Panama

For most travelers, the archipelago is Bocas del Toro. Caribbean clichés aside, there’s no shortage of postcard-pretty beaches, emerald waters and swaying palms, and scads of things to see and do.

Archipiélago de Bocas del Toro

With its Caribbean islands dotting a shock of blue waters, Bocas del Toro is all that's tropical. This is Panama’s principal tourist draw and it will no doubt provide some of your most memorable experiences. The archipelago consists of six densely forested islands, scores of uninhabited islets and the Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos, Panama’s oldest marine park.

The longtime base of the Chiquita Banana company, the mainland boasts the Parque Internacional La Amistad, shared with Costa Rica. It's also home to diverse wildlife such as the elusive jaguar, traditional Ngöbe-Buglé settlements, and the Naso, one of few remaining American tribes with its own monarch.

Most visitors come for a hefty dose of sun and surf. Few are disappointed with the Bocas cocktail of water, fun and luxury, but there's a lot more to what might be Panama's most beautiful corner.

Bocas del Toro Province

Colorful and full of Caribbean-style clapboard houses, Bocas del Toro (better known simply as Bocas town) was built by the United Fruit Company in the early 20th century. Today it is a relaxed community of West Indians, Latinos and resident gringos, with a friendly atmosphere that is contagious. It’s an easy place to adapt to and even easier to linger in.

Bocas serves as a convenient base for exploring the archipelago; taxis marinos (water taxis) can whisk you away to remote beaches and snorkeling sites for just a few dollars. The real allure here, though, is simply to be able to slow down and soak up the Caribbean vibes.

Bocas del Toro Town

Boquete is known for its cool, fresh climate and pristine natural surroundings. Flowers, coffee, vegetables and citrus fruits flourish in its rich soil, and the friendliness of the locals seems to rub off on everyone who passes through. Boquete gained a deluge of expats after the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) named it a top retirement spot. Until you see the gated communities and sprawling estates dotting the hillsides up close, though, you'd be hard-pressed to see what the fuss is about. The surrounds, however, are another matter. Boquete is one of the country’s top destinations for outdoor-lovers. It's a hub for hiking, climbing, rafting, visiting coffee farms, soaking in hot springs, studying Spanish or canopy touring. And, of course, there’s nothing quite like a cup of locally grown coffee.

Boquete

Chiriquí claims to have it all: Panama’s tallest mountains, longest rivers and most fertile valleys. The province is also home to spectacular highland rainforests and the most productive agricultural and cattle-ranching regions in the country. As a result, los chiricanos (natives of Chiriquí) take particular pride in their province and wave the provincial flag – in every sense – at the slightest opportunity.

It's also a land of immense beauty. On the coast, the pristine Golfo de Chiriquí boasts long sandy beaches and a rich diversity of marine life. The mist-covered mountains near the town of Boquete, a favorite of North American and European retirees, is a good base for adventures such as white-water rafting and hiking the flanks of Panama’s highest point, Volcán Barú (11398ft/3474m). Boquete is also the center of Panama’s coffee industry, which means that a potent cup of shade-grown arabica is never more than a cafe away.

Chiriquí Province

Coclé is known to Panamanians as the land of salt, sugar and presidents. More salt has been reclaimed from the sea, more sugar refined and more Panamanian presidents born here than in any other province. These facts are the source of great civic pride, but Coclé offers a lot more than table condiments and political legacies.

Coclé boasts a wide variety of landscapes, from all-but-abandoned coastline to towering cloud forests, with vast agricultural land in between. With its southern side stretching along the Pacific Ocean for upwards of 62mi (100km), the province claims some of the country’s most beautiful beaches, which are a magnet at the weekend for day-trippers from nearby Panama City.

Up in the highlands, the magnificently situated mountain town of El Valle is another popular retreat. And shoppers take note: the sprawling provincial capital of Penonomé is the best place to pick up a “real” Panama hat.

