Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It was on the Caribbean coast of central Panama, at the foot of the steep rainforested
slopes that straddle the provinces of Colón and Veraguas, that Christopher Columbus
tried - and failed - to settle in 1502, though not before his reports of gold had reached
the ears of the Spanish Crown. The isolated black communities sprinkled along the
coastline today are descended from the African slaves who were brought over to work
in the gold mines that the conquistadors eventually established. Across the continental
divide, the Pacific coastal plains of Coclé and Veraguas were some of the first areas
to be settled by the colonizing Spanish, who drove the indigenous population up into
the forested mountainous spine of the Cordillera Central, where, several hundred years
later, their descendants, the Ngäbe and Buglé, still live and fight - this time against the
Panamanian government and international hydroelectric and mining companies.
Lower down, the gentler, denuded Pacific slopes are predominantly populated by peasant
farmers, claiming varying mixtures of indigenous, African and Hispanic ancestry, and the
land is taken up with arable and cattle farming. For this reason, central Panama is often ig-
nored by tourists as they speed along the Interamericana, heading for the loftier peaks of
Chiriquí or the golden beaches of Bocas. Yet there are good reasons to linger along the way.
Accessible
beaches
are strung out along the Pacific coast, only an hour's drive from the cap-
ital, luring surf- and beach-loving urbanites in equal measure, but it is the mountains that hold
most appeal, offering a splendid array of hiking and birdwatching opportunities. The volcan-
ic tors of
Parque Nacional Altos de Campana
afford sweeping vistas of the coastline, while
the scenic crater town of
El Valle
boasts outdoor activities and a lively craft market. Further
west,
Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos
offers peaks shrouded in mist and a chance to ex-
plore the little-visited rainforested Caribbean slopes. Back down in the plains, the towns of
Aguadulce
and
Penomené
have their own, low-key appeal, and provide access to some of
the country's most important historical sites, such as the old colonial church at
Natá
, which
contains wonderful wooden carvings, and the pre-Columbian remains of
El Caño
, an import-
ant ancient ceremonial and burial site.
