News

Travel writers love Panama. Magazines, newspapers and Websites around the world are filled with reports from journalists who became captivated with the array of experiences, culture and adventures available in the country.

Many of the articles take on a familiar tone, as the writers discover Panama offers far more than their perceptions. They often express a mixture of surprise and wonder. They expected the Panama Canal and found much, much more.

A new article in the Philadelphia Inquirer beautifully captures the phenomenon. Writer Lini S. Kadaba writes a compelling travelogue of coming to Panama for the Canal and quickly realizing “it’s not the only game in town, not by a long shot.”

“We soon discovered… that Panama’s largest city and its environs had plenty to offer beyond the canal,” she writes in the article, “Panama’s sights span centuries as its canal joins oceans.”

Her trip with her family took her to Lake Gatun, ate ice cream among the yachts of the Amador Causeway and explored the heart of Panama City. From her article:

“During our stay, we wandered the streets of the skyscraper-heavy downtown that recalls Miami, took in the reclaimed Old Town with its New Orleans-style wrought-iron balconies and colorful plaster facades, spied the 16th-century ruins of the original settlement, saw the celebrated Black Jesus, glimpsed the prison that held one of Panama’s most notorious figures (remember Manuel Noriega?), and snorkeled the blue Caribbean waters. Oh, and we made a partial transit of the 100-plus-year-old canal, one more highlight of many.”

More than anything, she was clearly impacted by the diversity of experiences available:

“It was a wild contrast. On the right, we spied the 16th-century stone remains of the Spanish settlement. On the left, we took in the 21st-century skyscrapers of the financial district, including a Trump hotel and tower.”

Read the full article here.