In Central America, the last stop before South America is Panama, a country that
rewards her visitors with a lively and historic capital, hundreds of miles of beaches on two sea coasts, a melting pot of cultures and an amazing diversity of flora and fauna protected in accessible national reserves—14 national parks and 16 wildlife refuges. International arrivals have increased steadily in the last few years as both business and leisure travelers discover Panama’s many attractions beyond its famous Canal. Another welcome discovery is that the country’s hotel infrastructure is rapidly expanding with hotels in the capital and upscale resorts and lodges by the sea and in the highlands.
PANAMA CITY
Panama City used to be somewhere people traveled through, not to. Until recently, the crossroads capital was a place where travelers stopped only long enough to take a photo at the Canal and do a bit of shopping before moving on to more distant jungles, beaches and islands. But nowadays, not only business travelers, but leisure visitors as well are staying awhile to enjoy modern Panama City, with its prosperous commercial district and first-world infrastructure of 100 banks, a lively nightlife, a delicious restaurant scene and the only rainforest in the world within city limits—the 655-acre Metropolitan National Park. Sprawled along the curve of beautiful Panama Bay, the capital also offers its guests a solid core of international chain hotels—from the InterContinental and the Marriott, to the Radisson Decapolis—as well as more boutique-style properties that include the super-deluxe Bristol and the Canal House in the old city. Newest to the capital is the Buddha Bar Hotel & Spa, a cutting-edge property that mixes Asian styles with French accents. The spa here is a replica of Evian-le-Bains, and the restaurant and bar echo its successful Paris facilities. Incidentally, Le Meridien Panama, overlooking Panama Bay, is scheduled to open mid-year.
Old Panama, called Panama Viejo, is the original settlement site, plundered by pirate Henry Morgan in 1671. Remaining are ruins ranging from the old city hall to a slave market. The city then moved to today’s Casco Viejo district, whose unusual mix of Spanish, French and early-American styles earned this historic quarter a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Here is the place to stroll along the Paseo de las Bovedas atop the defensive wall built by the Spaniards and beneath the wall, with restored dungeons that now house the National Institute of Culture art gallery and a French restaurant. Other sites to see include the remains of the 18th century Santo Domingo Church and Convent and its former chapel, now housing the Museum of Religious Colonial Art, as well as the neoclassical National Theater. And nowadays, restoration work is changing colonial Casco Viejo into a hip neighborhood, with the city’s best nightlife. La Casona de las Brujas—loosely translates to House of the Witches—is just one example of the transformation of Casco Viejo. What was once a Catholic girls’ school has been transformed into one of the funkiest live music venues in the city. Also new to the entertainment scene is the Amador Causeway, a 2-mile breakwater with paths for jogging and biking by day, restaurants and live music venues by night. And coming here soon, the Museum of Biodiversity-Bridge of Life, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry
DAY-TRIPPING FROM THE CAPITAL
The engineering marvel, the famous Panama Canal, remains the economic lifeline of the country and getting a look at or riding right on the famous “Big Ditch,” is an essential component of every first stay in Panama City. There are many ways to see this 50-mile-long waterway that links the 50 miles between the Pacifi c Ocean on the Panama City side and the Caribbean at the port of Colon. From the Mirafl ores Locks observation platform, you have the perfect vantage point to watch ships raised and lowered from lock to lock as they pass between the oceans. Of course, tops on every visitor’s list should be a Canal transit—partial crossings are offered weekly, full transits once a month on Saturdays. To really get a full scope of the whole Canal Zone—and circumnavigate Panama at the same time—consider taking Panama Marine Adventures’ 7-day Journey Between the Seas cruise aboard the deluxe 24-passenger Discovery. Soberania National Park is a world-famous rainforest inside the Panama Canal watershed. Here’s the place to listen to howler monkeys, meet a sloth or two and above all, go birdwatching. The park’s Pipeline Road is the Holy Grail for birdwatchers, and during one Audubon Society Christmas bird count, 357 species were sighted in a 24-hour period. Within the park are two excellent lodgings in which to hang your Panama hat and explore the watery terrain, visit Indian villages and update your bird list—the Gamboa Rainforest Resort and the Canopy Tower Ecolodge.
