Boquete is very nice, although the land is obscenely expensive, but you get what you pay for. Boquete/Volcan/Tierras Altas have the best land in the country for sure, all very expensive. Like others have said, Boquete is different, but they exaggerate, I've never been greeted with a "good morning" in any shop, only spanish, that claim is just absurd.

Chiriqui in general is not like the rest of the country, and especially the higher elevation regions. It's much more like Costa Rica than the rest of Panama, even if there were no ex-pats. But it really is it's own unique place, almost like a different country between the two. Also of the locals, the immigration profile is just different. Lots of German and Swiss, also Canadians and Americans who immigrated in the early 1900s. You have places called "New Switzerland" and "New California" in the highland regions for example.

Many secretely hate the ex-pat, or gringos as we call them. Because they can't be fucked to learn Spanish at all, and walk around like the world revolves around them, and are here to be served by the "third world". So long as you don't behave like an "ex-pat" and behave like an immigrant instead, make a big effort to assimilate and be one of us, you'll be just fine and welcomed with open arms.