(Picture: Getty)
Ellie Hattersley writes for Metro UK about her experience in Panama.
Panama is often seen as a sort of in-between place, right on the cusp of South and Central America. Perhaps a place to stop over; a starting point to get your bearings or a crash pad before you fly back home from an extended Latin America trip.
There’s more to Panama than meets the eye. With generally great weather, diverse geography, and friendly people, it’s worth checking out as a destination in itself.
The Panama Canal is actually a really big deal
Most people will have heard of the Panama Canal, but perhaps not everyone quite grasps its significance. The waterway cuts through the Isthmus of Panama, and was historically hugely important in improving trade between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It also came at a great cost: early attempts succumbed to widespread disease and political disagreement, and thousands of lives were lost. Each region is unique, and very proud of it Panama has ten different and distinct regions, from the Caribbean coast of Bocas del Toro, to the mountains of Boquete. The people of each region have their own typical characteristics and people love to tell you what these characteristic are. In my experience, in Panama everyone is pretty proud of where they come from.
They have the closest thing to paradise on their doorstep
If you haven’t heard of the San Blas islands, you’ll want to look them up. An island group of the coast of Panama, popular with backpackers as a albeit expensive way of getting to Colombia without flying, the San Blas islands might just be heaven on earth. There’s also the fascinating lifestyle of the native Kuna people to learn about, if sunbathing and swimming isn’t enough for you.
You can’t enter by land from Colombia. No, really.
While many South and Central American border crossings are known for being somewhat sketchy, the land border between Colombia and Panama is impassable for tourists. Not only is it dense with impenetrable jungle, it’s also haunted by armed groups, drug traffickers, and generally people with whom you’d rather not mix. Guess you’ll just have to sail the San Blas islands instead. Oh well.