We have stayed and worked in hostels throughout the world so we really understand what most travelers are looking for. We try to make our hostel as comfortable and homey as possible, to ensure you a restful yet productive stay. We use the term hostel to indicate that we have several shared dormitory rooms, but you won't feel like you are in an army barracks! Central Safe Location in the commercial district of San Mateo, just a five minute walk to several 24 hour Supermarkets, 24 hour Pharmacies, Fruit/Vegetable Market, Hospitals, Buses, Restaurants, Bowling, Billiards, Bars, Discotecas, Casinos and even McDonalds!). The Purple House is open to receive you 24 hours a day, but if you are coming late, (after 11:00 pm), we recommend that you call to make sure we have space. Comfortable Backpackers Prices (see rate page for details). Shared Dormitory Rooms (with free lockers for your security). All rooms with Working Fans and Clean Sheets and Pillows and Clean Bathrooms! Private Rooms at basic prices or with additional services like Air Conditioning, Cable TV or private bathrooms (call or email us to reserve). Free WiFi if you travel with your own laptop. Or use our computers with VERY FAST ADSL line. Use of Fully Equipped Communal Kitchen w/ Oven, Fridge, Microwave, etc. Free Coffee and Tea All Day Long! Free Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice (in season) Salt, Pepper, Sugar, Oregano, Oil Vinegar and other Kitchen Freebies. Cheap ($3-$4) and Fast (2 hours) Laundry Service (or you can hand wash and hang your clothes on our line for free). Communal Living Room. Cable TV (57 Channels). Native English Spanish Speaking Staff. 24 Hour Reception. Travel Information and Special Discounts on local airlines (Aeroperlas and AirPanama). Discounts with several transportation companies. Reference guide books for Panama, Costa Rica, Central and South America, Panama. Free Luggage Storage (guests only) and sitting area where you can crash in our. or our OUTDOOR RECREATION SHOWERS where you can stay cool and sunbathe at the same time (sit in the under the water!) The in the garden where you can pick your own plaintains, coconuts, and avocados (and herbs like lemongrass, cilantro, ginger!) The SPECIAL PHONE that guests can use to call home, singing Happy Birthday and buying you a cake (if you happen to be with us on that special day). The fact that we are handicapped friendly and wheelchair accessible. Little details that we might forget to list on this web page. Remember it is our goal to make you feel as at home as possible in our home! Porque la ciudad de David? |

The View from Across the Street. Front View of The Purple House. (OK, OK, we know! It's really more like lilac colored with purple highlights but in this tropical climate, a purple house would have absorbed too much sun!)... BACKYARD VIEW WITH LAWN CHAIRS AND REFRESHING. Free Coffee Tea All Day. Free Internet (We have free WiFi too!). Our kitchen is your kitchen. Feel free to use it! We have a refrigerator, a stove, a microwave, blender, toaster, juicer, and all the purple plates, pots, pans, and cutlery that you need to cook us a typical meal from your country (hint, hint.) We include kitchen freebies like oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, oregano! Our Communal Living Room. (Color TV with 57 Cable Channels, Stereo, DVD). AND! Free Book Exchange (guests only). We have more books than in these photos.. We support the local indigenous community by selling their artesanry! (We don't earn a commission, so there is no price mark-up. Good for the artisans, Good for YOU!). FABIO'S KUNA CUSTOM BRACELETS. FABIO WORKING ON CUSTOM BRACELET He will come to Purple House! FINISHED BRACELET (about $10.00). Outside Sitting Area. Outside Seating, Party Time! SO MUCH TOURIST INFO! (We had to take all the tourist that was posted on the walls, and put it into organized information binders!). LOT'S OF REFERENCE GUIDEBOOKS. One of our dorm rooms. We provide the sheets. All rooms have working fans and lockers. You can use your own padlock, or we can rent you a lock. Rent one of our several private rooms. We do a la carte style. We have options like Cable TV, Air Conditioning, Shared or Private Bathroom, Hot Water. If you want the service, you are charged extra. But if you don't want the service, you don't have to pay for it!! Did we mention the orthopedic mattresses? Yummy Cheap Laundry Service. We can wash your clothes for a very reasonable price. We don't have a dryer so you would depend on the sun for that! But guess what? A couple of blocks away from the hostel is a cheap laundry mat where they will wash, dry, and fold a load of clothing for only $4.00(dollars). They are open til 9:00pm and they do it in 2 hours. Can't beat that! PURPLE HAMMOCKS FOR THE PURPFECT RELAXING EXPERIENCE!! COMING SOON...BANANAS!! (Did you know that pineapples don't grown on trees?). FREE LEMONGRASS! YUMMY FOR TEA AND THAI MEALS!! Fluffy - December 2, 2004-June 2, 2008. Poor Fluffy. A guest took her for a walk and she got overheated and died the next day. PLEASE CHECK BACK SOON FOR NEW UPDATED PHOTOS!!! Our Photo Album/Nuestro Album de Fotos |. Porqu? la ciudad de David?

