Vallerriquito

About Vallerriquito:

Vallerriquito covers 39 km² of hill country south-west of Las Tablas, between the Canajagua massif and the farm villages of the Azuero interior. Bajo Corral is its neighbour to the east, and La Miel and Valle Rico are the nearest corregimientos on its other sides. Within living memory the trip into Las Tablas took two hours on horseback; today it is a 25 km drive by way of Santo Domingo. That road is how the village lives, because banks, supermarkets, government offices and most of the weekly shopping are in Las Tablas.

243 people lived in Vallerriquito in 2023, against 326 in 1990, and the village grows quieter with each decade as people leave to study and work elsewhere. They come back at the end of August. Santa Rosa de Lima is the patron saint: the procession goes out on 29 August, mass is said on the 30th, and bulls are run inside a fence put up in the middle of the llano. The church went up in the late 1950s, paid for by families who each put in a hundred balboas, and its altar was made by Gustavo Valparaíso, a craftsman from Chile whom the village found in Veraguas. It is the largest church in the parish of Santa María Madre de Dios, which has its seat here and also serves Valle Rico, La Miel, Bajo Corral and El Muñoz.

Farming has always been the base. Families grew their own rice, maize, plantain and beans and ate what they harvested, and cattle are still part of the picture on the surrounding fincas. That subsistence economy still managed to send its children on to become teachers, accountants, sociologists and journalists, many of whom now live elsewhere. The junta comunal and the Las Tablas municipality keep putting money into caminos de producción, the farm tracks that connect outlying parcels to the main road. Those tracks decide, more than anything else, how usable a piece of land out here is.

The village sits in a valley at 190 to 200 metres, with Cerro Barnizal in front, Cerro Largo behind and Cerro Pan de Azúcar close by. People here call it highland country because of Cerro Canajagua, the highest point in Los Santos, whose summit carries the radio masts that serve Las Tablas and whose slopes have walking trails. Quebrada Los Cascajales and Quebrada La Guaca run around the settlement, and the río Oria is near. For a buyer that means a choice between flat valley ground, easy to fence and build on, and sloping pasture where access and drainage need a closer look.

Houses in Vallerriquito:

Houses here are either village homes around the church and the llano or farmhouses set back on their own land. Few come up for sale. When one does, it usually comes with a parcel around it, so weigh the land as carefully as the building. Ask where the water comes from and how the power is connected, and drive the access road yourself before you talk price.

Land and Lots in Vallerriquito:

Land is what really changes hands in this part of Las Tablas. Land for sale in Vallerriquito runs from village house lots near the church to fincas of pasture and cropland climbing the hills toward the Canajagua. Some of the lots in the village are municipal land: in 2026 the Las Tablas municipal council approved agreements adjudicating lots here to the families who occupy them, so a lot can be partway between occupation and title when it is offered. Valley-floor parcels are the easiest to fence, water and build on, while hillside fincas suit cattle and trees but need a proper track. With so few people and so much open ground, Vallerriquito suits a small farm, a weekend house or a long-term hold within reach of Las Tablas.

FAQ:

• Is a village lot in Vallerriquito already titled, or is it still municipal land?

  Settle this first. The Las Tablas council has been adjudicating village lots to their occupants by municipal agreement, and until that step is done the seller holds rights of occupation, not a registered title. Get the finca number, look it up in the Registro Público and match the surveyed boundary to the fences on the ground. If the seller only has possession rights, have a lawyer set out in writing how and when title will pass to you.

• How do I get to Vallerriquito from Las Tablas?

  Take the road through Santo Domingo; the village is 25 km from the city. What used to be two hours on horseback is now a short drive. The farm tracks beyond the village are another matter, so go out to any finca you are considering, ideally after heavy rain.

• What kind of property can I buy here?

  Mainly fincas, pasture and house lots, with an occasional village house. There are no apartments and no new developments. If you want a finished home with neighbours close by, Las Tablas itself is the place to look.

• When is the village at its busiest?

  At the end of August, for the feast of Santa Rosa de Lima. The procession is on 29 August and mass on the 30th, and families who moved away come home for the bulls on the llano. It is a good week to meet the people who know who owns which piece of land.

• How close is Cerro Canajagua?

  Vallerriquito sits on the lower slopes of the Canajagua massif, with the peak rising to the north-west. The mountain is the highest point in Los Santos and has trails for walkers. Land on the hillsides toward it is steeper, so budget for the access track and earthworks.