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Photo: Alfredo Maiquez/Lonely Planet Images |
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Panama—A Land of Plenty
Known as the Crossroads of the World, Panama is a place where two continents and two oceans meet. The country delights and surprises tourists by offering modern luxury and virgin rain forests. Panama is also a crossroad in time. Passengers from modern cruise ships encounter ancient jungles and indigenous villages. Majestic skyscrapers stand where pirates once plundered. And flora and fauna from two continents intermingle, giving Panama one of the largest and most diverse arrays of plants and animal species in the world. Rain forest covers nearly one third of the country's landmass. And the indigenous meaning of Panama-"abundance of fish"-reflects the nation's reputation as a haven for fishermen and other water sports enthusiasts. Ecotourism is a burgeoning industry, but golf courses, casinos, and luxury beach resorts abound. White-sand beaches entice visitors along Panama's 1,500-mile Pacific Coast and 500-mile Atlantic Coast. Nearly 500 rivers feed into those oceans, and one of them, the Chagres, has the distinction of being the world's only river that flows into two oceans.
The country's coastlines are dotted with nearly 1,500 islands, the best known being Las Perlas on the Pacific and San Blas on the Atlantic. Not surprisingly, seafood dishes-such as ceviche made from the popular corvina (croaker)-dominate restaurant menus. Most visits to Panama begin at the port cities of Colón or Balboa-if arriving by cruise ship-or in Panama City, a hub for many international airlines. Founded in 1519, Panama City is both the oldest European settlement on the Pacific and the nation's capital. In Spanish colonial times, the city served as a way station for shipments of gold plundered from Peru. Remnants of Spanish government buildings, plazas, cathedrals, churches, and convents still stand in the old city, known as Panamá Viejo. The old city was rebuilt in the nearby foothills in 1673, after being destroyed by forces led by the English pirate, Henry Morgan. The capital's second incarnation took the form of a walled city to discourage further pirate attacks. The entire area, known as Casco Antiguo or Colonial Panama, is a UNESCO Patrimony of Humanity site, recognizing its universal value from a historic, aesthetic, and anthropologic perspective. Besides being rich in history, Panama City is rich in riches! It is a banking and commercial center with a gleaming skyline that towers over the blue Pacific. Via España and Central Avenue-the city's main shopping districts-are surrounded by luxury hotels and financial institutions. The U.S. dollar is legal tender in Panama, whose currency is the balboa.
A short distance from Panama City is the Parque Nacional Metropolitano, a tropical forest within the city limits. Other national parks, such as Chagres, Portobelo and Altos de Campana, reward the traveler willing to drive a few hours out of the capital. The Parque Nacional Darién, on the border with Colombia, provides habitat for more than 300 species of birds, including Panama's national bird, the harpy eagle. The U.S. State Department warns that park visitors should avoid the area near the Colombian border because it is not safe. The elusive quetzal nests in the remote Chiriquí Highlands of the Parque Nacional Barú, an hour by plane from Panama City. From the peak of the extinct Barú volcano, visitors can see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Transportation within Panama is efficient and economical. Taxis are plentiful in the capital, where most U.S. car rental agencies are also located. The delightfully named Transisthmian Highway connects the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, as does the Panama Canal Railway. The 47-mile railway ride is a popular option that offers luxuriously appointed cars and beautiful views of the rain forest and ships crossing the Panama Canal. Many visitors to Panama opt to spend a night or two in the rain forests. Accommodations range from rudimentary jungle lodges to luxurious resorts, such as the Gamboa Rainforest Hotel, a half-hour from Panama City. For a true adventure, consider reserving one of six rooms in the Canopy Tower, a former U.S. military radar station in the Parque Nacional Soberanía. Treetop neighbors in this most unusual hotel include huge, iridescent butterflies and an amazing array of colorful (and noisy) birds. Tourists can enjoy cultural traditions that vary dramatically from region to region. For example, festivals in the province of Colón include congo drums, reflecting an African heritage, whereas the islands of Bocas del Toro have a maypole ceremony, tracing back to European roots. Only 10 percent of Panama's population is indigenous. Nearly 70 percent of Panamanians are mestizo, the rest are divided mostly between those of African descent and those of Spanish descent. At one point, more than 60 indigenous tribes populated Panama, but only six remain. The most well-known are the Kunas in the San Blas (Kuna Yala) islands and the Emberá, who live in the area of the Chagres and Darien national parks. Emberá women, usually bare-breasted, sell colorful baskets, and other handicrafts at cruise terminals and marketplaces. Kuna women are internationally known for their beautiful, brightly colored needlework designs called molas. For bargains on designer clothing, jewelry and electronics, venture to the zona libre in the Atlantic port city of Colón. This 988-acre import/export and distribution center is the second-largest duty-free zone in the world. A variety of snack bars inside offer local delicacies such as raspados, tropical-flavored shaved ice treats served in a paper cone, and carimañolas, a roll made from yucca root dough, stuffed with meat and boiled eggs, and served in a paper cone. The zona libre exemplifies the importance of the Panama Canal to global trade. Ninety years ago, winding jungle rivers provided the only means of crossing the Isthmus of Panama. In 1882, the French began a canal-building project that ended six years later in failure. By then, 20,000 workers had died-many from mosquito-borne illnesses. The United States took over in 1903, spent enormous sums to control the mosquito population, and completed the Panama Canal in August 1914. Construction costs exceeded $350 million. The Panama Canal remains one of the great engineering marvels of the world. It is arguably the greatest machine ever created, lifting loaded ships over the continental divide from one ocean to another. No trip to Panama is complete without visiting the 50-mile-long canal. Numerous tour companies offer partial crossings in comfortable boats that allow visitors to travel the canal in the company of giant cargo ships. Highlights of the canal include Lake Gatún, the Gaillard Cut along the Continental Divide, and three locks that raise ships 85 feet from sea level to lake level: Gatún on the Atlantic, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores on the Pacific. Visitors can watch ships cross the canal from the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks. The canal is surrounded by dense green jungles and forested mountains. One of the canal's most impressive sights lies near the entrance to the Pacific. There, the gracefully curved metal arch of the Bridge of the Americas spans the canal and carries vehicles along the Pan-American Highway.all the way to Alaska. Writer Al Martinez got a little closer to nature than he had anticipated on a recent visit to Panama. Click here to find out more. |
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