Coclé Province

With its colonial structures in decay and its neighborhoods marginalized, Colón is the city that Panama forgot, in spite of vigorous encouragement to attract Caribbean cruise ships. Before 1869 the railroad connecting Panama City and Colón was the only rapid transit across the continental western hemisphere. A last wheeze of prosperity was heard during the construction of the Panama Canal.

On the city's edge, the Zona Libre de Colón (Colón Free Zone) was created in 1948. It generates some US$6.5 billion in annual commerce, but little benefit seems to trickle down to local inhabitants. From up close, it's an island of materialism floating in a sea of unemployment and poverty.

Recent improvements in city safety are attributed to tighter gang control. There is also a much ballyhooed – but barely visible – urban restoration plan, kicked off in 2014. One major improvement: the Autopista Panamá–Colón is now a four-lane highway.

Colón

Colón Province is much, much more than its run-down capital. Think pristine beaches and lowland rainforests, colonial splendor and the modern engineering marvel of the Panama Canal. Portobelo, with its growing music and art scene, shows the best of the rich culture of the Congos, descendants of enslaved Africans who have preserved the legacy of their ancestors, while the train trip between Panama City and Colón remains one of the greatest rail journeys in the Americas.

The region's history encompasses the earliest European colonists. During the colonial era, these coastal cities ranked among the world’s richest; their gold and silver stores enticed everyone from English privateer Sir Francis Drake to Admiral Edward Vernon. Today the fallen fortresses and cannons embedded in the coral reefs recall the fallen Spanish empire.

Colón Province

With white sand and waving palms, the islands of the turquoise Archipiélago de San Blas of the Comarca de Guna Yala are a vision of paradise. This is home to the Guna people, the first indigenous group in Latin America to gain autonomy. Though they have had contact with Europeans since Columbus sailed these waters in 1502, traditional identity and way of life remain paramount.

A decade ago the road to the port of Gardi (Cartí) was finished, making the region more accessible than ever. Still off the beaten track, this narrow, 232-mile-long (373km-long) strip on the Caribbean coast with 365 offshore islands stretches from the Golfo de San Blas to the Colombian border.

Community (ie populated) islands numbering four dozen are acre-sized cays that are home to people and livestock. Visitors often prefer the more remote outer islands with fewer inhabitants. Some islands charge a landing/visitation fee.

Comarca de Guna Yala

One of the world’s richest biomes is the 2240-sq-mile (5790-sq-km) Parque Nacional Darién, where the primeval meets the present with scenery nearly unaltered from one million years ago. Even today in the Darién, the Emberá and Wounaan people maintain many of their traditional practices and retain generations-old knowledge of the rainforest.

Cruising the waterways and hiking trails are the only ways to explore the slow-paced interior of Darién and the Pacific coast, where Emberá, Wounaan and Afro-Panamanians coexist.

Darién Province

David is Panama’s second-largest city and the capital of Chiriquí Province. It's more a center of agricultural industry than a cultural hub. Yet with foreign capital flowing into Chiriquí, David is rapidly gaining wealth and importance, and is poised to boom.

For most travelers, David is a pit stop on the way to surrounding destinations. Halfway between Panama City and San José (Costa Rica), David is an important transportation hub. If the road has you weary, slip into the slow pace, grab a jugo de caña (sugarcane juice) in downtown's Parque de Cervantes, the heart of the city, or day trip to the beach or highlands.

David

Officially known as El Valle de Antón, this picturesque town is nestled in the crater of a huge extinct volcano, and ringed by verdant forests and jagged peaks. El Valle is a popular weekend getaway for urban dwellers in need of fresh air and scenery and is also a retirement community for foreigners, with some 200 resident expats from more than 40 countries. With an extensive network of trails, this is a superb place for walking, hiking or horseback riding. Nearby forests offer excellent birdwatching, and the valleys of El Valle are home to an impressive set of waterfalls and natural pools.