Down in the Anton Valley, a legend has been making the rounds. Word is Windflower, the gorgeous daughter of Chief Magpie, once lived here and when Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Isthmus, the lovely Windflower fell in love with one of the Hispanic gentlemen. But Yaravi, the heftiest and most courageous tribe member, had a crush of his own on Magpie’s daughter. When he learned that Windflower had given her love to one of the conquistadors, he decided to kill himself and jumped from the top of a mountain as Windflower watched in amazement.

The princess, hit hard by Yaravi’s death, forgot about his beloved Spaniard and started roaming the mountains full of sorrow and tears until death took her aback while she was leaning on a hilltop with her eyes staring up at the sky. The legend goes that nature, moved by the sad love story, insisted in perpetuating the silhouette of the leaning princess. Since then, those who arrive in the Anton Valley can make out an astounding mountain that juts out of the ridge and resembles a sleeping Indian woman.

The Anton Valley, located in the central province of Cocle, just a two-hour drive down the Pan American Road, comprises 22 miles of breathtaking scenery trapped between lowlands and peaks.

The Valley is also known as Panama’s evergreen. Its charms and bucolic atmosphere have prompted many writers to come over there for meditation. Only on weekends the traditional quietness of the surroundings is broken by flocks of local and foreign tourists who head for this neck of the Panamanian woods in search of some laidback relaxation. The place stands at over 600 yards over sea level and its weather is both mild and balmy. According to geologists, the valley is the former crater of a volcano. That explains the abundance of hills and volcanic rocks on the premises.

Those visiting the Anton Valley have the opportunity of rekindling thelegend if they make up their minds to embark on the hour-and-a-half climb of the mountain. At the onset, you’ll hit on well-known Piedra Pintada (Painted Stone), that scholars pencil in as a makeshift map of the valley that shows the local petrography carved by the indigenous dwellers in their effort to recount their own history. Another point of the clambering process takes visitors up to the heights that harbor three springs known as Los Escondidos, Los Enamorados and el Salto del Sapo. The latter is next to other stone-carved drawings similar to those found at Piedra Pintada.

To reach the top of the Sleeping Indian Woman, travelers may either climb on foot up the pathway next to the Painted Stone, or drive their way up on AWD vehicles that can climb the Camino de la Cruz thoroughfare. Once on top of the mountain, tourists will immediately feel a breezy climate and enjoy spectacular views at a height of more than 700 yards above sea level.