A cool little Caribbean town on an island. The first thing that you will see when arriving by boat to the island are the beautiful mansions on stilts at the waterfront. This Caribbean architecture (large patios) mixed with island minimalism (hardly any windows) continues through the town, though modern developing are creeping in. Nothing much is actually going on beside the sweet Caribbean vibe, but if you can manage to pull yourself out the hammock you can explore the surroundings. Snorkelling, cruising the mangrove, visit neighbouring islands or find a deserted beach... or all the above on a full-day boat trip.

At first sight the old quarter down at the waterfront can seem worn down and very dodgy. Demolished buildings, empty lots, barb wire and scruffy looking people, but goods thing are happening. Historical houses are getting restored, great eateries are around the corner, police patrol the streets and local people are still hanging out on their balconies play domino or singing along to some Latino tunes. It is place full of local characters and very different from the flashy skyline of modern Panama city which is towering just across the bay. But beware how far you venturing off, for some of the most scary neighbourhoods are just a couple of blocks away.

If you take the Pan-American highway all the way south, this is the place you will end up. Here the road ends unannounced in the little settlement of Yaviza and leaving only dense jungle the last bit to Colombia. Though Yaviza is a friendly village, it's a place where the meaning of the place is the real attraction. This is the start (or end) of the legendary Darien gap, which many travellers wish to cross,...but don't get tempted to the trek. The dangers are too many and kidnapping from guerillas seems to be the least to worry about. There are other alternatives to get to Colombia like sailing, so why risk it.

Digging a canal from ocean to ocean is a wicked plan, but nevertheless it was accomplished in 1914. The 77 km canal save ships the long and dangerous route south of Cape Horn in the tip of South America. Original it was controlled by the Americans but in 1999 it was rightfully turned back to Panama. It is hard to grasp the grand scale of this construction just by standing at its shore, but seeing the amount of ships waiting for access gives an idea. It is one of the biggest man-made constructions ever and you don't have to be an engineer buff to be impressed. The best place to view the ships are at Miraflores, but if you don't wont to pay the entrance fee drive a few kilometres further north-east to the locks at Pedro Miguel where you following the action through the fence.

Picture perfect palm filled islands are dotting the Caribbean coast in the San Blas archipelago. Swaying coconut palms on a little strip of white sand surrounded by turquoise water seems to be the recipe here. Some of the islands are inhabited by the Kuna people who will plaster an island full of their small houses, while other islands are deserted and looks like something from a Bounty commercial. One of the best way to explore this region is by boat on a the sailing tour from Panama to Colombia (or reverse), which will also solve the problem of getting around the troubled Darien Gap.

Panama is still inhabited by seven pre-Columbian tribes, whereas Wounaan is one of them. Along with the Embera people they live in the jungle in the east of the country all the way down into Darien. They tend to be friendly and welcomes visitors, especially those villagers with proximity to the Pan-American highway, but it is also those that are most modern. Some places they still run around semi-naked, but you need some river travel to reach these. Else don't be surprise to find a phone booth and western clothes in the villages.