Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FESTIVALS IN THE AZUERO
The Azuero's festivals reel in thousands of Panamanians from all over the country, partic-
ularly for the major parties of Carnaval in Las Tablas and Chitré, Corpus Christi in La
Villa de Los Santos and the Festival de la Mejorana in Guararé, though only recently have
foreign tourists started to take an interest. Despite being championed as fine examples of
the country's Spanish heritage, the festivities actually illustrate its hybridity: solemn reli-
gious ceremonies combine with pagan rituals and hedonistic excess; traditional folk groups
are followed by DJs blasting out reggaeton, rap and salsa; and stylized Andalusian-inspired
dances such as the tamborito (Panama's national dance) and punto are imbued with African
and pre-Columbian rhythms using drums, gourds and seed pods. Over five hundred fest-
ivals are held annually in the region, so you could spend a whole year here in a permanent
alcoholic haze drifting from one celebration to the next, soaking up (literally and metaphor-
ically) the legendary Azueran hospitality.
Chitré and around
CHITRÉ is the main urban centre in the Azuero Peninsula, and it makes an ideal base for
exploring the surrounding area and for attending the region's numerous festivals. A laidback
commercial town with an attractive colonial centre, Chitré was founded in 1848, though in-
dications are that conquistadors had been there since the mid-1500s. For the provincial cap-
ital of Herrera Province, life centres on the bustling streets around Calle Manuel María Cor-
rea, where you'll also find the interesting regional museum , and the well-manicured Parque
Unión , flanked by the splendid cathedral , notable for its impressive yet restrained wooden
interior. The compact colonial quarter of Chitré can easily be explored in a couple of hours,
leaving time to peruse the crafts in the suburb of La Arena , noted for its ceramics.
Bird-lovers will also be drawn to the nearby mud flats of Playa Agallito and the wetlands of
Cenegón del Mangle and La Ciénega de las Macanas , which attract prolific birdlife, par-
ticularly migratory waders. Of more general interest is the attractive village of Parita , pos-
sessing a delightful church, and, further afield, the surreal desert-like Parque Nacional de
Sarigua . Some of these locations are not easily accessible without your own transport, espe-
cially in the rainy season.
 
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