Chorro Las Mozas: El Valle's Swimming Falls

What Chorro Las Mozas is and why people go

Chorro Las Mozas is a series of waterfalls on the Río Antón, on the road toward Cerro La Cruz. Each fall is an easy walk from the last, and you can swim in the pools they form. Many visitors stop at the first or second fall instead of walking the whole stretch.^[2] The falls are modest, around 10 to 12 meters high.^[3] The site is run by a community cooperative.^[4]

The draw is the swim, not the height. It works as a balneario, with bathrooms and free covered cabins near the parking area where families settle in for the afternoon. Reviews describe it as a short walk and a refreshing swim. Some people swim right by the car park and others walk farther upriver. It holds a 4.5 rating on Google from 578 reviews.^[5]

Is it worth the walk?

Yes, if you want to swim in a river on a warm morning and you are steady on wet rock. No, if you are after one dramatic waterfall, if you have toddlers who would want to go beyond the first pool, or if heavy rain has fallen in the hills that day. Travelers who mainly want a big fall for photos usually do better at Chorro El Macho, the valley's tallest waterfall.

The legend of the three sisters

The name means "the falls of the maidens", and the best-documented version of the legend goes like this. Tobalo, an indigenous warrior, had three daughters who all secretly loved Caobo, a young man famous for the balsería game. Caobo loved someone else. On a full-moon night the sisters met at a large stone by the river and wept until their tears became the three falls.^[1] In some tellings the sisters then entered the water and still live there. On San Juan night they offer gold, and anyone who reaches for it is pulled into a whirlpool.

Another version circulates in which each fall is a sister who was scorned by her parents.^[6] Local accounts that trace the story to oral tradition treat the unrequited-love version as the original.

How to get to Chorro Las Mozas from town: route, trailhead and walking time

Chorro Las Mozas is about 2 km north of El Valle's center, in the opposite direction from Chorro El Macho.^[3] You can walk, cycle, drive or take a taxi to the entrance on the road. From there a riverside path leads to the falls. A fifth option is to finish the long India Dormida ridge hike at the falls.

Prices per person unless stated, as of November 2026. Taxi fares are typical local rates, not an official tariff.

By taxi, on foot or by bike

A taxi from the town square to Chorro Las Mozas takes about 5 minutes and usually costs $2 to $3.^[7] Taxis in the valley have no app. You flag them on the street or have your hotel call one, and trips within the valley generally run $2 to $5.^[8] Agree on the fare before you get in, and arrange a pickup time if you don't want to walk back.

Walking the 2 km takes roughly half an hour along the road. It is pleasant early in the day and less so in the midday heat or in rain. A bike makes the trip quick, and it pairs well with other stops in the north of the crater. Bring a lock, because you will leave the bike at the parking area while you walk the river path.

By car

If you drive, you stop at a booth on the road before the parking area and pay without getting out of the car. Parking costs $3 per vehicle on top of the per-person entry.^[1]

From the parking area to the falls

Arriving on the India Dormida circuit

Fit hikers can make Las Mozas the end of a full day. The India Dormida route runs about 6 km and takes 4 to 6 hours. It is rated moderately difficult and passes Piedra Pintada, the summit and three waterfalls before ending at Chorro Las Mozas. The trail fee is listed at $2 for locals and $5 for foreigners.^[4] From the ridge you reach Cerro La Cruz and come out on the road between El Valle, Antón and Penonomé. You then walk past the cemetery to Cerro Violín, where a trail drops down to the falls beside the Río Antón.^[4]

The common starting point, Piedra Pintada, is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the town center.^[10] Our India Dormida hike guide covers the ridge itself, and our comparison of the best hikes in El Valle shows how it stacks up against Cerro Gaital and the waterfall walks.

Do you need a guide?

Not for the falls themselves. The river path from the parking area is short and hard to lose. On the India Dormida circuit a guide is optional. Certified guides are available at the trail entrance, or you can follow the trail posts on your own.^[4] There is no published guide fee for this route, so agree on a price at the trailhead. In the rainy season, from May through November, vegetation closes in and the route is harder to follow, and going with someone who knows it makes sense.^[7]

Chorro Las Mozas entry fee, parking and opening hours

The most recently posted entry fee is $2 for adults, $1 for children and $0.75 for retirees with a Panamanian ID (cédula). It is paid at the booth on the road, and parking is $3 per vehicle.^[1] Older listings, including our English waterfall guide, give $1 for adults, $0.50 for children and $0.75 for seniors, so expect the lower figure to be out of date.^[7]

Adults

$2 per person as of 2026, cash.

Children

$1 per child.

Retirees

$0.75 with a cédula (Panamanian ID).

Parking

$3 per vehicle, paid at the booth before the car park.

Bathrooms and cabins

Bathrooms have charged a small fee of about a quarter in the past. The covered cabins near the parking area have been free to use.

Opening hours are not reliably posted. Treat Las Mozas as a daytime site, arrive in the morning and expect to be out by mid-afternoon. In the rainy season it can close early if the river rises to a dangerous level.^[1] Listings describe it as a family balneario with rules against alcohol and loud music, so leave the speaker and the cooler of beer at the hotel.

