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Instituto Nacional de Cultura
INAC is responsible for maintaining the country’s museums and other cultural institutions. There is a small gallery on the 1st floor that displays works by Panamanian artists.
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Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla Iguana
<p>A 55-hectare island wildlife refuge off the peninsula. Though ravaged by El Niño, the surviving coral is pretty spectacular and the water is shallow enough to be snorkeled.</p>
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Mercado
Just past the entrance to town, this open-air market sells fruits and vegetables, woven handmade bags, a wide range of hats, leather goods and many other interesting items. It’s a fun place to browse.
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Pedro Miguel Locks
North past the Miraflores Locks, the Pedro Miguel Locks are seen from the highway to Gamboa. One hundred meters beyond the locks there’s a parking strip where onlookers can watch ships transit the canal.
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Paseo las Bóvedas
This esplanade runs along the top of the sea wall built by the Spanish to protect the city. From here, you can see the Puente de las Américas arching over the waterway and the ships lining up to enter the canal.
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Laguna de Bastimentos
Getting to this jungle lake surrounded by dense vegetation is a challenging hike. This swath of rainforest is the terra firma section of the Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos. Go only with a reliable guide.
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La Gruta
If sun, sand and surf arent your persuasion, then consider a trip to La Gruta (The Cavern) where you can wade through waist-high water while trying not to disturb the thousands of sleeping bats overhead. The entrance to the cave is marked by a statue of the Virgin Mary.
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Barriles
These pre-Columbian ruins (located on private land) are about a five-minute drive from the center of town. The settlement, inhabited in the period during 300–900 AD, was believed to have up to 1000 residents. Some artifacts are display onsite though not all were found here.
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Mirador Perú
On a hill overlooking Santiago and much of the bay is a small but well-preserved watchtower called Mirador Perú, which was built at the same time as Fuerte Santiago. There are steps carved into the hillside to reach the lookout, and the views of the coastline from here are expansiv
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Playa El Istmito
Playa El Istmito, also called Playa La Cabaña, is the closest beach to Bocas town, though it’s on Bahía Sand Fly and the chitras (sand flies) that live here have an itchy bite. This is not the most attractive beach, and unless you’re walking, it’s worth heading further north.
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El Explorador
This private garden is located in a hilly area about 45 minutes’ walk from the town center. The gardens are designed to look like something out of Alice in Wonderland, with no shortage of quirky eye-catching displays, including fanciful suspension bridges, koi ponds and playful scu
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Canopy Tower
Scientists set up this research crane to study the forest canopy, a complete ecosystem 30m to 50m up from the ground. Previously off-limits to the public, Ancon Expeditions has exclusive access to take tourists up to the treetops. It provides an entirely different view of the rainf
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Playa Barqueta
This long and lovely dark-sand beach southwest of David is a popular weekend escape for city-folk, though youll have the place all to yourself if you stop by here during the week. As inviting as the ocean seems, the riptides can really pick up here, but this is a great place to bre
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Iglesia Santa Librada
This baroque-style church near the central plaza opened its doors on March 9, 1789, but sustained major damage during a 1950 fire. The walls and the base of the pulpit are original, as are the painted faces on the ornate 23-karat gold-leaf altar. Cedar wood was used in the construc
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Square
El Valle’s peculiar arboles cuadrados (square-trunked trees) can be found directly behind the Hotel Campestre. After a short 10-minute hike through the forest, you’ll come across a thicket of trees that aren’t exactly round, but they’re not exactly square, either. Much local pride
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Aprovaca Orquídeas
For the best selection of orquídeas (orchids) in the area, visit this pleasant garden. Some 32 volunteers work to maintain the lovely flowers inside the greenhouse and the grounds, and they welcome visitors to show off the 96 varieties of orchids cultivated – it’s well worth a visi
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Playa Larga
This 6km-long beach on the southeast side of the island falls under the protection of the marine park. Hawksbill, leatherback and green sea turtles nest here from March to September. Its also good for surfing. To get here, you can follow the path past Red Frog Beach but the best ac
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Canal
In 1903 a 15km canal connecting the Río Changuinola and Bahía de Almirante was dug parallel to the Caribbean shoreline to facilitate the barging of bananas from the fields to ships. The 30m-wide channel allowed transfer of the fruit without interference from the open sea. Abandoned
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Teatro Nacional
Built in 1907, the interior of this ornate theater has been completely restored. It boasts red and gold decorations, a once-magnificent ceiling mural by Roberto Lewis (one of Panama’s finest painters) and an impressive crystal chandelier. Performances are still held here. For infor
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Playa Bluff
This secluded wilderness beach is pounded by intense waves. Though you wouldn’t want to get into the water here without a board, the soft, yellow sand and palm-fringed shores are pristine. It serves as a nesting area for sea turtles from May to September. Its 8km from Bocas town;
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