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Panama City? More like Panama Islands

July 20th 2011

Paris, London, New York. These places have cities that people will travel to, year round. When we think of Panama, however, we think red sunsets over white sand beaches and crystal clear water full of tropical fish. How do you conceive of a trip to Panama that matches this vision without missing such sights as the famous Panama Canal? Since we’re in the process of creating new, exciting trips, we’ve been thinking about it a lot.

Apparently, we’re not the only ones. The New York Times just ran an article entitled In Panama, a Respite for People and Pelicans  where they discuss that, “Taboga’s [an island’s] proximity to Panama City, a boomtown of almost Dubai-like proportions, creates the greatest sense of disconnect. From the island, the city’s vertical skyline is at once stunning and mystifying...”. The contrasts don’t end with the landscapes, but with the people and their cultures. The article compares beach-chair-touting city people with locals who fish in cayucos, a canoe-like boat and share the land and its secrets with the local “aves comicos” (comical birds, the pelicans).

In the San Blas region of Panama, islands number in the hundreds and also come with vast amounts of cultural exposure. While you enjoy the incredible snorkelling in the area (complete with rays and parrot fish swimming near sunken ships), you also have the chance to stay in thatched-roof bungalows run by the local people. The Kuna community is still very much untouched by the ways of the Western world. Come on our brand new Explore Panama Family Adventure and go by the local Onmaked Nega (congress house) and hear the Saila (group leader) sing the history of the Kuna Yala people, perhaps followed by a lunch of succulent seafood caught earlier that very day. 

Tagged in: Langford Tropical, Panama Adventures - Tropical, Explore Panama Family Adventure