Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mains from $7, including top-quality
patacones
with a few Peruvian additions - try the fried
ceviche
- to wash down with delicious home-made juices and
batidos
.
Daily 7am-10pm.
Restaurante Massiel
Av Central.
Friendly, efficient place serving
comida típica
and fast
food - chicken with rice is under $5 and hamburger combos go for much the same. It's also
good for breakfast.
Daily 7am-8pm.
Restaurante Santa Librada
Av Central 983 6376.
The best and most popular inex-
pensive option in town serving Panamanian favourites for under $7 plus the more unusual
corvina al curry
and several chargrilled dishes.
Daily 7am-9pm.
Penonomé and eastern Coclé
The capital of the province of Coclé,
PENONOMÉ
was founded by Spanish colonizers in
1581 and briefly served as capital of the isthmus after the destruction of Panamá Viejo. Stand-
ing at the geographical centre of Panama (a plaque marks the fact), this bustling market town
remains important both as a transit point and for the surrounding fertile land, which is used
for fruit, vegetables, rice and maize as well as for pig, poultry and cattle farming. The sev-
enteen thousand inhabitants are predominantly
mestizo
, while some have Arab and Chinese
origins. Fittingly for a town that served as a
reducción de Indios
- a place where conquered
indigenous groups were forcibly resettled - Penonomé was named after Nomé, a local chief-
tain cruelly betrayed and executed.
Though a provincial capital and major agricultural centre, Penonomé is a surprisingly small
town, with a very rural feel, containing a couple of modest sights and a pretty river all within
walking distance. Its
aquatic celebrations
for Carnaval are a real crowd-puller, and it makes
a decent base for visiting other places of interest nearby, notably the tranquil village of
La
Pintada
, famed for its finely woven
sombreros
and the scenic mountains to the north, in-
cluding
Chiguirí Arriba
, with its hiking trails and spectacular views and the vibrant Cucuá
community of San Miguel Centro. Topping the mist-swathed peaks to the northwest,
Parque
Nacional Omar Torrijos
is a treat for birdwatchers and hikers.