David City (La Ciudad de David) is the second largest city in the country of Panama. It is the capital of the Chiriqui province. It is a very convenient stop over point for several important destinations within Chiriqui, such as the flower and coffee highlands of Boquete and Cerro Punta. It is also located 45 minutes from the Paso Canoas border of Costa Rica. You can also get to and from Bocas del Toro through David City. David City has all the conveniences of any major city, The Purple House Hostel is located in the growing commercial district of San Mateo and is very conveniently located for all of your traveling needs. Here are just some of the things you can get done while you are visiting our fine city. Go to a 24 hour Casino. See a New Movie (they cost about $2.50, or half price on Tuesday and Wednesday). Go to the Post Office. Receive a DHL/FED EX Package (great for lost credit cards or airline tickets!). Speak to a live Bank Teller. Go to a Travel Agency. Obtain a Student Discount travel card. Visit English Speaking Doctors at the Best Hospital in the Province. Go Shopping for Hard to Find Items (like a lost camera). Use the Internet Cafes (although if you are staying with us, the internet is free!). Go Bowling or Play Billiards, or better yet...go work out in a GYM! Get a hair-cut, bikini wax, tattoo, piercing, massage, manicure... See a Baseball or Soccer Game (depends on the season). Go to a musical concert. Visit a rum factory or a museum. Make a day trip to the highlands of Boquete. Eat fast food (McDonalds, Dominos Pizza, and KFC all deliver). Take Dance Lessons and go party at a disco the same night! (Take Private Spanish Lessons ($5.00 dollars per hour). Make a day trip to therapeutic hot springs, a river or a beach. Escape the rain. Yes, it rains in David during the rainy season, but we still have many sunny days with no rain at all. Sweat your butt off. (Oh, did we forget to mention that David City is the hottest city in the country?). Please feel free to contact us in advance of your trip, should you have any specific questions about the area and Panama in general. We will do our best to find the information for you, so you can plan your trip better! page to see photos of our neighborhood. page for more information about David City and Panama. PorqueLa Ciudad de David?

How to get to THE PURPLE HOUSE... The Purple House neighborhood of San Mateo, David was selected especially with the international traveler in mind, because we have many 24 hour stores, restaurants, and services and the area is considered to be very safe. We are on a residential street, but a 5 minute walk to the most important services! Check out the photos of our neighborhood by scrolling down below. Print out our current flyer to get a map of our neighborhood. (As of June 1, 2008, the prices for all the taxis and buses have gone up due to increases in gas prices, so make sure you agree on a price. The guidebooks have outdated taxi-fares. There are virtually no more $1.00 cab rides.). You can splurge $2.00 (for up to 4 people) and take a taxi to The Purple House International Backpackers' Hostel. ($1.50 for 1 person). This is what you can say to your taxi-driver (if he doesn't understand The Purple House): La Casa Morada, ubicado en la via rapida en San Mateo, atras de la Camara de Comercio. La casa lila en todo la esquina.. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are arriving to David City from the Paso Canoas border of Costa Rica or Cerro Punta or Volcan, you do not have to take the bus all the way to the bus terminal. You can ask your bus driver to let you off about 3 blocks from The Purple House (La Casa Morada), and that way, you save taxi money! This is what to do: Ask the bus driver to let you off in front of the bus stop Universidad Tecnologica. You will be in front of a gas station. Pivot your body around and look for the Budget Rental Car Office, and walk toward it and continue on this same street (Avenida Sexta) for 3 blocks toward the Chamber of Commerce. It is a five minute walk. If you arrive to the Bus Terminal from take any bus (30 cents) that passes in front of McDonalds (there is only one here in David City. When you pass McDonalds tell the bus driver to stop at the Supermercado 99. Get off here, and continue walking straight ahead of you 1 block to the Budget Rental Car office. At the Budget office, make a right and walk 3 blocks til you see the pretty purple house on the corner. Or you can walk about 20 minutes (from the bus terminal), keep asking people how to get to the Chamber of Commerce (La Camara de Comercio) and you will find us! DRIVERS/BIKERS/CYCLISTS!!! FIND US ON YOUR GPS DEVICE!!! Our coordinates are :n8.43128 w82.43629. AND NOW TO THE PHOTOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MARKET (Mercado San Mateo). One of Two 24 HOUR SUPERMARKETS. DHL COPA AIRLINES OFFICE. CLOTHING AND SHOE STORES. | How to get to us |. Our Photo Album/Nuestro Album de Fotos. Porque la Ciudad de David?

 Guest rooms have air conditioning
 Luggage storage
 Central situation
 Clothes dry cleaning
 Currency exchange service
 Disabled guests are welcome
 Access to internet
 Laundry services/washing machine
 Mixed dorms
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Around-the-clock recetpion
 Quiet surroundings
 Fridge
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Tea and coffee making facilities
 TV sets in rooms
 Patio, summer terrace
 Common room with a TV set