Panama

Panama is renowned for one of the world’s most important engineering feats of the 20th century: the Panama Canal – a job that took around a decade to complete, linking the Pacific to the Caribbean, and has had an enormous impact on worldwide trade routes. Panama City also has a beautiful colonial centre, called ‘Casco Viejo’, with baroque churches, cobblestone streets and fantastic eateries and boutiques. For those interested in its history, a trip to see ‘Panama Viejo’, the site where you can find the ruins of the original Panama City, will definitely be of interest.

Outside of the capital city, you’ll find a tropical paradise of untouched rainforest and cloud forest, with excellent opportunities to spot wildlife and birdlife alike. Panama actually boasts the highest diversity of species in Central America and its advantageous location at the convergence of Central and South America makes it a key place for birds to rest and restore during their migration routes between North and South America. You’ll find an abundance of birdlife both in the tropical rainforests bordering the Panama Canal, as well in the Chiriquí Province, where you’ll find areas at higher altitude with abundant cloud forests. Due to the differences in elevation, the quantity and diversity of species is certainly impressive.

Panama’s 3,000km of coastline is also not to be missed, with archipelagos of pristine islands inhabited by indigenous communities, spectacularly wild beaches and coral reefs, offering fantastic snorkelling and diving opportunities.