Panama feature - Sherman's Travel

8/7/2019 Panama feature - Sherman's Travel

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CREDIT

Spring2010 ShermansTravel.com/SmartLuxury50

Of the Path

PanamaIn this country where continents meet there exists anincredible diversity of landscape, culture, and peoples.

For visitors this stunning tapestry provides all themakings for a fantastic journey.

by Victoria De Silverio photographs by Doug Bruce

Punta Caracols cabanas hover over the cwaters of the Caribbean in Bocas del


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One recent afternoon in Boquete, Panama, at the Panamonte Inn & Spa, the countrys oldest hotel, an iguana

was on the loose. Word reached the kitchen, and from behind the swinging doors emerged a silver-haired

matre d, a young chef, and three cooks in aprons and bandanas. The men sized up the situation. Iguana?

one asked. El dragon! corrected the reptiles caretaker, a Frenchman holding an empty box. On his way to

the hotel, he had rescued a pair of alarmingly large iguanas from a man by the side of the road. Dangling by

their tails, with their squat legs bound behind their backs, the iguanas had been saved from a fate that no doubt

involved a steaming pot and garlic. But now one of the prehistoric beasts had escaped its cardboard co-op

to explore the amenities of a brand new suite. The general manager, a beanstalk of a Welshman, watched in

amusement as the macho iguana whisperers accepted the rescue mission. Welcome to Panama.

A bizarre and beautiful little country,

Graham Greene once wrote about Panama.

The squiggly bracelet connecting two conti-

nents is so perplexing, its history so rife with

treason and intrigue, that a dry understate-

ment must suffice. As both a barrier and

a bridge, Panama has been a magnet for

seekers, scoundrels, and visionariesfrom

Spanish conquistadors to English privateers

Sir Francis Drake and Captain Henry Mor-

gan, from gold-hungry 49ers and French

and American entrepreneurs to the 70,000

Panama Canal workers, not to leave out a

fair-weather CIA operativedictator, and

sneaky bankers and prospectors.

Now, after 20 years of stable democracy

and autonomy over its canal, the nation is

experiencing its moment of reinvention.

With one of the fastest growing economies

in the world, Panama has recently ushered

in vast investments in its infrastructure and

the renaissance of Casco Viejo, Panama

Citys captivating colonial section. Diversity

in geography, ecology, and culture is the

reigning theme on the isthmus and the

presence of so much of it provides visitors

with chances for adventure. Crossed by

rugged volcanic mountain ranges, covered

with large tracts of pristine rain forest, and

bounded by two coastlines and some 1,500

islands, Panama bears a name meaning an

abundance of fish and butterflies. In an

area smaller than South Carolina live more

bird species than in all of North America

and more plant and tree species than in

North America and Europe combined.

Seven indigenous peoples thrive here.

Choosing among all the possible attrac-

tions can be difficult, though quick and

easy plane rides, good roads, and short

distances make the editing process less

painful. Weve chosen three destinations

worth exploring: Casco Viejo; the verdant,

coffee-famed mountain town of Boquete;

and the unspoiled Bocas del Toro region,

a land of beaches, jungles, and traditional

cultures. Together, these present a vivid

picture of Panamas natural and man-made

wonders, its people as well as its history, and

the many who have passed through it like

so many ships through the famed canal.

Panama Bay with the sparkling metropolis of

Panama City in the distance

CREDIT

From Casco Viejo, the view across the

bay of the modern section of Panama City

seems like a hallucination. With scores of

soaring skyscrapers tangled among hun-

dreds of cranes, the gleaming, overnight

metropolis stands in stark counterpoint to

the romantic yet gritty old quarter. Over the

past few years, the gradual renovation of

the old town, which has brought new res-

taurants, cafs, and hotels, is giving people

a fresh reason to stay in Panama City.

The old town might not exist if it werent

for the greed of Captain Henry Morgan.

When he sacked Panama City in 1671, a

ruinous fire forced the Spanish to relocate

to a smaller, more easily fortified penin-sula 5 miles to the south. The quarters

unusual architectural makeupa mlange

of French and American neocolonial,

neoclassical, and Art Nouveau stylesis

historically unmatched. Yet from the 1920s

to the 1950s, the elite abandoned Casco

Viejo and the quarter descended into squa-

lor. The tide turned in 1997 when Unesco

designated the 142-acre quarter a World

Heritage site, jump-starting an ambitious

revitalization. Casco Viejo possesses a past

that is very much pushing up against its

future. Crumbling churches and houses

with trees sprouting from their sides stand

shoulder to shoulder with preciously reno-

vated mansions. Yet despite its rough edges,

Casco Viejo is a living museum and a great

place to spend two or three days.

The quarter follows a rectangular grid

centered on Plaza de la Independencia,

planted with tropical pink poui and poin-

ciana trees and dominated by the stunning

Metropolitan Cathedral, which took more

than 108 years to build. Its two white bel-fries, encrusted with mother-of-pearl shells

from the Pacific coasts Las Perlas islands,

sparkle the brightest just before sundown.

