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National Parks In Panama: An Assorted Array Of Natural Wonders

Panama is situated amidst large rainforests, which is one of the reasons many tourists visit every year. It is home to over ten thousand plant species and over a thousand different birds. There is also no shortage of national parks in Panama.

The first national park to have boundaries in two countries is the Amistad, which is situated in Panama but also in Costa Rica. A tourist visiting Amistad can easily find accommodation and modes of travel, among other services. They are also invited to fish in a local river called Teribe.

The Bastimentos is a collection of islands that constitute a marine park. It is unique in that protection is provided not only to the wildlife and beaches but also to the coral reef found off its coast, deep beneath blue waters.

The Baru Volcano is contained within the Baru preservation. The volcano is visited by numerous tourists who drive to its top with the hopes of seeing wildlife along the way. The volcano also boasts scenic views.

The Barro Colorado Monument is a smaller park and is made up of a mix of peninsulas and an island. Travelers can enjoy a guided day tour which culminates with a viewing of the Giant Tree.

Campana is known for its exciting wild animals, such as monkeys, pigs and a mix of birds. It is also home to a variety of reptiles including the Golden Frog. This frog, which is endangered, is considered a local treasure.

The Canas Wildlife Refuge has many differing turtle species. These turtles are known to entertain tourists when they come out at night. The refuge is also known for its hiking and water sports.

Chagres is home to rivers that supply the Panama Canal with most of its waters. People are often spotted rafting on the rivers, and there are lakes for fishing, water skiing, jet skiing and sailing. Camping and bird watching are also encouraged in Chagres.

Coiba is more isolated than some of the other parks, and therefore has fewer serves available to tourists, such as hotels and transportation. Nevertheless, it is very attractive to many travelers because of its sandy beaches and turtle populations. Plus, its waters are famous for Blue and Black Marlin sightings.

Darien has provided tourists with a unique experience. It has jungles known for excellent hiking and is also where several indigenous tribes live. Many visitors to the Darien jungles have witnessed indigenous people and their activities and some of these visitors report having experience indigenous dancing.

Just as one might expect Iguana has loads of iguanas living inside its boundaries. However, that is not the only thing Iguana is known for. It has other marine animals like turtles. Plus, migrating whales pay Iguana a visit each year.

There are many more national parks. Diversity is one way to describe the immensity of rainforest and animal life that is found there. One park not yet mentioned is called the Metropolitan and is located just minutes outside Panama City.

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Take In The Lovely Scenery And Wildlife With Panama Tourist Attractions

If you are thinking about the next vacation that you want to take, then consider the fabulous Panama tourist attractions that await you when you travel to this beautiful country. The weather is lovely with breathtaking scenery and fabulous food. Beside the great Panama tourist attractions there are wonderful people who will offer you the opportunity to take part in the festivals and holidays that occur throughout most of the year.

The world class restaurants, clubs, and dancing that are located throughout Panama City are a great way to spend an exciting holiday for people who enjoy the metropolitan fun and excitement of the city. There are fabulous shopping opportunities and fantastic theatre and museums.

Just outside of town is the Parque Metropolitano which is home to the ruins of a beautiful and historic Spanish town. When you enter the town you will be immediately taken in by the surrounding park and the many activities that are awaiting you. Home to stunning Southern and Central American wildlife, an individual can enjoy guided tours, back-packing, or horseback riding through the scenic terrain.

If you enjoy fishing and hiking through the mountains and along the crystal clear mountain streams, then a visit to Boquete National Park will be a must. Take a guided tour through the mountain side or hide to one of the beautiful springs that are a great way to end a hike.

Staying at one of the resorts at Bocas del Toro will give the beach lover a chance to spend time on the beautiful white sandy beaches. You can swim, snorkel, go boating, or spend time enjoying a number of beach activities that are held throughout the year. Explore the ocean floor while you scuba dive in the beautiful and clear ocean and enjoy the diversity of oceanlife that live along the coastline.

The Bastimentos National Park sits on the beach and provides visitors an opportunity to swim with the gentle Manatee, mother natures water cow. An individual will quickly begin to understand how these beautiful and docile creatures were so easily mistaken for mermaids as they rescued drowning members of sinking ships in the 1800s’.

Visiting Soberania Park will take you through some beautiful countryside along the old Spanish trail of Las Cruces. This is the historic trail built buy the Spanish to carry supplies to Panama City and will give you an opportunity to enjoy the wild and untamed beauty of this marvelous country.

The people of Panama are very friendly and are happy to help visitors find historic points of interest, favorite dance clubs, or provide directions to events and festivals. When you are looking for a particular restaurant or beach side event, the people living in the country will provide you with the warm hospitality that is only found in the Latin American countries.

