Academia de Costumbres y Tradiciones Gabriel Villarreal

Península de Azuero


A local training ground for young festival artists, the Academy of Customs & Traditions Gabriel Villarreal offers classes in dancing, mejorana (a kind of small guitar), accordion, violin and cantaderas (folk songs). Visitors are always welcome to watch; contact coordinator Pastor Falconett. It is in the Melo building opposite the Euromax minimarket, just west of the church.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Península de Azuero attractions

1. Museo Casa de Manuel F Zárate

0.11 MILES

Set in the former residence of Manuel F Zárate, the folklorist devoted to conserving the traditions of the Azuero region, this museum is a good…

2. Iglesia Santa Librada

3.81 MILES

The walls and base of the pulpit in this baroque-style church on Parque Belisario Porras are original, as are the painted faces of cherubs on the ornate…

3. Museo Belisario Porras

3.84 MILES

South of the main square is the former home of three-time president Belisario Porras, during whose administration the Panama Canal opened. The museum…

4. Iglesia San Atanasio

12.03 MILES

On the east side of Plaza Simón Bolívar, this national treasure was consecrated in 1782, although the foundation stone had been laid more than two…

5. Museo de la Nacionalidad

12.07 MILES

This modest museum, on the north side of Plaza Simón Bolívar, occupies the former house where Panama’s Declaration of Independence was signed in 1821. Pre…

6. Taller Carlos Ivan de Leon

12.07 MILES

Master mask-maker Carlos Ivan de Leon creates the most elaborate and frightening masks in Panama at his house just after Calle Segundo Villareal. He…

7. Catedral San Juan Bautista

13.92 MILES

Unlike many cathedrals that impress through ostentation, this 18th-century number is striking for its elegant simplicity and fine balance of gold and wood…

8. Museo de Herrera Fabio Rodriquez

14.08 MILES

This small museum, housed in a lovely two-story colonial building, contains many well-preserved pieces of pottery dating from 5000 BC until the Spanish…