destination
Panama
panama overview
Panama small ship cruises and custom Panama tours get travelers up close to nature and wildlife.
Panama has it all... mountains, jungles, beaches, bird life and an astounding biodiversity of flora and fauna. Cruise up close aboard small ships exploring both coasts and the Panama Canal. Visit dazzling national parks, pristine coastline and over 1500 islands with daily opportunities for shore landings in remote regions. Superb local guides interpret colonial heritage and cultural diversity springing from 7 different indigenous groups and a melting pot of world cultures on a Panama small ship cruise.
Explore Pacific and Caribbean islands, bountiful bird life, wildlife, indigenous culture and the Panama Canal. Daily explorations with naturalists guides include nature walks, kayaking, snorkeling and visits to isolated villages. Comfortable cabins, sumptuous meals and naturalist lectures add to an incredible Panama small ship cruise experience.
Panama is located in Central America, bordering Costa Rica to the north and Colombia to the south, with coastlines on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is a narrow, elongated country which links the North and South American continents and through which shipping passes between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean along the 80km-long Panama Canal. In addition to the mainland, Panama owns many hundreds of offshore islands, including the San Blas and Bocas del Toro archipelagos. Panama is mountainous inland, with flat coastal lowlands, and rainforests covering much of the country. Much of the land is protected in the interests of its wildlife. A large part of the country of Panama is uninhabited, (perfect for small ship cruising) with the majority of the population living in the main cities of Panama City and Colon, in the canal region or in the Pacific lowlands.
Capital: Panama City
Population: 2,735,943
Area: 30,420 square miles
Language: Spanish is official language. English and several indigenous languages are spoken.
People: 65% mestizo, 14% African, 10% Spanish / white, 5% mulatto, 6% Amerindian
Currency: US dollars
Time Zone: UTC/GMT - 5 hours
Food
Panama Food mainly comprises American and Spanish cuisine, but also spans an array of tastes and worldwide cultural influences such as Indian, Arabic, Italian, Chinese and Mexican. The exquisite dishes come from the traditional recipes. As Panama is a coastal region, food of Panama includes a lot of sea food. Food in Panama consists of fresh and healthy vegetables as well as fruits also. Even a lot of herbs and varieties of spices are used in Panama Cuisine. Since Panama has a little more Caribbean influence than other Central American countries, you'll see a lot more plaintain than beans here. Panamanian food is generally mild and not overly spicy. As with other parts of Central America, the favorite meat seems to be chicken. The food of Bocas del Toro is even more Caribbean than the rest of Panama. Many of the dishes contain coconut, unlike in the more Latin parts of Panama. Panama Food with all its variations, is indeed exotic.
Food
Panama Food mainly comprises American and Spanish cuisine, but also spans an array of tastes and worldwide cultural influences such as Indian, Arabic, Italian, Chinese and Mexican. The exquisite dishes come from the traditional recipes. As Panama is a coastal region, food of Panama includes a lot of sea food. Food in Panama consists of fresh and healthy vegetables as well as fruits also. Even a lot of herbs and varieties of spices are used in Panama Cuisine. Since Panama has a little more Caribbean influence than other Central American countries, you'll see a lot more plaintain than beans here. Panamanian food is generally mild and not overly spicy. As with other parts of Central America, the favorite meat seems to be chicken. The food of Bocas del Toro is even more Caribbean than the rest of Panama. Many of the dishes contain coconut, unlike in the more Latin parts of Panama. Panama Food with all its variations, is indeed exotic.
Types of Panama food include: Carimaņola: a roll, made from ground and boiled yucca and stuffed with minced meat and boiled eggs and then fried.
Tortillas are made with ground maize and then fried like pancakes. Empanadas: made from flour or corn pastries, are generally filled with cheese, chicken or even meat. Patacones: green fried plantains, cut into pieces and fried. Tamales, a popular local delicacy of Panama: It is made from boiled and ground corn with spices, chicken or pork being stuffed inside and boiled after wrapping it in a banana leaf. Tajadas: ripe plantain cut in slices length-ways and baked with cinnamon.
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