
Among Panama's allures are sweeping rain forests teeming with exotic animals & birds; cloud forests cloaking the summits of rugged mountains; vibrant indigenous cultures that predate the conquistadores; & a cornucopia of wildlife wonders that is also brimful of castles & sleepy colonial villages where life revolves on a yesteryear hub. Esteemed travel writer Christopher Baker takes the reader on a journey of this fascinating place in seven fact-filled chapters, beginning in the cosmopolitan, steamy capital of Panama City, the most cosmopolitan metropolis between Miami & Maracaibo. Then the Canal Zone & the central Caribbean, effusely forested & offering world-class birding, hiking, & white-water rafting; Kuna Yala, an island chain & narrow mainland strip administrated anonomously by indigenous Kuna people; the Darien, a biological Eden protecting the largest pristine wilderness habitat in Central America; & Central Panama, a region blessed with tourist attractions of every sort, from fine beaches & magnificent mountain scenery to pre-Columbia sites & important colonial architecture. The Azuero Peninsula evokes a different feel, home to cowboy towns simmering with sentimental allure, the heartland of folkloric tradition beckoning visitors to its festivals & pockets of colonial charm; while Khiriqui spans remote, surf-washed beaches & mist-shrouded volcanic heights; & Bocas del Toro remains the most popular tourist destination beyond Panama City, synonymous with a funky, laid-back lifestyle. National Geographic Traveler: Panama
Includes:: many detailed close-ups on subjects particular to the destination, in this case including wildcats that range the area; parrots & macaws; & whales that roam Panama's offshore waters; & poison-dart frogs, breataking in their beautiful coloration.