Nearby must-see sites include the Museo

del Canal Interocenico de Panam, with

its illustrated history of the canal, and the

unassuming Iglesia de San Jos, which

holds a famed golden baroque altar once

hidden from the treasure-aholic Morgan by

a cunning priest who had it painted black.

Along Avenida Central, the neighborhoods

thoroughfare, stop in Manolo Caracol,

known for its 12-course market-fresh menu.

Afterward go to nearby Granclment for a

honey ice cream or mango sorbet.

Not far away is Plaza Bolvar, an elegant

square named for the independence leader

and lined with sidewalk tables where

restaurateur Jorge Zarak owns three eater-

ies: Ego Caf (featuring Peruvian tapas);

Narciso (Italian fare); and Ciao Pescao

(ceviche). Recently the latter received a

rare rave from Aristloga, the much-feared

food critic for Panama Citys La Prensa.

Catty-corner is the 18th-century Iglesia

de San Francisco de Ass, where a rickety

climb up the belfry culminates with a

birds eye view of the quarter. Also on

square is the refined Salon Bolvar, wh

a replica of El Libertadors golden sw

coated in 1,374 diamonds, is on view,

the Teatro Nacional, a venue for ope

plays, and ballets. At the waterfront ne

Plaza de Francia, see the remains of t

Union Club, built in 1917 for Panam

elite, and imagine what it might look

after the owner of New York Citys Ho

on Rivington transforms it into a swan

hotel over the next few years. Further

the seawall is El Mercado de Marisco

lively fish market. Pick out fresh lango

tinos, octopus, lobsters, or fish, and ha

the restaurant upstairs cook them, bu

specific about the preparations; the P

manian ideal is fried until bone-dry.

Until the handful of boutique hote

rently under construction open, try ei

The Canal House, a restored 117-yea

mansion with a wraparound veranda

just three opulent guest rooms, or Lo

Cuatro Tulipanes deluxe apartment

with all the benefits of hotel living.

CASCO VIEJOPanama Citys revamped

and vibrant old quarter

The patio of the abandoned Club de Clases y Tropasin Casco Viejo, once a hangout of General Noriega

TheBristolHotelsbarin Panama

Citysfinancial district

Casco Viejo


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ShermansTravel.com/SmartLuxurySpring2010

bathroom mosaics; a vase of fresh flowers;

or an antique wood box containing a sur-

vival kit (with natural mosquito repellent,

citronella candles, and a flashlight).

Top-notch seasonal meals offer simple

spins on local recipes, with most of the

ingredients coming from the propertys

profuse gardens. Really, you just toss

seeds, and something grows, the soil is

so rich, says Margaret Ann. Dishes likegrilled jackfish served over coconut rice,

and steamed katuk, a tropical green that

tastes like a nutty kale, are full of flavor

and presented with care.

Punta Caracol, the photogenic aqua-

lodge off the coast of Isla Coln, is so

iconic it could be the Eiffel Tower of

Bocas. Its chartreuse thatch-roofed cabanas

are suspended on stilts over turquoise

waters. The two-story cabins appear like

charms on a bracelet linked together by a

long wooden walkway. Owner Jos-Luis

Bordas originally devised the project as

his business school thesis. Initially there

were no roads, electricity, or a water sup-

ply, but the industrious Barcelona native

persevered and, four years later, his lodge

started accepting guests. Bordas and his

team of workers made by hand all the cab-

ins, the guest room furniture, the dining

room tables and chairs, even the mosquito

netting. In each, the first floor has a sitting

area with doors that open onto a terrace

sporting two sun beds; upstairs the lovely

bedroom has soft lighting, a four-poster

canopy bed, and a view of the horizon.

Punta Caracols most endearing luxury is

that at any time of day or night, guests have

immediate access to swimmingor snor-

keling or kayakingaround a coral reef

rife with parrot fish, snappers, and crabs.

From either La Loma or Punta Caracol,

travelers can have their pick of sensational

day excursions such as diving amid the

coral forests of Cayos Zapatillas, tracking

red-billed tropic birds and brown boobies

on Isla de los Pjaros, watching leather-back turtles nest on Bluff Beach, or surfing

on Red Frog Beach.

Soposo Rainforest Adventures, an out-

fitter that guides trips in the mountainous

jungle of Bocas del Toro, offers a way to

leave the tourist bubble. The Naso people

have lived there for more than 3,000 years,

but only about 3,500 are left, divided

into 11 communities along the Teribe

and Changuinola rivers. Their unique

culturetheir nation is the only one in

the Americas governed by a monarch

under serious threat. The most imm

ate one is pressure from the Panaman

government for people to leave their

to allow for dam-building projects.

