What to see in Panama

San Blas

La Republic of Panama It is a small country located in the south of North America and in the north of South America. It is known worldwide for its canal and travelers come from all over the world to see it, but it really has more to offer.

Let's find out today in Actualidad Viajes, what to see in Panama… beyond the great canal.

Panama

Map of panama

As we said, its location is between the Americas. The Spanish arrived in the XNUMXth century. and the land was already occupied by native peoples who disappeared due to pests brought from the old continent. It gained independence from Spain in 1821. to be part of the Republic of Greater Colombia, along with Venezuela, Ecuador and New Granada, but barely a decade later that country was dissolved and what is now Panama was left under the Colombian flag.

Nothing lasts long when the United States has economic or geopolitical interests, so in 1903 Panama separated from Colombia so that the Panama Canal could be built, an engineering masterpiece that was built between 1904 and 1914. Full steam ahead. It was not until 1999 that the rights to said canal would remain in the hands of Panama completely, with the money that this means.

What to see in Panama

Panama Canal

Of course, the first thing is Panama Canal. The idea of ​​crossing between the oceans was always attractive and the isthmus could be used. This natural isthmus was formed about three million years ago allowing the crossing of flora and fauna.

Many were the peoples who walked through these lands before the Spanish conquered them and scared them into the jungle or the nearby islands, to later die from diseases against which they had no immunity, for example, smallpox.

Panama Canal

With the help and pressure of the United States, Panama managed to separate from Colombia and the canal works began a year later. The Panama canal It is an 82 kilometer long artificial channel that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific. It passes, cuts, the Isthmus of Panama, a narrow strip of land that in turn joins the Caribbean with the Pacific, uniting the Americas.

Building the canal was all engineering work, but it was worth it because the costs of maritime transport, if the route was shortened, would be very important. So it was. In the years of construction there was collaboration between Panama, the United States and France. France had tried it at the end of the XNUMXth century but lacked investors who trusted that the project was viable, something that the United States was able to solve a few years later.

The gates or locks of the canal, located on each side, open and close lifting the boats towards the Gatun Lake., an artificial lake at 26 meters above sea level. Boats are raised up to this lake and then lowered at the other end of the canal. The original gates were 33 meters wide, but in 5 and 2007 another line of gates, a third, was built as an extension.

Panama Canal

In the first year about a thousand ships passed through here, but by 2012 they already totaled 815 annually. The total passage through the canal can last around eleven hours. Today the curious can come to know this human wonder.

There is the Miraflores Visitors Center , with terraces and viewpoints to stay watching the boats pass and learn about the history of the canal. there is even a imax theater wonderful to see a documentary about him narrated by actor Morgan Freeman. This place is only 15 minutes by car from the center of Panama City, although there is also another Visitors Center, in Agua Clara, which belongs to the new locks that were built there, on the Atlantic side. This center is an hour away.

Bocas del Toro

A popular destination for beach and sea lovers is Bocas del Toro. The islands here are beautiful and form a true paradise with Coral reefs and a great cultural diversity, with Afro-Caribbean airs. Bocas is home to rainforests, the culture of the Ngäbe and the Naso Tjerdi.

The islands that make up the group are the main island of Colon, Bastimentos Island, one of the largest in the country, and the smallest Isla Carenero. During the day you can live in nature and enjoy it, especially in the Isla Bastimentos National Park if you like the surfing and diving, the luminescent lagoons and the marine creatures, and at night, well enjoy the party.

Bocas del Toro 2

How do you get there? From the city you can take a 45-minute flight to Isla Colón, or you can take a car or a bus and go to Puerto Almirante in Bocas del Toro, but that takes nine hours of driving plus 35 minutes by boat or an hour and a half of ferry.

Panama City

Another destination is the Panama City itself, with its restored historic center, the Miraflores Visitor Center, the Taboga Island and everything that a modern city can offer. The city is within the province of Panama, surrounded in turn by the San Blas Islands and other provinces. There is museums, theaters, entertainment centers, you can ride a bike and explore the Metropolitan Natural Park, with its wonderful flora and fauna…

Casco Viejo of Panama

If you like Central American nature, then it's a good idea to travel just 20 minutes from the center and visit the Pipeline Route, a trail that crosses the heart of the Soberanía National Park and offers the most diverse wildlife. Also, a little further away, you can visit the pearl islands, a destination for the rich and famous: some 200 islands on the Pacific coast with dreamy beaches.

chiquiri It is another destination highly visited by international travelers. There are miles and miles of deserted beaches and beautiful on the Pacific coast, mountains and the Baru volcano, the only one in the country. There are jungles, sugar cane fields and waterfalls. There is a village called Bolquete, small and charming, with a river and coffee plantations. Right on the opposite side is the town of Volcán and Bambito, with hotels and hostels.

Chiquiri, in Panama

You can also visit the Gulf of Chiquiri whose waters are protected as a national park, with 25 islands and 19 coral reefs. To explore the area and its wildlife of dolphins, whales and turtles, the starting point is the town of Boca Chica. If you like to walk then the Los Quetzales Trail, to do it between bamboos and cloud forests. You can reach this part of the country by plane from the capital or in a six or seven hour trip by road.

cocle, panama

Near Panama City is Cochle, a place to enjoy more nature with trails to walk, waterfalls to visit and beaches. Veraguas is known as "The pearl between the two oceans» and it is the place to enjoy both the Caribbean and the Pacific. Veraguas is a province with mountains and biodiversity.

Colón

Colón it also has lush beaches, but add cannons, fortresses and pirate stories. The province receives visitors and is the center of Panamanian handicrafts. On the other hand is The Saints, a province located in the so-called "dry arc" of Panama, which makes it owner of the most sunny days in the country. It is in the center of Panama and is a combination of the traditional and the modern.

Herrera

Herrera It is the smallest Panamanian province of all, a friendly land that is at the northern end of the Azuero peninsula, between Los Santos and Veraguas. It has a small coast on the Pacific and is dedicated to agriculture. You will see the mangroves of Playa El Agallito, with thousands of migratory birds, the Sarigua National Park, an 11-year-old pre-Columbian site, and the capital city, Chitre, or Ocú, in case you want to take the classic and popular panaman hat.

San Blas Islands

Finally, Guna Yala, an aboriginal territory governed by the Guna group: it is a narrow strip of land on the Caribbean side plus an archipelago of 365 islands, although only 50 are inhabited. Are thes San Blas Islands, a top destination in Panama for its turquoise beaches.

Finally, speaking of native peoples, one of the most important communities here is that of Embera-Wounaan, in the province of Darien, not far from the capital. Some of its villages you can visit on tour. As you can see, Panama is much more than the canal. Have a good trip!


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