Panama offers more adventure and ecological destinations than almost any of its more traveled Latin American neighbors. It abounds in natural beauty: Beaches stretch for miles. Clear blue-green water surrounds dozens of tiny islands. Submerged reefs teem with colorful fish. Steamy tropical jungles thrive under cool, elevated cloud forests. More than 500 rivers, 1,000 species of birds and several indigenous tribes call Panama home.

The country is small and “S” shaped. In some areas, only 50 miles separates the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean. Panama has mountain peaks where hikers can look out over both coasts — and divers, snorkelers, surfers and fishermen can pursue their sports in both oceans on a single day. In addition, Panama’s roads are good, transportation well developed, water safe and weather warm year-round. What’s more, the people are friendly and peaceful. About the only things you won’t find in Panama are snow and large groups of tourists.

IPAT, the Panamanian Tourist and Information Bureau, is determined to let the traveling world know that Panama is more than a canal. The bureau’s new slogan, “Panama, the Path Less Traveled,” is designed to tempt seasoned travelers looking for something new, to try this largely unexplored destination. These “pioneer travelers” create popular destinations and initiate trends. They have experienced many of the established destinations and have the ability to research and evaluate new locations. The travel infrastructure in Panama, including hotels, restaurants and tour companies, is already in place, as it was established originally to service Panama Canal workers and their families. So, if you feel comfortable visiting places considered unconventional destinations, consider Panama.

Panama City is a thriving metropolis of more than 1 million people who seem to spend all of their time in cars. Driving is at best chaotic, at worst downright dangerous. Few directional signs exist, and Panamanians rarely halt at stop signs unless they’re sure their car is about to collide with a larger one. The good news: Taxis are numerous and cheap. The fare within the city limits is usually $2.

Among the sites in Panama City are Casco Viajo, the old city; Panama La Vieja, the ruins of the original city; and the Parque Natural Metropolitano, a tropical forest within the city limits. Hotels, which are excellent and reasonable, include the Raddison, Continental and Holiday Inn. Additionally, a new train runs between Panama City and Colon as well as a small airport with connections to outlying areas.

The San Blas Islands, home of the Kuna Indians, have changed little in the last several hundred years. Representing one of the most vibrant indigenous cultures in Latin America, the Kunas continue to resist interference, including from the Panamanian government. Many of the 400 islands under the Kuna’s jurisdiction are uninhabited, and the roughly 40 inhabited islands are far from modern. Few hotels are available, the food (largely fish) is basic, and bottled water is a necessity. In addition, electricity is limited and showers and toilets are often shared. If these inconveniences don’t scare you away, you will most likely spend two or three days in a tropical paradise of incomparable beauty where you will visit deserted islands to swim or snorkel, laze in hammocks beneath swaying palm trees and visit native villages. There is little else to do. The Kunas themselves are a colorful group, especially the women, who wear intricately stitched molas as blouses. The San Blas islands are the only place in Panama where you will pay $1 to take a photo, so bring plenty of bills and lots of film. It has been reported that as many as one in every one hundred Kunas may be albino — a testament to how insular they are. The high incidence of this rare affliction is the result of generations of intermarriage.

A short early-morning flight brings you back to Panama City and on to Bocas del Toro, a charming group of islands on the Caribbean. Perhaps Panama’s fastest-growing resort area, Bocas is filled with colorful local characters, old wooden buildings, rustic hotels and wide dusty streets with no traffic. We actually walked the few blocks to our hotel, dragging our luggage and trying to dodge the potholes. We saw a couple of taxis, but it hardly seemed worth the bother considering the short distance. Our first activity was an all-day water tour, which included Dolphin Bay, home to actual dolphins; snorkeling; a tour of the mangroves; a beach that stretched for miles and that was home to tiny red frogs; and finally, more snorkeling. The cost: $15 per person. The next day was deep-sea fishing during the morning and island-hopping in the afternoon. Our favorite restaurant turned out to be “Pecados,” which means “sins.” We worked hard to spend more than $10 per person for food and the cold white wine came in ugly but ample water glasses.