CHIRIQUI HIGHLANDS
David is the city gateway to Chiriqui, where orchids grow in profusion and visitors come to cool off in the highlands. The leading vacation center is Boquete, whose prosperity comes from harvesting coffee and cultivating flowers. From this perch at 5,000 ft., visitors fan out—say from the Finca Lerida or the Panamonte Inn & Spa—to hike the mountain trails, fi sh, canter about on horseback and raft a river. And Boquete is the place to be to visit the Volcan Baru National Park, with panoramic views and the nation’s highest concentration of the resplendent quetzal. During the dry season (December-March), hikers can view both oceans at once from the volcano’s peak. Going another direction from David, an hour away is Boca Chica, Chiriqui’s new beach destination, with attractive new eco-resorts on and off shore.
BOCAS DEL TORO
This north coast archipelago, Bocas del Toro, is a booming—in an off-the-beaten-path way—destination that offers a quintessential Caribbean eco-adventure getaway. Bocas Town on Isla Colon provides a convenient base from which to explore the fauna and flora of the rainforests or to laze on pristine beaches. By night, making the scene means dining out on rice and beans and grooving to reggae. Day boat trips take visitors to neighboring islands and reefs, as well as to Bastimentos National Park, Panama’s first marine park and home to a variety of sea turtles—nesting time is April to October—and sea birds. The Zapatilla Cays is the destination for snorkelers, divers and beach aficionados. Staying in lively Bocas Town is fun, but the winning accommodations are out of town, off shore at say Punta Caracol Acqua-Lodge or Casa Cayuco, or on shore at Tranquilo Bay.
SAN BLAS ISLANDS
One of the most recognized images of Panama is the mola, the decorative applique that adorns the everyday dress of the Kuna Indians who inhabit the San Blas Islands, just off the north coast of Panama and a short flight from the capital. The Kunas “export” their unique crafts all over the country, but it is certainly more fun to watch molas being stitched on location and select the fi nest. But some of the best rewards are just staying on the islands in modest guest houses like the Akwadup Lodge and the Dolphin Island Lodge. Here, one can swim off white sand beaches, snorkel along colorful coral reefs, taxi between islands in kayaks or dugout canoes, swing in a hammock, or enjoy coconut cocktails and lots of fresh fish.
It Would Be a Shame to Miss...
For action-oriented sportsmen and women, Panama is a many-splendored scene. Hiking can be a historic adventure following the Las Cruces Trail in Soberania National Park. You’ll be walking on part of the road built by the 16th century conquistadors to transport goods and treasures. White-water rafting originated on the challenging rivers of the Chiriqui province—Chiriqui and Chiriqui Viejo, where the best runs are during the rainy season, May to mid-December. For top scuba diving thrills, it’s the Coiba Island National Marine Park, home to the second largest coral reef in the eastern Pacifi c. Here, surrounding waters are inhabited by hammerhead, whale and white-tip sharks, dolphins and sea turtles. More fishing records have been set in Panama than anywhere else on earth. World-class areas include Bahia Pina, whose famous Tropic Star Lodge holds more than 170 world records for the big catches of black marlin and sailfish. Panama’s fine 18-hole championship golf courses lie just outside the capital or a bit farther away along the Pacifi c coast. The newest to the golfi ng scene is the Mantaray Golf Club, designed by Randall Thompson in Farallon. And opening this month in the same coastal area (80 minutes from the capital) will be the Bristol Buenaventura, followed soon by its Nicklausdesigned 18-hole course.
Celebrations for All Seasons
Jan.: The Flowers & Coffee Fair in Boquete, a fiesta of food music and dancing, as well as coffee tasting and fl ower-fi lled fun.
Feb.: The granddaddy of all festivals is the 4-day celebration of Carnaval, held throughout the country before Ash Wednesday. The biggest party is in Panama City, the most traditional in Las Tablas in the Azuero province.
June: Corpus Christi is observed all over Panama, but is particularly festive in Villa de los Santos on the Azuero peninsula.
Sept.: In Bocas del Toro, the International Festival of the Sea is a 5-day event with food stands serving local cuisine, handicraft booths, folkloric dancing and a presentation by the Smithsonian Institute.
Oct.: The Feria de Rio Tigre is a 4-day fair featuring typical foods, dances and music and held on the San Blas Islands.
