Panama - Travel Guide
This narrow bridge of land links South and Central America, as well as the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea. It boasts volcanoes and calm waters, noteworthy adventures in the jungle wilderness, on the water, and under the sea, historical sites and a sleek metropolis.
Panama is truly a melting pot of cultures with seven indigenous tribes still well represented. For those who seek the rustic, the Archipelago of San Blas in the Caribbean Sea governed by the Cuna, is a series of more than 365 islets well worth visiting. Travel to the Azuero Peninsula jutting south into the Pacific where the 11,000 year old excavated ruins, the oldest in Central America, stand. Here too you can see how the original ‘Panama Hat” is made, and if you’re lucky, time your trip to take part in the large Carnaval festivities.
No trip is complete without exploring the “three cities” that make up the capital, from the ruins of Panama Vieja (Old Panama) destroyed by the pirate Henry Morgan to historical “Casco Viejo”, (the Old Quarter) to the Manhattan-esque skyline and nightlife of modern day Panama City. One of the greatest engineering feats of all time, the Panama Canal, borders the city. With lush wilderness and picturesque beaches adjacent, every kind of vacation could be had without wandering too far away, but that would be a shame as everything is truly almost a hop, skip and a short flight away in this compact nation.