Central America's fastest growing country marches to its own tempo

Panama City skyline dazzles by night. The country is poised to become a tourist hot spot for its eco-tours in the rainforest and its many beaches.

Think of Panama and what comes to mind is the canal, those jaunty straw hats--even if they didn't originate there--and the infamous Manuel Noriega, who provoked the United States into an invasion in 1989.

This small and narrow Central American country--an isthmus that connects the Americas--is at once green, sublimely lush and hilly with a sleek and shiny cosmopolitan city smack in the middle. Panama and its most famous landmark is also the only place in the world where, via a canal, two oceans meet, earning the country the title Crossroads of the World.

With the northern areas of the country a tangle of undeveloped jungle, much of Panama's action is in the central and southern regions. Along its Caribbean/Atlantic and Pacific coastal waters are hundreds of islands, some yet to be discovered by travellers and others that lure beach bums, snorkellers and scuba divers. That includes Bocas del Toro and the San Blas Islands on the Caribbean Sea in the northeast which, for some blazing their own holiday trail, has been a popular off-the-beaten-path, ecotourist hot spot. That's where the country's tourism trade got its start, then trickling down to the rest of the country.

But tourism is not the major reason Panama has the fastest growing economy in Central America. Drive or walk around the capital, Panama City, to see the highrises--hotels, casinos and condos--all less than a decade old, because of a healthy economy that includes banking (the currency is U.S. dollars), real estate and shipping. What holds it together is a strong middle class made up of a melting-pot population of three million people.

That sizable population in such a small country has much to do with Panama's generous immigration laws, which include the proviso that foreigners need only show they have $500 in a bank account to live here.

Plenty of Canadians, Americans and Europeans know that, and have adopted Panama as their retirement nest because of its low cost of living. On a shopping trip at a local grocery store, we found a two-kilogram bag of locally grown coffee beans for around $3, cheap liquor and staples, and a stop at a fruit market bought two shopping bags jammed with fruit--everything from pineapple to melon and papaya-- for under $10. There are also the tax-friendly perks, such as no taxes on foreign earned-or interest-income, or capital gains.

For many Canadians, Panama hasn't been convenient to reach, but that will change by mid-December for western Canadians with the introduction of regular service into Panama City and vacation packages. (see sidebar).

Traditionally, the major tourist draw here has been big cruises ships that squeeze through the Panama Canal with mere inches to spare, and a quick bit of retail therapy at the duty-free canal zone shopping area in Colon on the Caribbean side.

For the past five years or so, Panama's northern neighbour Costa Rica has shone as the ecotourism darling. But, like its neighbour, Panama has an embarrassment of riches: wildlife and wild scenery, expansive beaches, an acclaimed surfing scene, Spanish colonial charm, indigenous tribes and a cosmopolitan capital city.

The added bonus in Panama is that feeling of being untouched by tourists. Absent are the transplanted North American trappings-- Wal-Marts and McDonalds--often seen in other popular winter getaways.

There are no Starbucks, but caffeine addicts can get their daily fix from smooth Panamagrown coffee. A veritable feast of locally owned bars and restaurants line the narrow streets and alleyway in Casco Viejo (colonial Panama), dishing up everything from sushi to paella and chicken masala. There are no tourist throngs to contend with, either. English isn't as widely spoken as in such tourist standards as Mexico--yet.

Travellers who like to mix up their holidays with one part city life and one part beach-bumming --and a few outdoor adventure thrills in between--will find Panama fits that yin and yang.

You might want to start your holiday with a couple days in the capital and then head to the sea for some surfing and sunning. Then, savour some fresh seafood and juicy pineapple. It's all part of the down-to-earth charm in this burgeoning tourist destination.

Next week: Visiting The Embera Tribe In Panama's Rainforest.

PANAMA FACTS

Size: Panama covers an area of 75,517 square kilometres (about the size of New Brunswick) with about 1,600 islands.

Climate: Tropical, with wet and dry seasons, temperatures range from 22 to 32 C.

Population: About 3.3 million, with 40 per cent living in Panama City.

Currency: U.S. dollar

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed