Travel in Panama – Hotels, Panama Vacations, Lodging, Trips, Attractions and Travel Guide

Panama: A Visit to a Pre-Columbian Culture

Panama is the Southern most country of Central America. The country is located on an isthmus between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The climate here is a tropical and visitors can expect to enjoy many sun filled days.

Panama is home to the Panama Canal. The canal is one of greatest engineering wonders in the world. It handles more than 13,000 ships a year from over 70 countries. All the ships made in the world are all designed specifically to fit the canals three locks. The canal is 50 miles long and lifts ships 85 feet during the 8 hour journey across the canal. The canal charges $30,000 per ship to use the canal. This is still cheaper than the ships having to travel around Cape Horn with rising fuel prices. The best way to see the canal in action is to visit the Miraflores Lock. The Miraflores Lock is located close to Panama City. The locks have a viewing platform, museum and offers bilingual guided tours.

The Bastimentos National Marine Park is on the island of Bastimentos. The park area makes up most of the island. Red Frog Beach is one of the most visited white sand beaches on the island. The beach gets its name from the red poisonous dart frogs that inhabit it. This national park is home to sloths, white faced and Titi monkeys, and of course red poisonous dart frogs. There are plenty of walking trails along the beaches. Due to keeping the habitat in pristine condition, there are no trails leading into the center of the island. The surrounding ocean is a great place to observe three different types of sea turtle. Having many species of tropical fish and animals; there much for visitors to do here.

The mountainous village of Boquete is truly a photographic dream come true. This village grows the best coffee and oranges in all of Panama. Boquete is fast becoming a popular tourist destination because of the great climate of the island. The well-known myth is that the climate is great for health reasons because most of the inhabitants live to be well past 100 years old. The climate here also gives the gardens the perfect environment to thrive. The garden in Mi Jardin es Su Jardin is rated one of the top three private gardens in the world and is open to the public. Guests are encouraged to take their time wandering the grounds and explore. The best time to see the plantations and garden in full bloom is during the coffee harvest which coincides with the Festival of Flowers.

Panama City is a great place to go shopping. Not only is it duty-free, but city has many shops to discover and explore. Walking in the city unveils the ruins of the first city built by the Spaniards called Panama Viejo. The Parque Natural Metropolitano is also located behind the city center and is a wild tropical forest with deer, sloths, iguanas, monkeys, and over 200 species of tropical birds.

The El Panama Hotel is in the shopping district of Panama City. The hotel boasts a casino and has many great restaurants. The Gamboa Rainforest Resort is surrounded by the National Parks. The resort offers great bird watching and the service to guests is top rate. This resort gives the guest many opportunities to enjoy the natural Panama.

Visiting the country of Panama entails much more than just touring Panama Canal. This exotic country unfolds itself to the visitors slowly, like a blooming tropical flower. From nature preserves, to the great duty-free shopping in Panama City, this country has it all. Travelers will be impressed everything there is to do and see in the beautiful country.