Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
gratory birds. This is particularly true for species like the western sandpiper, which
can fly for days on end without stopping to eat. The station displays a map of mi-
gratory routes of bird species. Guests can speak with volunteers if they have time,
or Francisco himself, who speaks English and Spanish.
Playa El Aguillito is reached from Chitré via Av Herrera just past the airport. A
bus leaves the Chitré station for the beach every 20 minutes or so during daylight
hours. The one-way fare is US$0.50. A taxi ride from town costs US$4 one way.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Around Chitré
Some of the most interesting sights in the Península de Azuero are just a short bus ride
away from downtown Chitré.
La Arena
The tiny village of La Arena produces some of the highest-quality pottery in the country,
and is one of the best places to watch sculptors working their trade. The pottery mimics
the pre-Columbian designs of the Ngöbe-Buglé people who once lived nearby. Buy dir-
ect here to help support artisans. This famous ceramics center sits about 5km west of
downtown Chitré, bisected by the Carretera Nacional.
The best of the town's several pottery factories is
Ceramica Calderón
(near Calle del Río
Parita & Carretera Nacional)
, where you can buy traditional painted ceramics at wholesale
prices. These pieces are made on the premises in a workshop directly behind the roadside
showroom. All pottery is made by hand with the help of a foot-powered potter's wheel.
The principal artisan is Angel Calderón, who's been making ceramics professionally for
almost 50 years. If you visit Angel's shop, be sure to take a look at the impressive ovens
out back.
Although there are no places to stay in La Arena, downtown Chitré is just 5km away
and US$0.30 by bus. A taxi ride from Parque Union to La Arena shouldn't cost you more
than US$2.
Atop a hill in La Arena,
El Mirador
(Lookout; mains US$5-9; 4pm-midnight)
is a popu-
lar spot where tourists from around Panama congregate to take in the views of the city
and the surrounding plains. The food is standard at best, though the twinkling lights of
Chitré make for an atmospheric night out. To find El Mirador from downtown Chitré,
head west on Paseo Enrique Geenzier for about 2.5km and turn left onto the road that be-
