Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INTRODUCTION TO PANAMA
Encompassing cloud-forested highlands, glorious palm-fringed islands, vibrant indigen-
ous cultures and Central America's most ebullient capital city, Panama offers a surpris-
ingly varied landscape for such a small country. This slender, serpentine nation has a
unique history: from the loot-laden mule trains of the Spanish Camino Real to the scyth-
ing open of the rainforest by the world's most famous canal, Panama has long proved
valuable as a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Constituting a biologic-
al crossroads, too, the isthmus boasts an even greater density of plant biodiversity than
Amazonia.
Panama's compact size means the vast majority of its sights are easily accessible. From the
comfort of your hotel in the capital, you can head out in the morning to tramp in the footsteps
of the conquistadors through spectacular, primate-packed rainforest, yet be swinging your hips
to a salsa beat or dining on damask by candlelight in downtown Panama City the same even-
ing. The ancient and modern, artificial and natural are irresistibly juxtaposed: vast computer-
ized Panamax container ships transiting the canal slice through primeval rainforests teeming
with fluorescent frogs and elusive wild cats, only half an hour by dugout from where Emberá
villagers practise subsistence agriculture. Visiting the country's fringes and little-visited interi-
or, you can explore archipelagos and untracked jungle, basing yourself in small towns, friendly
villages and remote eco-lodges, and from Volcán Barú - Panama's highest peak - you can wit-
ness the unique and breathtaking sight of the sun rising over both Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Despite these attractions, Panama has often been overlooked as a tourist destination, over-
shadowed by its neighbour Costa Rica, and mistakenly viewed at times as a US annexe -
thanks to the US occupation of the former Canal Zone and the dollarized economy. Add to
that Panama's not entirely undeserved reputation for money-laundering and the current trend
of attracting North American retirees, and it's no wonder that tourists have initially been slow
to appreciate the country's multifaceted identity and outstanding natural beauty.
