Dictators, cigars and the world's most famous short-cut? There's more to Panama than its clichés. More than a third of Panama's land is protected; it's home to 940 bird species and some of the world's most important turtle nesting grounds. Here puma prowl, the drumming of riotous festivals fills the air – and visitor numbers are soaring by more than 10% year on year. It's also a land where timetables are unpredictable and public holidays occur without notice, where places have three names spelt four different ways and roads terminate unannounced. The Bradt guide is the most thorough on the market. Visitors to Panama will need it.
• First edition won the British Guild of Travel Writers' Best Guidebook Award
• This new edition has expanded coverage of Bocas del Toro, Veraguas, Chiriqui and Darien provinces
• Information on undiscovered gems, such as the best beaches, birdwatching spots and how to discover Panama’s indigenous tribes
Table of Contents
Introduction
PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION
Chapter 1 Background Information
Location, Topography, Geography, Climate, History, Government and politics, Economy, People and culture, Language, Religion, Education, Natural history and conservation, Fires, earthquakes and other natural disasters, UNESCO in Panama
Chapter 2 Practical Information
When to visit (and why), Highlights, Tour operators, Tourist information, Red tape, Embassies and consulates, Getting there and away, Health, Safety, Focus on specific groups, What to take, Money and budgeting, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Public holidays and festivals, Shopping, Arts and Entertainment, Sport, Media and communications, Doing business in Panama, Buying property, Cultural etiquette, Giving something back
PART TWO THE GUIDE
Chapter 3 Panama City
History, Getting there, Getting around, Orientation, Tourist information, Where to stay, Where to eat, Entertainment and nightlife, Shopping, Other practicalities, What to see and do
Chapter 4 Panama Province
Panama Canal, Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo, Parque Nacional Soberania, Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces, Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Isla Barro Colorado, Parque Nacional Chagres, Isla Taboga, Las Perlas Archipielago, Eastern Panama Province, Western Panama Province, Pacific Coast
Chapter 5 Cocle Province
Penonome, La Pintada, Parque Nocional Omar Torrijos (El Cope), Nata, Aguadulce, Anton, Rio Hato and Farallon, El Valle, Santa Clara
Chapter 6 Herrera province
Chitre, La Arena, Playa el Agallito, Parque Nacional Sarigua, Refugio de Vida Silvestre Cenegon del Mangle, Parita, Pese, Ocu
Chapter 7 Los Santos Province
Los Santos town, Los Santos-Guarare-Las Tablas, Pedasi
Chapter 8 Veraguas Province
Santiago, Santa Fe, Las Palmas, Sona, Montijo district and wetlands, Puerto Mutis, Parque Nacional Coiba, Parque Nacional Cerro Hoya
Chapter 9 Chiriqui Province
The lowlands, The highlands
Chapter 10 Bocas del Toro Province
The archipelago, Isla Colon, Isla Carenero (Careening Cay), Isla Bastimentos, Other islands, Mainland Bocas del Toro
Chapter 11 Colon Province
Colon City, Gatun Locks and Dam, Fort Davis and Fort Gulick, San Lorenzo Fort, Around Colon, Portobelo, Isla Grande, Nombre de Dios
Chapter 12 Kuna Yala
The origins of Kuna Yala, The Kuna people, Arts, crafts and traditions, Language, Festivals and events, Flora and fauna, Getting there, Visting Kuna Yala, The islands, Other practicalities
Chapter 13 Darien Province
Driving the Darien, What to take, Specialist wildlife and adventure tours, Parque Nacional Darien, Coastal Darien, The Darien interior
Appendix 1 Further Information
Appendix 2 Finding a home in Panama
Index
