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Worthwhile trips never fit on a postcard, since that photo means nothing without the path traveled. The stops along the route supply fuel, food and, above all, hope. Because they all always meet one condition: be less than the arrival point.
However, The Republic of Panama broke that rule some time ago and stopped being a stopover on international flights to become the destination itself.. The place that was supposed to fuel expectations is now the promise fulfilled.
As soon as the plane begins its descent and passes through the clouds, the first image that Panama offers is a long trail of cargo ships and an unlikely bunch of glass towers high on a small piece of land, as if stuck on a pin cushion.
Any promotional video of a Latin American country can show the strength of the Pacific Ocean, the calm of the Caribbean, the urban vertigo or the voracity of the jungle. Well, this country has all that within two hours of distance between any of the points. Shopping, 5-star hotels, beaches and nature reserves to venture out on foot or cross with a golf ball.
The Panama Canal is involved in 6% of international trade and contributes 6.8% to the country’s GDP. That small link on the American continent became a magnetic pole for business. Of the four million people who inhabit that country, one million are foreigners. Finance and corporations transformed the colonial city into an emporium of sophistication and luxury.
However, it only takes 15 minutes by car from the Tocumen airport to silence the city hubbub and arrive at hotels like The Santa María, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort. This complex is located in the middle of an urbanization that includes businesses, restaurants, golf courses and thousand-square-meter apartments that can easily exceed a million dollars.
But, the lighthouse of the Santa María commune is this hotel that manages a perfect blend between a very exclusive service and the Caribbean vibe. “We managed to make a difference in this property by highlighting our indigenous culture,” explains María Cecilia Mujica, the hospitality director, proudly.
The wide corridors serve as an exhibition hall for a hundred pieces of local art, such as masks, baskets and other works with palm leaves. “The columns are made with square tree wood [quararibea asterolepis, para el que entienda]”, that they found them submerged in the canal, and that they are of supreme quality and highly resistant,” Mujica enthuses, but his words begin to overlap with the smells that escape from the spa center, and all the senses are directed to the offer massages with aromatic oils and steam stations. The menu includes both pure relaxation and muscle recovery, and detoxification with hot mud wraps with natural seaweed.
The guest will also be able to enjoy a spectacular 18-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus himself. After those long walks through the green hills, the day will culminate with a signature drink at the hotel bar. Any option will be exquisite, but if you ask Ray Frías, the bartender at Mestizo, he will surely recommend “Séptimo”, in homage to cinema. The glass is presented in a strict black and white, thanks to a combination of mezcal, squid ink and a somewhat spicy foam based on tamarind syrup and dried chilies (plus the help of a siphon with nitrogen).
The offer of seafood, river and sea fish is overwhelming, as is the specialty coffee. But, every road stop has to offer a good roast cut and Panamanian gastronomy also shines in the meats.. At The Grill House, for example, the barbecue lover may be surprised by the subtlety of the brisket wrapped in a crust of smoked onions.
Here we arrive at the heart of Panamanian tourism. Everything seen up to here It can be enjoyed in a week or in two days if you want to take advantage of the stopover benefits of the local airline. The country has an impeccable reputation as a stopover on international flights, but also a lot to offer towards its different cardinal points. “Panama is much more than a canal. It is simply a matter of communicating it better,” says Víctor Concepción Peren, member of the Panamanian Hotel Association, who then repeats like a mantra: “One of the wonders of this destination is that you have a city with a spectacular old town, which is World Heritage Site, five minutes from a cosmopolitan city, and then, a few minutes away, the beach on the Pacific. And in one or two hours, you already have the Caribbean.”
The Republic of Panama offers different tourist attractions to visit with just a few hours of transportation. TO the city, the three large areas of the Caribbean are close to it: Bocas del Toro, the Colón area and the San Blas regionwhere, being a protected reserve, you can live a very beachy experience, far from the five stars.
But this experience should also include the Pacific Riviera, where the climate is a little kinder to the visitor, and the sun and the beach are lost in the mountains. Here the hotel offer is distinguished by the preservation of the environment. For example, to lift the Buenaventura Golf & Beach Resort Panama (Autograph Collection) The long potential of the roots of an impressive tree more than 100 years old was calculated and the entire construction was done around it.
This hotel has an animal recovery center and a bird watching trail. “By having permanent water sources, we will observe many sandpipers and flycatchers that hunt insects. The last oil bird was reported here, which in Venezuela is called ‘Guácaro,’ recalls Fernando, the staff guide.
Beyond these activities designed for family entertainment, this accommodation strives to preserve the native culture of the area. The 114 luxurious rooms respect the colors and idiosyncrasies of colonial architecture. And the property’s chapel, which predates the hotel, is a tourist and event spot in itself.
Of course, nature does not overshadow the local gastronomy (adapted to the international profile of the guests), the cocoa laboratory or the spa services or the kayak rides. And despite the succession of attractions, the visitor has not yet reached white beaches. About 60 meters away, behind the palm trees, a warm and ravishing Pacific Ocean awaits. But of course, when choosing the next activity, the visitor already lost track of how many days he was going to be in Panama or what his next stop should be.
How to get. Copa Airlines offers several daily flights of about seven hours from Argentina (even without having to go through Buenos Aires)
Currency. The Balboa has a 1 to 1 relationship with the US dollar, which is the currency in circulation.
shopping. The main international brands have representation in Panama. Prices are significantly lower than in Argentina, but you need to invest time to travel. There are several free trade zones where you can find more convenient prices.
Transfers. In the city, public transport and applications offer extensive coverage.