Oct. 21: Portobelo is the site of the Festival of the Black Christ, which draws thousands of supplicants and spectators to this historic Caribbean town.
rewards her visitors with a lively and historic capital, hundreds of miles of beaches on two sea coasts, a melting pot of cultures and an amazing diversity of flora and fauna protected in accessible national reserves—14 national parks and 16 wildlife refuges. International arrivals have increased steadily in the last few years as both business and leisure travelers discover Panama’s many attractions beyond its famous Canal. Another welcome discovery is that the country’s hotel infrastructure is rapidly expanding with hotels in the capital and upscale resorts and lodges by the sea and in the highlands.
PANAMA CITY
Panama City used to be somewhere people traveled through, not to. Until recently, the crossroads capital was a place where travelers stopped only long enough to take a photo at the Canal and do a bit of shopping before moving on to more distant jungles, beaches and islands. But nowadays, not only business travelers, but leisure visitors as well are staying awhile to enjoy modern Panama City, with its prosperous commercial district and first-world infrastructure of 100 banks, a lively nightlife, a delicious restaurant scene and the only rainforest in the world within city limits—the 655-acre Metropolitan National Park. Sprawled along the curve of beautiful Panama Bay, the capital also offers its guests a solid core of international chain hotels—from the InterContinental and the Marriott, to the Radisson Decapolis—as well as more boutique-style properties that include the super-deluxe Bristol and the Canal House in the old city. Newest to the capital is the Buddha Bar Hotel & Spa, a cutting-edge property that mixes Asian styles with French accents. The spa here is a replica of Evian-le-Bains, and the restaurant and bar echo its successful Paris facilities. Incidentally, Le Meridien Panama, overlooking Panama Bay, is scheduled to open mid-year.
Old Panama, called Panama Viejo, is the original settlement site, plundered by pirate Henry Morgan in 1671. Remaining are ruins ranging from the old city hall to a slave market. The city then moved to today’s Casco Viejo district, whose unusual mix of Spanish, French and early-American styles earned this historic quarter a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Here is the place to stroll along the Paseo de las Bovedas atop the defensive wall built by the Spaniards and beneath the wall, with restored dungeons that now house the National Institute of Culture art gallery and a French restaurant. Other sites to see include the remains of the 18th century Santo Domingo Church and Convent and its former chapel, now housing the Museum of Religious Colonial Art, as well as the neoclassical National Theater. And nowadays, restoration work is changing colonial Casco Viejo into a hip neighborhood, with the city’s best nightlife. La Casona de las Brujas—loosely translates to House of the Witches—is just one example of the transformation of Casco Viejo. What was once a Catholic girls’ school has been transformed into one of the funkiest live music venues in the city. Also new to the entertainment scene is the Amador Causeway, a 2-mile breakwater with paths for jogging and biking by day, restaurants and live music venues by night. And coming here soon, the Museum of Biodiversity-Bridge of Life, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry
DAY-TRIPPING FROM THE CAPITAL
The engineering marvel, the famous Panama Canal, remains the economic lifeline of the country and getting a look at or riding right on the famous “Big Ditch,” is an essential component of every first stay in Panama City. There are many ways to see this 50-mile-long waterway that links the 50 miles between the Pacifi c Ocean on the Panama City side and the Caribbean at the port of Colon. From the Mirafl ores Locks observation platform, you have the perfect vantage point to watch ships raised and lowered from lock to lock as they pass between the oceans. Of course, tops on every visitor’s list should be a Canal transit—partial crossings are offered weekly, full transits once a month on Saturdays. To really get a full scope of the whole Canal Zone—and circumnavigate Panama at the same time—consider taking Panama Marine Adventures’ 7-day Journey Between the Seas cruise aboard the deluxe 24-passenger Discovery. Soberania National Park is a world-famous rainforest inside the Panama Canal watershed. Here’s the place to listen to howler monkeys, meet a sloth or two and above all, go birdwatching. The park’s Pipeline Road is the Holy Grail for birdwatchers, and during one Audubon Society Christmas bird count, 357 species were sighted in a 24-hour period. Within the park are two excellent lodgings in which to hang your Panama hat and explore the watery terrain, visit Indian villages and update your bird list—the Gamboa Rainforest Resort and the Canopy Tower Ecolodge.
