Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
triguing pre-Columbian site of the
Parque Arqueológico El Caño
and the splendid colonial
church of
Natá
.
Brief history
Salt had been harvested in the area by the indigenous population long before a boat-load of
colonizers landed in the mid-nineteenth century, naming the place Aguadulce (“freshwater”)
- apparently amazed at the purity of the water they'd drawn from a local well given its prox-
imity to the sea. The town's coastal location allowed it to develop into a major port during
the twentieth century but with the access channel constantly silting up and competition from
road transport along the Interamericana, the port scarcely functions these days.
The town centre
As usual, life centres on the main square,
Plaza 19 de Octubre
, where the
Iglesia de San
Juan Bautista
exhibits a mishmash of styles, the original altar frescoes having disappeared
beneath an expensive pile of red brick - the current altarpiece. Look out for the incongruous
German grandfather clock inside.
El Museo de la Sal y el Azúcar
Plaza 19 de Octubre • Tues-Sat 8.30am-3.30pm • Free • 997 4280
Across the park, the charming two-storey nineteenth-century building that was once the post
office now houses the Museo Regional Stella Sierra (named after a local poet, whose work
is on display), much better known by its previous title,
El Museo de la Sal y el Azúcar
.
Currently temporary exhibitions are shown on the ground floor with the permanent display
squeezed into a room on the first floor, though this is set to change. There's a modest assort-
ment of pre-Columbian relics, photos and instruments from the early days of the salt and sug-
ar industries, plus some weaponry and uniforms from the civil war, during which two major
battles were fought in the town. Space is also devoted to the town's two most famous citizens
- the aforementioned poet, Stella Sierra, and Rodolfo Chiari, one of Panama's former presid-
ents.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: AGUADULCE
By bus
Buses from Panama City (every 25min, 4.15am-9pm; 3hr) halt at two bus stops on
the Interamericana for Aguadulce; the western one by the
Hotel Interamericana
is the main
one; return buses to Panama City (similar timetable) leave from the nearby junction with Av
Rafael Estévez, which leads into the town centre. If you don't fancy walking to downtown
Aguadulce, regular minibuses costing a few
centavos
run along the road while taxis only
charge $1.
Destinations
Chitré (every 20min, 4am-6pm; 1hr); El Copé (every 45min, 6am-6pm; 1hr);
Penonomé (hourly, 5am-7pm; 1hr). All leave from the main square. Buses for Santiago
(every 20min, 5.30am-6.30pm; 1hr) leave from Av Rafael Estévez, 300m from the Intermer-
icana, though they also pick up from the main square. Buses to David (from Panama City)
