Origins Pre-Columbian and the Spanish influence

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Day 1- Tuesday

We depart from Panama City at around 8:00 a.m. and drive on the Pan-American Highway until we reach La Pintada approximately 2 hours and a half away.

La Pintada is famous for the typical Panamanian Hat, not the famous “Panama Hat” which is made in Ecuador. The Panamanian Hat or “Sombrero Pintao” is made and sold in many places in the country, but La Pintada is famous for it. We shall visit a local place where the owner will give us a speech about the making of the Sombrero Pintao, including the fibers, the dyes, the weaving, etc. We spend about an hour and a half here.

From here we then drive to Penonome which is the Capital of the Province of Coclé for lunch. And after lunch, we then go visit their small museum that shows both the Pre-Columbian as well as Spanish objects from the time of the Conquest on. This visit takes about one hour and a half.

After the museum we then go to spend the rest of the afternoon at Hotel Cocle with comfortable air conditioned rooms and a swimming pool in case you want to cool off and relax before dinner.

Day 2

We depart at about 8:00 a.m., right after breakfast with our bags packed to go visit the Archeological Museum of El Caño.

This was a “Necropolis” for the chieftains in the Pre-Columbian times. They have a small museum where you can learn what they have uncovered so far, because they are still digging in the site and discovering new materials that shed light on what they have found out so far. We spend approximately one hour and a half here and then depart for Nata de los Caballeros.

From here we drive to Nata de los Caballeros which is about 15 minutes away. Nata is celebrating its 500 year of founding next May 15th, 2022 and its church is the oldest in the Pacific of America which is what we will visit. We spend about 1 hour here and then leave to go to Aguadulce where we are going to visit its small museum. The most interesting exhibit that we will see at the museum is a scale model of how they process the sea water on their field to produce salt. And after seeing the model, we then drive by the “Salinas”, where they produce artisanal the salt on our way to a restaurant near shore where we are going to eat lunch.

After lunch we then drive to go to Chitre where we go to a handicraft shop where they make the traditional “Cutarra” or Panamanian Shoe. We spend about 1 hour here and then reach the Hotel Cubitá with all the commodities including a swimming pool to spend the rest of the afternoon cooling off and relaxing.

Day 3 / Thursday

As the rest of the days, right after breakfast and around 8:00 a.m.

we depart for Guarare where we are going to visit a Saddlery where we will see how they make the traditional chair/stool and horse’s saddles. We spend approximately one hour here and then go visit a lady´s house where we can see how they make “La Pollera”, the traditional Panamanian women´s dress. We spend about one hour and a half or maybe even more due probably to the interest the participants may show on this particular presentation. On our way out we pass by the main park and center of the city the birth of the Folkloric Festival of “La Mejorana”, a small guitar which is part of our tradition.

We then stop at an agro-tourism farm to enjoy a Lamb burger and try some goat cheese, milk and yogurt.

Keep driving towards the hotel and stop at La Villa de Los Santos to visit the Church and the “Nationality Museum” as is known the Los Santos Museum. Los Santos was the first to shout for independence from Spain on November 10th 1821. From here then we go back to Hotel Cubita to relax, although some of you might want (if time allows) to walk across the street to Timsa to see how they make aluminum chairs and big pans to produce sugar cane honey or “raspadura” a kind of molasses.

Day 4 / Friday

As every day, we depart after 8:00 a.m.

to go to a ceramic shop to see how they work the ceramic or even try to make one. After, we come back to the hotel where we are going to be shown how they make the traditional drum and after,

the traditional “Diablicos” masks before lunch. After lunch we depart for Panama City but make a detour to see the unique Plaza of the town or Parita.

We will also stop in Anton to enjoy an “Agua de Pipa” which is how Panamanians call the Coconut Water and perhaps shop some sweet goodies made locally before continuing on our way to Panama City. We should be arriving between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to Panama City.

Rates

2 - 3 pax Car Sedan (Authorized by the Tourism Authority)
4 – 7 pax Toyota Hi-Ace
8-14 pax Toyota Coaster or similar
15 – 20 pax Hyundai Universe

Prices

2 pax US $1,700.00 per person
3 – 5 pax US $1,500.00 per person
6 – 9 pax US $1,300.00 per person
10 – 20 pax US $1,200.00 per person

It includes

- Transportation
- Guide
- All meals breakfast, lunch and dinner except breakfast the first day and dinner the 4th day
- Entrance fee to all the museums
- Fees at all the artisan presentations
- Hotel for three nights

Does not include

- Breakfast on day 1st
- Dinner on day 4th
- Lodging the night before day 1 when the tour starts
- Lodging after the day 4 when the tour gets back in the city

ORIGINS

This packaged tour main purpose is to take you through some sites where you will learn about the two major cultures that helped shape the Panamanians. Although Panama is a true melting pot, we will just cover the Pre-Columbian and the Spanish influence in this visit.

Please take note that this Package should take place starting on Tuesday due to the fact that all museums close on Monday and that we will be visiting some shops that might not be opened on the weekends.

Above & Beyond Expectations

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