CHIRIQUI HIGHLANDS
David is the city gateway to Chiriqui, where orchids grow in profusion and visitors come to cool off in the highlands. The leading vacation center is Boquete, whose prosperity comes from harvesting coffee and cultivating flowers. From this perch at 5,000 ft., visitors fan out—say from the Finca Lerida or the Panamonte Inn & Spa—to hike the mountain trails, fi sh, canter about on horseback and raft a river. And Boquete is the place to be to visit the Volcan Baru National Park, with panoramic views and the nation’s highest concentration of the resplendent quetzal. During the dry season (December-March), hikers can view both oceans at once from the volcano’s peak. Going another direction from David, an hour away is Boca Chica, Chiriqui’s new beach destination, with attractive new eco-resorts on and off shore.
BOCAS DEL TORO
This north coast archipelago, Bocas del Toro, is a booming—in an off-the-beaten-path way—destination that offers a quintessential Caribbean eco-adventure getaway. Bocas Town on Isla Colon provides a convenient base from which to explore the fauna and flora of the rainforests or to laze on pristine beaches. By night, making the scene means dining out on rice and beans and grooving to reggae. Day boat trips take visitors to neighboring islands and reefs, as well as to Bastimentos National Park, Panama’s first marine park and home to a variety of sea turtles—nesting time is April to October—and sea birds. The Zapatilla Cays is the destination for snorkelers, divers and beach aficionados. Staying in lively Bocas Town is fun, but the winning accommodations are out of town, off shore at say Punta Caracol Acqua-Lodge or Casa Cayuco, or on shore at Tranquilo Bay.
SAN BLAS ISLANDS
One of the most recognized images of Panama is the mola, the decorative applique that adorns the everyday dress of the Kuna Indians who inhabit the San Blas Islands, just off the north coast of Panama and a short flight from the capital. The Kunas “export” their unique crafts all over the country, but it is certainly more fun to watch molas being stitched on location and select the fi nest. But some of the best rewards are just staying on the islands in modest guest houses like the Akwadup Lodge and the Dolphin Island Lodge. Here, one can swim off white sand beaches, snorkel along colorful coral reefs, taxi between islands in kayaks or dugout canoes, swing in a hammock, or enjoy coconut cocktails and lots of fresh fish.
It Would Be a Shame to Miss...
For action-oriented sportsmen and women, Panama is a many-splendored scene. Hiking can be a historic adventure following the Las Cruces Trail in Soberania National Park. You’ll be walking on part of the road built by the 16th century conquistadors to transport goods and treasures. White-water rafting originated on the challenging rivers of the Chiriqui province—Chiriqui and Chiriqui Viejo, where the best runs are during the rainy season, May to mid-December. For top scuba diving thrills, it’s the Coiba Island National Marine Park, home to the second largest coral reef in the eastern Pacifi c. Here, surrounding waters are inhabited by hammerhead, whale and white-tip sharks, dolphins and sea turtles. More fishing records have been set in Panama than anywhere else on earth. World-class areas include Bahia Pina, whose famous Tropic Star Lodge holds more than 170 world records for the big catches of black marlin and sailfish. Panama’s fine 18-hole championship golf courses lie just outside the capital or a bit farther away along the Pacifi c coast. The newest to the golfi ng scene is the Mantaray Golf Club, designed by Randall Thompson in Farallon. And opening this month in the same coastal area (80 minutes from the capital) will be the Bristol Buenaventura, followed soon by its Nicklausdesigned 18-hole course.
Celebrations for All Seasons
Jan.: The Flowers & Coffee Fair in Boquete, a fiesta of food music and dancing, as well as coffee tasting and fl ower-fi lled fun.
Feb.: The granddaddy of all festivals is the 4-day celebration of Carnaval, held throughout the country before Ash Wednesday. The biggest party is in Panama City, the most traditional in Las Tablas in the Azuero province.
June: Corpus Christi is observed all over Panama, but is particularly festive in Villa de los Santos on the Azuero peninsula.
Sept.: In Bocas del Toro, the International Festival of the Sea is a 5-day event with food stands serving local cuisine, handicraft booths, folkloric dancing and a presentation by the Smithsonian Institute.
Oct.: The Feria de Rio Tigre is a 4-day fair featuring typical foods, dances and music and held on the San Blas Islands.
Oct. 21: Portobelo is the site of the Festival of the Black Christ, which draws thousands of supplicants and spectators to this historic Caribbean town.
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