El Copé de Olá, and the bathing pools are in the surrounding area. This lets you consider the local festivities and the natural attractions in different locations as separate focuses for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Anton Valley, Penonomé, Pajonal, El Cope, Antón, El Roble, Llano Grande, Membrillo.

For the broader travel overview: Coclé.