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home page / Central America / Panama
Country PANAMA
PANAMA
BOOK HOTEL RESERVATIONS ONLINE OR BY LIVE TELEPHONE SUPPORT 24/7 ALBROOK ALBROOK INN ALBROOK CHITRE BARCELO GUAYACANES Chitre COCLE PARK EDEN BED AND BREAKFAST COCLE COLON (travel guide) (regional info) Melia Panama Canal Colon CONTADORA (regional info) HOTEL PUNTA GALEON RESORT DAVID (regional info) GRAN HOTEL NACIONAL DAVID Las Olas Beach Resort David EL VALLE DE ANTON Anton Valley Hotel El Valle de Anton FARALLON Playa Blanca Beach Resort All Inclusive Farallon Royal Decameron Golf, Beach Resort and Villas All Inclusive Farallon GAMBOA Gamboa Rainforest Resort Gamboa ISLA BASTIMENTOS TRANQUILO BAY ISLA BASTIMENTOS PANAMA CITY (travel guide) (regional info) > Tourism & Travel Guide: Panama City AVALON GRAND PANAMA Panama City Avalon Grand Panama City Continental Hotel & Casino Panama City Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Panama Canal Panama City Country Inn Ste Panama City Courtyard by Marriott Panama City Crowne Plaza Panama City EL PANAMA HOTEL Panama City EUROHOTEL Panama City HOTEL DE VILLE Panama City Hotel El Panama Convention Center & Casino Panama City HOTEL LA CRESTA INN PANAMA HOTEL ROMA PLAZA Panama City HOTEL VIA ESPANA PANAMA InterContinental Miramar Panama City Marriott Panama City PANAMA VACATION QUARTERS PANAMA Radisson Decapolis Panama City Riande Aeropuerto Hotel & Resort Panama City Riande Granada Hotel & Casino Panama City RIANDE GRANADA HOTEL AND CASINO Panama City Sheraton Panama Hotel & Convention Center Panama City Suites Ambassador Panama City The Bristol Hotel Panama City Veneto - A Wyndham Grand Hotel Panama City VENETO A WYNDHAM GRAND PANAMA CITY VERACRUZ PANAMA CITY PLAYA BONITA InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa Playa Bonita PLAYA CORONADO Coronado Golf And Beach Resort Playa Coronado SIERRA LLORONA SIERRA LLORONA PANAMA ECO-LODGE SIERRA LLORONA > more regional information about Panama Where To Go " When To Go " Getting Around " Costs, Money And Banks " Dining And Drinking " Panamá On The Web " Safety And The Police " Work " History " General Information " Mail And Telecommunications " Opening Hours, Holidays And Festivals " The Media " Shopping " Explore Panamá Even before the construction of its famous canal, Panamá 's strategic location at the wasp waist of the Americas and at the meeting place of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans made it one of the great crossroads of the world. A narrow, S-shaped isthmus that stretches some 750km between Costa Rica and Colombia, Panamá remains a vital thoroughfare of international commerce, but is rarely visited by travellers. In part this is because the land bridge to South America, the Darién Gap, remains virtually impassable; in part because the use of the US dollar and the relatively high level of economic development make it a more expensive country to visit than other places in the region. But above all it seems that Panamá suffers from a serious image problem. Although the last US troops have now left Panamá and the canal is in Panamanian hands, to most outsiders the country remains a virtual colony of the US, artificially created in order to facilitate construction of the canal, while its culture is seen as a desperately compromised imitation of North America: urbanized, anglicized and Coca-colonized. Yet while it is true that no other country in Central America has been so dominated by the US - Panamá owes its very existence to US intervention - in fact the North American cultural influence, though strong, is but one among many. Spanish, African, West Indian, Chinese, Indian, European - all have contributed to a compelling cultural mix , creating perhaps the most cosmopolitan, open-minded and outward-looking society in Central America. At the same time, it is also home to some of the most unassimilated and culturally fascinating indigenous societies in Central America - within 30km of the high-rise banking district of Panamá City, for example, the indigenous Emberá still practise subsistence agriculture in the rainforest and hunt for their supper with blowpipes. Most travellers who make it down to Panamá are surprised by its outstanding natural beauty . With 1600km of coastline on the Pacific and 1280km on the Caribbean side, Panamá boasts unspoiled beaches and coral reefs to match any in the region. And although it is Costa Rica that has achieved world renown as an ecotourism destination, in terms of pristine wilderness and ecological diversity Panamá has little reason to envy its neighbour. A biological bridge between continents, Panamá supports an astounding biodiversity, including over nine hundred species of bird, more than in the whole of North America. Over half the country is still covered by dense tropical rainforest, and large areas are protected by a system of national parks and nature reserves. Although the government is keen to promote international tourism, for the moment Panamá remains one of the best-kept travellers' secrets in Central America. Of course, this means that in comparison to, say, Costa Rica, the infrastructure for visiting the protected wilderness areas is much more limited. But while this may put some people off, for others it simply adds to the sense of adventure - visitors to Panamá's national parks are unlikely to have to share them with more than a handful of other people. Moreover, wherever you travel in Panamá, the absence of a travellers' "scene" means you will be forced into much more direct contact with local people, an experience which, given the natural warmth and open-mindedness of most Panamanians and the fact that they have not yet become jaded with foreigners due to the impact of mass tourism, is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding aspects of any visit to this underrated and misunderstood country. |
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