Contents9

On the Road 4

Panama Highlights 5

Destination Panama 11

Getting Started 12

Itineraries 16

History 22

The Culture 30

Food & Drink 40

Environment 46

Panama Outdoors 57

Panama City 68History 69Orientation 69Information 69Dangers & Annoyances 72Sights 72Courses 83Panama City for Children 83Festivals & Events 84Sleeping 84Eating 88Drinking 92Entertainment 93Shopping 95Getting There & Away 96Getting Around 98

Panamá Province 99AROUND PANAMA CITY 100Panama Canal 100Canal Zone 103PACIFIC ISLANDS 107Isla Taboga 107Archipiélago de Las Perlas 110

PACIFIC COAST 115La Chorrera 115Lago Gatún 115Capira 115Parque Nacional y Reserva Biológica Altos de Campana 116Punta Chame 116Beaches 116NORTHEAST PANAMÁ PROVINCE 118Área Silvestre de Narganá 119

Coclé Province 120El Valle 121Santa Clara 128Farallón (Playa Blanca) 129Antón 130Penonomé 130La Pintada 132Reserva Privada Távida 133Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos & La Rica 133Parque Arqueológico del Caño 135Aguadulce 135

Península de Azuero 139Chitré 140Around Chitré 144Ocú 146San José 147Villa de Los Santos 148Playas Monagre & El Rompío 150Road to Las Tablas 150Guararé 151La Enea 151Las Tablas 152Pedasí 154Around Pedasí 157Macaracas 160

Veraguas Province 161Santiago 163Iglesia San Francisco de Veraguas 164Santa Fé 165Las Palmas 168Santa Catalina 168Parque Nacional Coiba 172Parque Nacional Cerro Hoya 177

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10 C O N T E N T S

Getting There & Away 251Getting Around 251Cartí, El Porvenir & Around 251Río Sidra & Nearby Islands 253Corazón de Jesús & Nearby Islands 256Playón Chico & Nearby Islands 256Achutupu & Nearby Islands 257Beyond Achutupu 257

Darién Province 259The Emberá & Wounaan 260Orientation & Information 262Dangers & Annoyances 262Tours 263Volunteering 263Getting There & Away 263Getting Around 264THE ROAD TO YAVIZA 264Ipetí 264Tortí 266Metetí 266Yaviza 268INTERIOR DARIÉN 268La Palma 268Reserva Natural Punta Patiño 269Mogué 269Río Sambú 270Sambú 271PARQUE NACIONAL DARIÉN 271El Real 271Rancho Frío 272Boca de Cupe 272Cana 272PACIFIC COAST 275

Directory 276Transportation 288Health 297Language 304Glossary 312Behind the Scenes 314Index 320Map Legend 328

Isla Bastimentos 217MAINLAND 222Almirante 222Changuinola 222Humedal de San-San Pond Sak 223Parque Internacional La Amistad (Wekso) 224Las Delicias 226Bosque Protector de Palo Seco 226

Colón Province 228Colón 229Around Colón 232South of Colón 233Parque Nacional San Lorenzo 234Portobelo 236Around Portobelo 240Isla Grande 241Nombre de Dios 242East of Nombre de Dios 244

Comarca de Kuna Yala 245The Kuna 246Orientation 248Information 248Sleeping & Eating 249Activities 249Festivals & Events 250Shopping 250

Chiriquí Province 178LOWLANDS 180David 180The Road to Boquete 184Playa Barqueta 184Golfo de Chiriquí 185Punta Burica 186Playa Las Lajas 187The Road to Veraguas Province 188HIGHLANDS 188Boquete 188Parque Nacional Volcán Barú 196Buena Vista 198Volcán 198Santa Clara 200Paso Ancho 200Bambito 200Cerro Punta 201Guadalupe 201Parque Internacional La Amistad (Las Nubes) 201The Road to Bocas Province 202

Bocas del Toro Province 204ARCHIPIÉLAGO DE BOCAS DEL TORO 206Isla Colón 206Isla Carenero 215Isla Solarte & Around 217

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Regional Map Contents

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LA AMISTAD (p224)

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serious trekkers

beaches and plenty of surf and sun

ARCHIPIÉLAGO DE BOCAS

Panama's tourist mecca servesup Caribbean vibes, jungle-fringed

country's best coffee

BOQUETE (p188)The perfect highland escape foranyone seeking fresh mountainair, cloud-forest hiking and the

PARQUE INTERNACIONAL

beaten-path destination fornational park is an off-the-

The Panamanian side of this bi-

wicked waves

COIBA (p172)

SANTA CATALINA (p168)Panama's undisputed surfing

capital can dish out some seriously

AZUERO (p139)PENÍNSULA DE

most famous folkloric festivals

This bastion of traditional Spanishculture is home to the country's

PARQUE NACIONAL

terrestrial and marine ecosystemshome to some of Panama's uniqueThis far-flung ecological wonder is

PARQUE NACIONAL VOLCÁNBARÚ (p196)

This stunning highland parkprotects both Panama's highest

peak and its most famousmountain trail

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ELEVATION

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400m

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LEGEND

Tertiary RoadUnsealed Road

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DARIÉN (p271)PARQUE NACIONAL

SAN BLÁS (p245)ARCHIPIÉLAGO DE

a world-famous bird-watching spotrainforest surrounds Pipeline Rd,

This huge swath of protected

to historical sightseverything from pulsating nightlife

cosmopolitan capital city offersCentral America's most

PARQUE NACIONALSOBERANÍA (p103)

wilderness offerings

Panama's wildest and mostinfamous frontier is the crown

jewel in the country's

in the Caribbeanpalm–covered islets floating

consists of hundreds of coconutThe homeland of the Kuna

PANAMA CITY (p68)

ISLA TABOGA (p107)This charming island of sandybeaches and flower-bedecked

villages is a popular city escape

PANAMA CANAL (p100)

flanked by dense junglean engineering marvel that is

The world's grandest shortcut is

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