TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Panama is a tropical paradise for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers. It has a variety of tropical landscapes including beaches, rain forests and cloud forests.

Panama Canal, a man-made canal in Panama which joins the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, is a rare example of a vast engineering project and attracts a lot of tourists.

The two oceans - Atlantic and Pacific - are at one hour away with an exotic array of islands and miles of pristine beaches.

Panama is located between the Pacific Ocean and many tropical rain forests. Due to the importance of the Canal to the Panamanian economy, tropical forests around the canal have been kept in an almost pristine state.

The rainforests are rich in flora and fauna with more than 10,000 species of plants and 1000 species of birds living together. The Rainforest of the Barú Volcano National Park, and International Park La Amistad in Chiriqui Province Highlands are famous tourist attractions.

There are six different Indian cultures in Panama and they each practice their own typical ancestral customs through dances, music and cuisine. One of the yearly festive highlights is a carnival celebrated in February throughout the country.

One can also enjoy various adventures like bird watching, ethnotourism, surfing, rafting and scuba diving.

Panama City

Panama City, the capital of Panama, has numerous tourist attractions including world-class hotels and restaurants.

Particularly interesting for tourists are various sites located in the old quarter (also commonly referred to as "Casco Viejo", "Casco Antiguo" or "San Felipe"), including:

•   Las Bóvedas, literally The Vaults, a waterfront promenade jutting out into the Pacific; 
•   A Panamanian colonial village in Casco ViejoThe National Institute of Culture Building;
•   The Cathedral on Plaza de la Catedral;
•   Teatro Nacional, a recently renovated performance center, with outstanding natural acoustics;
•   Museo del Canal Interoceánico (Interoceanic Canal Museum);
•   Palacio de las Garzas (Heron's Palace), the official name of the presidential palace. There are real herons in the compound.

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