Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
15 Mar 2026
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
45
Facebook verified
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
Hi, my name is Luis, I'm an environmentally conscious Panamanian hosting Workawayers off and on since 2016. I grew up in Panama city but eventually moved to the countryside wanting to be in closer proximity to nature. I used to work in tourism until the pandemic made me reconsider my plans. Now I'm slowly and carefully working on a personal project to build small homes surrounded by nature. I enjoy reusing materials and building without removing any trees.
I started hosting when I wanted to switch to a vegetarian diet and I needed some help with that. By doing so I’ve met so many kind-hearted people, and the experience has been so rewarding, that I decided to keep hosting ever since, although more sporadically these days.
Whenever I host volunteers, they usually help me out by taking care of the cooking and providing assistance with the things I'm working on, which can include things such as painting, sanding, gardening, and some small building projects. Prior experience is not required, a positive attitude, good energy, and a willingness to learn is all I need. I enjoy sharing the knowledge I've acquired over the years.
To my surprise, most messages I receive are from female solo travelers. I guess it has to do with the vegetarian cooking requirement. It’s either that, or more women travel alone than men. In any case, I welcome all travelers. I’ve hosted both male and female solo travelers, friends traveling together, and couples, and they have all been good experiences. In any case, I make an effort to provide a safe and comfortable experience to all. I understand traveling in a foreign country comes with safety concerns. I have hosted many travelers over the years, so I’ll be happy to put you in touch with former volunteers if you’d like to hear about their experience directly before you commit. I didn’t host all of 2025 so I believe most of the accounts on the “chat with workawayers” are not active, but I keep in touch with some of them and I’m sure they will be happy to help out via whatsapp, instagram, or facebook. I can also make myself available for a video call whenever someone requests to have one.
If we manage to work something out, upon arrival, I’ll give you a personalized tour of the property, and show you around the neighborhood, introduce you to some of the neighbors, and provide you with a list of emergency contacts and local tips to ensure you feel at home and secure from day one. I will also show you all the things you can help me with and we will come up with a plan that works best for both.
While the houses in the property are tucked away in nature, the neighborhood is a tight-knit community of friendly people where everybody knows each other and looks after one another. This place is a true sanctuary for those looking to swap city noise for birdsong and fresh mountain air. The 30-minute walk to town is great exercise while providing great views to the town and the Baru Volcano.
If you haven’t done so already, I recommend reading some of the reviews at the bottom to get a better sense of what it’s like to spend some time over here.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Sustainability
Self development
Culture
Music
DIY & crafts
Carpentry
Art & design
Architecture
Yoga / Wellness
Outdoor activities
Nature
Hiking
Cycling
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Interact with a local, learn about Panama's culture, nature, food and coffee. I've also lived in Mexico and Argentina, and traveled extensively in Latin America, North America, and Europe. Over the years I have developed an interest in sociology and cultural psychology. When I was working in tourism I had to be a bit of a cultural translator, and that helped me become aware and understand better many aspects of the Latino culture that I'll be happy to share with you.
Help
The tasks can vary, but most of the time involve the following:
- Vegetarian cooking for only 2 or 3 people, grocery shopping.
- Gardening, planting trees, weeding, watering, trimming, clearing paths, trail maintenance.
- Home maintenance, painting, sanding, organizing.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Accommodation
You will have your own private room with a door that locks, ensuring you have your own personal space to retreat to. Shared bathroom. Ingredients for meals included.
What else ...
Boquete is one of the top adventure travel destinations in Central America. Temperature is like AC year-round, perfect for hiking in the lush green fairy tale looking cloudforest. There are also small farms everywhere producing high quality coffee.
Most travelers will find it easy to get to Boquete. And once here the town is small and easy to figure out. One important thing to point out is that being a mountain town, there are lots of hills so walking on flat terrain is rare. If you are in good shape and enjoy hiking, you will love it here, if not, then this might not be the right place for you.
There are stores to buy essentials close to the house, otherwise the town center is 30-40 minutes walking with supermarkets, internet cafes, public library, and farmer market where you can find a great variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
My animals / pets
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (21)
Luis is a profound and eye-opening conversationalist with whom conversations never run out or get boring, and he is always up for a joke.
In the time I spent in his house, I was in the village a total of 5 times, so this is not a place to come for the social life.
My work… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
Luis is a profound and eye-opening conversationalist with whom conversations never run out or get boring, and he is always up for a joke.
In the time I spent in his house, I was in the village a total of 5 times, so this is not a place to come for the social life.
My work… read more
I really enjoyed our inspiring conversations and… read more
Although I could stay only for a few days in his beautiful house, I feel so lucky and thankful being able to have all these mindful conversations, sharing life experience and stories. All these… read more
There are not enough adjectives in my English vocabulary knowledge to describe Luis. Educated, polite, respectful, calm, creative, patient, thoughtful...
He has so many new ideas and likes to share them. You can… read more
I want to confirm every single feedback on his page!
I loved staying at his place. Luis is such a relaxed person. His whole attitude is just so positive and peaceful. He inspires me. I learned a lot from him, not only about panamanian culture but also just watching his lifestyle and behaviour. And thank you, for never getting… read more
What a great place to stay if you love nature!!!!
DANKE Luis for the opportunity and the great time! It was very interesting, I learned a lot, it was a pleasure sharing knowledge, experience and time with you.
Immer wilkommen bei mir in Deutschland! :)
Saludos, Charly!
Luis is one of the kindest and most accommodating people I have ever met. I am so grateful to have shared two weeks with him and his daughter in their beautiful Boquete home.
I enjoyed many enlightening conversations with Luis about the natural world as we exchanged ideas on how to protect the environment. The… read more
I stayed with Luis while I did my Yoga Teacher Training in Boquete. I am more then grateful for everything, from the interesting talks we shared to the beautiful house he has and is more then willing to share with others. I consider myself very lucky to have made a friend like him in a place like Boquete.
This… read more
