Introducing Panama
Unfettered by tourist crowds, Panama’s natural gifts shine. Although most backpackers to Central America set their sights on tourist-soaked Costa Rica and Guatemala, it’s hard to shake the feeling in Panama that you’re in on a secret the rest of the traveling world has yet to discover. Although the ‘gringo trail’ has already swung south to the Caribbean archipelago of Bocas del Toro, the careless overdevelopment plaguing most Costa Rican beach towns is still refreshingly absent here. In fact, Panama’s highlights are still very much off-the-beaten-path destinations, though it’s likely that this will change in the years to come.
Panamanians have been eagerly anticipating the tourist boom, though the unexpected delay has allowed the country to plan ahead. With its high standard of living and recent growth in foreign investment, Panama will likely adopt a low-volume, high-profit model of tourism in the near future. In the meantime however, Panama remains accessible to backpackers on a budget, and there’s no shortage of beaches, mountains and rain forests to explore. Panama is also home to one of Central America’s most independent indigenous groups, the Kuna, as well as one of the last true frontiers in the Americas, the infamous Darién.
Last updated: Oct 30, 2008
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Man sunbathing on beach.
- Damian Turski
- Lonely Planet photographer