Amistad National Park, a Unesco

World Heritage site hosting an incred

500 species of birds and 130 species o

orchids, borders the area visited by S

Rainforest Adventures. From Bocas,

ride takes guests to the town of El Silcio. Then its a float up the Teribe in

green dugout canoe with an eagle m

and a jungle hike past clucking chick

yapping dogs, and maybe even a gigan

pig, until a cluster of three Naso house

on stilts made with jira and palenquill

palms appear. In Sieyik, the Naso cap

children perform dances in honor of s

and wild cats, and when its time to le

guests ride traditional balsa rafts back

toward home.

ADDATRIPTOKUNAYALAThe isolated Kuna Yala archipelago, a string of 365 coral

islands that hug Panamas coast near Colombia, is part of the semi-autonomous homela

of the Kuna Indians, who in 1925 won independence from Panama. Few ancient tribes ha

been as successful in preserving their culture and controlling their own destiny. Survivi

mostly off the coconut trade and fishing, the Kuna Indians welcome a limited number o

ists. The Yandup Island lodge (from $100/night a person; yandupisland.com) offers thatc

overwater cabins with wooden floorsa luxury for the areaand terraces overlooking t

and the misty jungle. The settinggrassy, palm-studded Yandup Islandis not much la

than some miniature golf courses. Included in the price are meals and escorted day trip

dugout canoes to deserted islands for swimming and snorkeling. The lodges use of outb

motors is a rare concession to modernity. To see secluded spots like the Kuna village Pla

Chico, forgo a group tour and ask for a private, less conspicuous visit. Densely packed w

huts (some sinking along the waters edge) and filled with children, the village feels mag

Albinos comprise a high percentage of the local population (1 in 165). Kids play basketba

baseball, and soccer simultaneously on the same court; elders confer in large halls; and

in the middle gather with flutes on dirt streets to practice a dance involving hopping on

foot. Within this matriarchal society, women show off their status by wearing molas, pa

terned silk squares that are the centerpiece of their centuries-old style of everyday dres

well as multiple strings of orange and green beads on their forearms and calves.

Handmade chocolate atLa Loma Jungle Lodge


BOCAS DEL TOROEcotourism meets elegantcabanas, jungle tree-houses, and tribal lands

When Columbus returned to the Carib-

bean shores in 1502, he was a pitiful old

man, suffering from gout, malaria, arthritis,

and a serious case of the sads. Though he

found bargains (trading cheap hawks bells

for golden breastplates), his mission wasto find a shortcut to the Indian Ocean.

One bright spot on his fourth and final

voyage must have been Bocas del Toro, the

paradisaical archipelago off the northwest-

ern coast of Panama near Costa Rica; the

explorer named a bay and two islands, Isla

Cristobal and Isla Coln, after himself.

Fast-forward more than 500 years, and the

isleswhere dense jungle melts into white-

sand beaches, fringed by mangroves and

vibrant coral reefsare still unspoiled.

While its perhaps difficult for a new-

comer to imagine, the areas chief city of

Bocas Townwith its colorful two-story

balconied buildings, backpacker hostels,

and wacky gringo nightclubs straight out

a Jimmy Buffet songonce sizzled as a

banana boomtown with six foreign embas-

sies and five newspapers. In 1899, the

United Fruit Company opened its Panama

headquarters in Bocas Town on Isla Coln,

recruiting workers from all over the Carib-

bean. But by 1935, a series of fires had

ravaged most of the colonial houses and a

fungus had devastated the crops.

Over the past few years, yet another

boom has hit Bocasin tourism and real

estate. On the surface, Bocas appears a

postcard Caribbean idyll, but just under-

neath is remarkable ethnic diversity. Today

more than 50 different nationalities coexist

while dozens of dialects ring through the

air. Three indigenous groupsthe Ngbe-

Bugl, Bribr, and Nasolive there.

Small ecologically and culturally

oriented retreats offer a definition of luxury

that goes beyond thread count. La Loma

Jungle Lodge, on Isla Bastimentos, isa 20-minute boat ride away from Bocas

Town, hidden from the dock by a mess of

mangroves and palms. Proprietors Henry

Escudero, a Peruvian-born archaeologist,

and his partner Margaret Ann, an English

museum specialist, elevate self-sufficiency

to an art form. A typical scene includes

Bolivia, a Ngbe-Bugl woman, roasting

cocoa beans over an outdoor fire; Mr.

Kelly, a Creole, tending to the trees with

the Escuderos 2-year-old Lucio in his

arms; Henry baking bread in the kitchen;

and Margaret Ann making a batch of fresh

lemongrass tea or packing lunches for

guestsall while Goose, a fluffy mutt,

chases butterflies and frogs. The propertysthree solar-powered cabins, crafted mostly

from already fallen trees, have elegant

observation decks. Flocks of parrots, tribes

of fuzzy monkeys, and croaking poison

dart frogs provide entertainmentbest

enjoyed from a hammock or a cozy bed.

With the surrounding jungle as decor,

the extra details are stylishly minimal:

Guests at Soposo Rainforest Adventuresstay in one- or two-bedroom huts.

Three Naso boys

Mati the spider monkey

Panama feature - Sherman's Travel

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