Las Mozas waterfall swimming: where to swim and how deep the pools are

The pools at Las Mozas are mostly shallow river pools, ranging from wading depth to around waist height. There are no measured or posted depths anywhere on the site. Some people swim in the river right by the parking area, and others walk farther up for quieter pools.^[5]

The third fall is where most serious swimmers end up. It is also where you see people jumping from a raised ledge into the pool below. Depth there changes with the river level and nobody checks it for you. If you are tempted, wade in first and confirm the landing spot is deep and free of rocks, every time. In the driest months the pools can be too shallow for comfortable swimming at all.^[7]

The larger natural pool, about half an hour beyond the main falls area, is the place for a proper swim. Fewer people make the extra walk.^[9] There is no lifeguard service anywhere along the river, so treat this as unsupervised wild swimming. Never swim alone, and keep children within arm's reach.

Which pool suits whom

• Families with small children: the river near the parking area and the first fall. It is shallow and close to the bathrooms and cabins.
• Confident swimmers: the third fall and the larger natural pool, in clear water and dry weather.
• Anyone, after rain: no pool at all if the water is brown or murky. See the next section.

Safety on the trail and at the water

Las Mozas is easy to reach, but it is the riskiest waterfall in the valley. The rocks are slippery and there are no guardrails beyond the first stretch of path.^[7] The two hazards are the ledge path to the upper falls and a river that can rise fast.

The path

After the railing ends, the path becomes narrow and uneven and runs as a ledge cut into the canyon wall, where spray from the river keeps the rock wet.^[1] Walk it in shoes with real grip and keep your hands free. Pass slower walkers only where the path is wide. Reaching the second fall is the most exposed part. Local accounts advise that children should not go past the first fall.

Flash rises on the Río Antón

The Río Antón can rise within minutes after heavy rain in the upper crater, even when it is not raining in El Valle itself. If the water looks brown or turbid when you arrive, don't swim. Staff usually close access to the third fall in those conditions.^[1] This is not a theoretical risk. In October 2024 a river surge flooded around 30 homes in the Caña Blanca area of El Valle de Antón.^[11] SINAPROC, Panama's civil protection agency, set up an early-warning camera system on the Antón basin after repeated flooding.^[12] Its standing advice in the rainy season is not to cross swollen rivers or streams.^[13]

Simple rules that cover most risks

• Go in the morning, before afternoon storms build over the hills.
• Check the water before you get in, and check it again every so often.
• Don't jump until you have checked the landing depth yourself.
• Don't walk the ledge section in flip-flops or carrying a bag in each hand.
• On the India Dormida circuit, the hazards also include strong wind on the ridge in the dry season, lightning on exposed sections and drops without railings.^[4]

Best time of day and season to visit Chorro Las Mozas

The best time is a weekday morning in the early dry season. There is still water in the river by then, the rain has eased, and you have the pools before the local crowd arrives. Afternoons in the rainy season bring frequent showers, and the site can close early if the river rises.^[1]

By season

• May to November (rainy season): the falls carry the most water, but the path is wetter, vegetation closes in and the trail is harder to follow beyond the main falls.^[7] For a visit in July or August, check conditions with your accommodation or the El Valle municipality that morning.^[1] November, the end of the rains, can still bring heavy afternoon storms.
• December to early January: usually the best balance. The rain has eased and the pools are still full.
• January to March: January and February are the driest months, with low water. By February and March the pools may be too shallow for a comfortable swim.^[7]

By day of the week

Las Mozas is a popular local meeting place, so weekends and Panamanian holidays bring families, picnics and full cabins. Arriving early on a weekday is the simplest way to get the pools largely to yourself.

What to bring to Chorro Las Mozas and what to leave behind

Bring shoes that grip on wet rock, cash, a swimsuit and a way to keep your phone dry. Leave behind anything you would hate to drop on the ledge path. The list is short because the walk is short, but footwear decides how far you get.

• Footwear: trail shoes, sport sandals with a heel strap or water shoes. Flip-flops make the ledge section hard and unsafe.
• Cash: small bills and coins for entry, parking and the bathrooms.
• Swim gear: swimsuit, quick-dry towel and a change of clothes. You can change near the cabins.
• Dry bag or zip-lock: for your phone and cash on the spray-soaked path.
• Water and a snack: food options are limited at the falls, so eat in town before or after.
• Rain layer: from May to November, assume an afternoon shower.

Leave behind speakers, alcohol and glass bottles, given the site rules. Don't bring a heavy daypack or anything valuable you would have to leave unattended while you swim.

How Chorro Las Mozas compares with the other falls around El Valle

Las Mozas is the pick for swimming. Chorro El Macho is the pick for a single impressive fall, and the India Dormida falls suit hikers who want waterfalls as part of a longer walk. El Macho lies in the opposite direction from Las Mozas.^[3] A taxi from Las Mozas on to El Macho usually costs $3 to $4, so seeing both in one morning is easy.^[7]

Fees change often. See each fall's guide for current prices as of November 2026.

Fitting Las Mozas into your day

A morning swim at Las Mozas, a taxi to El Macho, then lunch in town is a common half-day. It leaves the afternoon for the Sunday market, the hot springs or a rest. Our one-day El Valle de Antón itinerary shows what realistically fits around these stops. The full list of things to do in El Valle de Antón covers rainy-day options for when the river is too high.

If you are coming for the day from Panama City, the Albrook bus costs $4.25 cash and runs roughly hourly from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The trip takes about 2.5 hours.^[14] Our El Valle day trip guide covers the timing. For where to stay, how the crater is laid out and everything else in town, start with our El Valle de Antón travel guide.

Before you go