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Carlos Ivan de Leon
Master mask maker Carlos Ivan de Leon makes the most elaborate and frightening masks in Panama at his house near Calle Segundo Villareal. He specializes in devil masks for the famous baile de los diablos sucios (dance of the dirty devils). Masks are sold to professional dancers or
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El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center
More a conservation center than a zoo, the excellent El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center was created in conjunction with the Houston Zoo to save amphibians from a deadly virus currently threatening them around the world. Run by a dedicated team of conservationists, the center ex
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Museo de la Nacionalidad
This modest museum, opposite Plaza Simón Bolívar, occupies the former house where Panama’s Declaration of Independence was signed in 1821, declared here 18 days before the national declaration. Pre-Columbian ceramics and colonial-era religious art comprise most of the exhibits, and
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Quebrada Bulava
There’s a lovely swimming hole at the Quebrada Bulava, a 20-minute walk from town. Head along the right branch of the fork at the cemetery, take the second right, and you’ll soon reach several spots that make for a nice dip. Continuing on, you’ll reach a bridge – cross it and take
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Alto de Piedra
The vast, mountainous area of Alto de Piedra contains thousands of hectares of pristine wilderness, extending from the northern edge of Santa Fé to the Caribbean Sea. Part of the northern portion of the province that remained roadless so long, a dirt road now penetrates the area.
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Museo de Arte Religioso Colonial
Housed beside the ruins of the Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo, the Museo de Arte Religioso Colonial has a collection of colonial-era religious artifacts, some dating from the 16th century. Just inside the ruins doorway, the Arco Chato is a long arch that had stood here unsupp
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Museo de Sitio Panamá Viejo
The highlights are an impressive scale model of Panamá Viejo prior to 1671 as well as a few surviving colonial artifacts. Signs are in Spanish, though a brochure and tape recording recount the site’s history in English. An optional extra is climbing Mirador de la Torre, the lookout
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Cascada de Bermejo
An excellent half-day road and trail walk (four hours round-trip) leads to this tall waterfall with a delightful swimming hole in the dry season. Follow past William’s inner-tube rentals, after taking the Bulava bridge take your first left to a steep uphill. Here the road becomes
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Canal Expansion Observation Center
Still a work-in-progress, this new and pricey observation center offers an exclusive view of the Panama Canal expansion, slated to be completed in 2015. Visits take slightly over an hour. Covered decks view Lago Gatún and the locks; there is also a theater with videos in English, e
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Bosque Protector de Palo Seco
This is a lush cloud forest, covering more than 160,000 hectares. Its set high in the Talamanca range, and the wildlife here includes monkeys, sloths, armadillos, butterflies, and great birdlife - including ashy-throated bush-tanagers; you wont find them anywhere else in Panama. An
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Boca del Drago
Boca del Drago is one of the best beaches on the island. Though the surf can be rough at times, it is probably the happy medium in terms of its prettiness and the calmness of the water. Just offshore from the beach is a patchy coral-and-sand sea bottom that offers good snorkeling w
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Museo de Herrera
This anthropology and natural history museum contains many well-preserved pieces of pottery dating from 5000 BC until the Spanish conquest, some of which were found at the excavation sites outside Parita. There are also replicas of huacas (golden objects placed with indigenous peop
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Iglesia de San José
This church protects the famous Altar de Oro (Golden Altar), the sole relic salvaged after Henry Morgan sacked Panamá Viejo. According to local legend, when word came of the pirate’s impending attack, a priest attempted to disguise the altar by painting it black. The priest told
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Chorro El Macho
The most famous waterfall in the El Valle area is the 85m-high Chorro El Macho, which is located a few kilometers north of town near the entrance to the canopy tour. As its somewhat humorous name implies, this towering waterfall is more dramatic than its dainty counterpart, and mak
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El Níspero
About 1km north of Av Central is a zoo named El Níspero. If you’re sensitive to caged animals, you should probably skip this one. With that said, El Níspero is one of the best places for seeing Panama’s ranas doradas (golden frogs). These endangered amphibians are unbelievably stri
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Centro El Tucán
The protected area at San Lorenzo is best explored with a guide, easily arranged at the Centro El Tucán, a community learning and visitors center that lies on the edge of the reserve. Guides generally charge US$60 per group for a two-hour hike, though longer and more difficult trek
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Nivida Bat Cave
One of Bastimentos most fascinating natural wonders, Nivida is a massive cavern with swarms of nectar bats and a subterranean lake. The cave lies within the borders of the Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos and half the fun is getting here. But its next to impossible to do it
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Museo Belisario Porras
Opposite the Central Plaza is the mud-walled former home of three-time president Belisario Porras, during whose administration the Panama Canal opened. The museum contains many artifacts from Porras’ life and serves as a monument to the achievements of this widely revered man. Por
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La Piedra Pintada
Located in the northwestern corner of the valley, La Piedra Pintada is a huge boulder adorned with pre-Columbian carvings. Locals often fill in the grooves of the petroglyphs with chalk to facilitate their viewing, but their meaning isn’t clearer. That doesn’t prevent children from
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Área Silvestre Protegida Lagunas de Volcán
Four-and-a-half kilometers from Volcán, this protected area encompasses the highest lake system (1240m) in Panama. The two picturesque lakes swell in the rainy season, with lush, virgin forest at their edges and Volcán Barú in the background. To get to the lakes from the Concepción
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