Lídice

About Lídice:

Lídice covers 42.3 km² of Capira district, west of Capira town and set back from the Interamericana. It borders Caimito to the north, Campana to the south, El Cacao to the west and the district seat to the east. Daily life runs around the central park, the football field and the bus stop, and buses and taxis are a large part of the local economy, because for years many residents have travelled out every morning to work in Panama City. From the centre, roads fan out to Las Tablitas, El Coco, San José, Majara, Filipinas, Caimitillo and El Murciélago, while the Lídice–Trinidad road climbs into the hills.

Until 1943 the place was called El Potrero, pasture whose cattle once paid tithes to the parish of San Isidro. After Nazi forces destroyed the Czech village of Lidice on 10 June 1942, a group of residents pushed to carry its name in Panama, and a municipal resolution of 4 September 1943 made the change. On 31 October that year, with Czechoslovak dignitaries present, an obelisk to the victims went up in the central park, and it still stands there. Every 31 October the town celebrates the anniversary with its patronales and bull riding at the Casa Cultural, and in 2017 the Czech ambassador came to visit and met the Capira mayor’s office.

Cerro Trinidad, at 970 metres, is the high point of the corregimiento, and its trail leads into Altos de Campana, Panama’s first national park. Below it the valley floor is flat and well watered. The Perequeté, Trinidad, Caimito, Caimitillo and Bollo rivers all run through Lídice, along with creeks such as La Chapa, Cañablanca and Murciélago. That water is why farming has held on: pickups come down from Filipinas, Majara and El Chileno early in the morning loaded with chives, pigeon peas and oranges for the wholesale market in La Chorrera, and cattle still graze the larger fincas.

The centre is the denser part, with houses on lots of several hundred square metres along streets such as Calle Las Tablitas, the Lídice health centre and schools in both Lídice and Majara. Buyers from the city come for a country house that keeps them within reach of the capital, for a finca that produces, or for a weekend place facing the hills. The weak point is mains water. Supply has failed for a week or more at a time, with tanker trucks as the only stopgap, so a well, a spring or a large storage tank on the property is not a luxury here.

Houses in Lídice:

Most homes are single-storey family houses with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, parking and a yard, often on lots of 700 m² or more. Some sit on the streets near the centre, a short walk from the bus and the health centre. Others stand on fenced land of close to a hectare with access to a stream, and larger homes of 350 m² come up as well. On the farms a small caretaker’s house is common. When you compare houses for sale in Lídice, look at the water system and the septic tank before the floor area.

Rentals in Lídice:

Long-term rentals are few and are almost always whole houses, such as three-bedroom homes of around 200 m². In the hills there are also cabins with pools and hot tubs let by the night to weekend visitors from the city, some with satellite internet. A handful of country houses are rented the same way to families and groups. If you need a year-round lease, expect to wait for the right house rather than choose from many.

Land and Lots in Lídice:

Land is the heart of this market. Fincas run from under a hectare to fifteen hectares, many already fenced and planted with producing fruit trees: mango, mandarin, orange, caimito, guaba and plantain, with yuca and ñame alongside. Some have pumped irrigation and water all year from creeks or springs. Toward Trinidad the holdings grow much larger, with cattle farms of more than fifty hectares split into paddocks, improved pasture and views to Lake Gatún from the high ground. If you are weighing land for sale in Lídice, Capira, walk it in the rainy months too, because the creek that makes a finca productive can make the track in hard going after a downpour.

FAQ:

• Where is Lídice and how do I get there?

  Lídice is in Capira district, Panamá Oeste, west of Capira town and between Caimito, Campana and El Cacao. Buses and taxis link it with Capira and the Interamericana. From the highway you continue to La Chorrera and Panama City.

• Why is the town called Lídice?

  It honours the Czech village of Lidice, destroyed by the Nazis in June 1942. Residents of what was then El Potrero asked for the new name, which became official by municipal resolution in September 1943. The obelisk unveiled on 31 October 1943 still stands in the central park, and that date is the town’s anniversary.

• What is the water situation in Lídice?

  The mains supply has a history of long cuts, with tanker trucks brought in while it is restored. Many fincas have their own creeks, springs or wells, and that is a real advantage here. For a house in the centre, check whether it has a storage tank and how big it is.

• What should I check before buying a finca in Lídice?

  Start with the paperwork, because some land around Lídice began as national land that the state adjudicated to its occupants as recently as the 2000s. Confirm in the property registry that the finca has registered title, that the area matches the approved survey plan and that the seller is the registered owner; if all you are offered is possession rights, you are buying something different. Then drive the access road after heavy rain, especially on the climb toward Trinidad, and find out which creek crossings stand between the land and the paved road.

• Is Cerro Trinidad part of Lídice?

  Yes. It is the highest point in the corregimiento, at 970 metres. The trail to the top enters Altos de Campana National Park and is steep and slippery on the way down, so hiking boots are a must.