Reluctantly leaving the beach behind, we visited the cool and classy Canopy Tower next. Located in a heavily forested area about 15 miles from Panama City, the Canopy Tower is a six-room hotel built on what was originally a U.S. military radar tower. The bedrooms, dining room and observation deck look out over the forest canopy, home to hundreds of tropical birds. Booked solid by birdwatchers from around the world, this exclusive enclave should not be missed. Reservations are a must and there are no handicap facilities.

Going further afield, we flew to David, near the Costa Rican border, and explored the green, mountainous western highlands of Chiriqui and the alpine town of Boquete. Not being properly prepared, we resisted the temptation to hike up the slopes of the formidable Vulcan Baru. Instead, we visited a coffee plantation, where we learned how labor-intensive coffee producing is as we sipped a cappuccino in a small mountainside chalet. We visited an orchid nursery in Boquete and another exotic orchid farm, Finca Dracula, where its owners propagate the rare Dracula orchid. We climbed an almost impassable road into the cloud forest where billowing white clouds obscure the view from mountain cabins and hundreds of tiny hummingbirds whir through the air. The resplendent and elusive quetzal is rumored to be resident in this area, but you could not prove it by me. I could easily have spent a week hiking in this cool, eerie mountain retreat.

Returning to the beach, this time on the Pacific, we went first to Jose Roberto Lutrell’s villas. Perched high on a cliff overlooking miles of deserted beach and millionaire estates, the well-equipped villa, our home for three days, was smashing. Pacific Hideaway, located just outside the town of Coronado, about an hour from Panama City, could easily sleep six people, but was perfect for a romantic getaway for two.

Another half-hour down the road, we found the Royal Decammeron. This 360-room, 3-year-old beach hotel boasts seven restaurants, eight swimming pools, miles of beaches and an outdoor theater. It is often booked solid from December to April — the dry season — when tours from the U.S. and Canada visit the resort.

Our last night was spent at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. Located near the junction of the Panama Canal, the Chagres River and Lago Gatun, this sprawling, upside-down hotel boasts panoramic views of the rainforest, the river and the Panama Canal. A comfortable tram lifts you high above the forest to an even higher observation tower. Instead of having steps, the top of the tower is reached by a gradual winding ramp, making the facility wheelchair accessible. Boat tours on the manmade Gatun Lake, which feeds water into the canal, allow you to get up close and friendly with the small crocodiles that lurk in the mangroves. The lake is reported to be full of fish, but we could not confirm this, either.

The one major area we did not visit was the Darien jungle. The Darien is said to be one of the most spectacular forests in the tropics and never has a road been cut completely through it. The Darien borders on Colombia and may harbor drug traffickers. Independent travel is discouraged, but several tours will take you to villages inhabited by the Embera Indians, arguably the most primitive of the Panamanian Indian tribes.

We did not go whitewater rafting, which is especially popular on the Chiriqui River during and immediately after the rainy season. Another activity we missed was deep-sea diving, which is by all accounts excellent. Scuba Panama, a dive shop headquartered in Panama City, leads dive groups in the Pacific, Caribbean and even the Panama Canal. Scuba Panama has training and testing facilities and its rental equipment has a good reputation among divers, which is not true of all operations.

Panama offers some of the most diverse eco-tourism in the world. Distances are not great and transportation is excellent, but because of the wide variety of activities, locations, hotels and restaurants, I would not attempt to visit Panama without a good guidebook. I used the Avalon Travel’s Adventures in Nature Panama by William Friar, which gave me all the information I needed. Whatever guidebook you use, make sure you have the latest edition because Panama is changing rapidly.

If You Go
The following Web sites and telephone numbers should assist you in visiting most of the areas and attractions mentioned in this article:

∙ IPAT: www.panamainfo.com
∙ COPA Airlines: www.copaair.com
∙ Decameron Hotel: www.decameron.com
∙ Gamboa Resort: www.gamboaresort.com
∙ Canopy Tower: www.canopytower.com