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A History Of Historical Landmark Old Panama

The Republic of Panama can be found in Central America between Columbia and Costa Rica. The capital is located near the center of the country where the Panama Canal opens on the pacific side. This city has a highly advanced communications network and the internet is spread widely over it. The capital, called Panama City is a central point of banking and commerce for the whole world and is known as a Gamma World City.

The town itself is a sight to see. It has an impressive skyline of large business buildings and is completely surrounded by lush rain forest. There is a place outside this bustling metropolis where many visitors go to see. A historical landmark can be found nearly fifteen minutes from downtown. It’s called Panama La Viejo, and it’s the site of the old city.

Six years after the discovery of the South sea, governor and Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias de Avila chose to found his capital city here on August 15th, 1519. This city would be the first European settlement in the Americas. Spanish exploration and their devastation of the Incan empire started from here.

Not longer after it was founded, the town blossomed due to being a key stopover for an important trade route. Mines in Peru provided a great deal of silver and gold, and it would pass through the town before being shipped to Spain. The prosperity of the trade route brought about the fairs of Nombre de Dios and Portebelo which made it the most important route in all the Americas.

Disasters befell the capital, however. A number of fires devastated it, though not enough to destroy it all. The last great disaster came at the hands of Sir Henry Morgan and his men in 1671. The pirates assaulted the city and nearly destroyed it. It was decided to leave the ruins behind and reestablish Panama roughly eight miles away. It later became a historical landmark in 1971 and has been a tourist attraction ever since.

Much of the ruins remains standing, and anyone who visits here can see the Bay of Panama, where ships of all sorts were once seen at the height of the city’s glory. Many small houses and shops survived, as well as a few of the more important buildings. One of these is the the Royal Houses, where the political power in the land was centered. In addition to the Houses themselves, there is also a custom, a prison, and the treasurer’s office.

Of particular interest is the Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion Cathedral. The structure was completed in the early 1600’s and has the shape of a cross. A large bell tower was constructed at the rear of the Cathedral and is believed to have served also as a watchtower.

After being declared a Historical Monumental Complex, some restoration has been completed to allow better access to the attraction. Also, a museum, a market, and a restaurant was added into a information center. Both museum and the landmark can be visited any day for only a small fee.

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Coffee Growing Around Boquete In Panama

Boquete, is located on the slopes of Baru Volcano, and it is one of the most recognized coffee growing areas in all of Panama. For more than a century, the area has been dedicated to producing some of Panama’s best coffee and it is now becoming known on an international level for the high quality brews grown here.

In the past the coffee grown in the country was over shadowed by coffee growing neighbors Colombia and Coast Rica. But in the past few years the Boquete region has shone brightly and won many international awards that has propelled it to the forefront of coffee production in the world. If you are a coffee lover, then you should make time in your Panamanian holiday to visit the region and see how the coffee is grown, harvested and processed.

The climate in the region is stunning at any time of the year and it is becoming a popular location for tourists to visit to sample the coffee and other delicious produce that is grown in the area. The volcanic soil combined with the right combination of sun and shade on the slopes of the volcano make Boquete a perfect location for coffee growing.

If you are a fan of coffee, then you will love the coffee plantation tours that you can take in the Boquete region. You will get to sample various coffees that are grown in the area and learn all about the history of coffee growing in Boquete and the techniques that are involved. There are also century old coffee mills and other historical items that you can see and learn about the influence of local indigenous tribes on the coffee industry in Boquete too.

While you are on the coffee plantation tour you will have the chance to learn about all aspects of coffee production, from the growing and harvest of the beans, to aspects of fair trade and organic farming practices and even how you can make the perfect cup of joe at home.

When the coffee is to be harvest, there are two different kinds of processing that can be done and both are performed in Boquete. The first is wet processing, where the beans are first washed and pulped. When this has happened, then they are dried out and the bean is extracted from the cherry. Only 20 per cent of the cherries is actual bean, so the cherry pickers work hard to pick between 100 and 200 pounds of coffee each day.

Alternatively you can find dry processing, which is done by laying the beans out on open air platforms to dry out. The beans have to be raked and rotated every few hours to ensure that they are evenly dried and that there is no build up of mildew. This process gives the beans a gorgeous earthy flavor, but it is more labor intensive and therefore more expensive.

Following the processing of the coffee, the beans are judged for size and quality and stored for up to six months during which the coffee producers continue to monitor the beans for readiness. When the coffee mavens deem the coffee to be ready it is packaged up and 90 per cent of the Boquete, Panama coffee is now exported around the world to coffee lovers to enjoy.

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Cleaning Up Panama Bay A Daunting Ordeal

Panama has not set up an effective sewage disposal program for their country. The large growth of population has led to issues with the sewage being dumped in local rivers and contaminating Panama Bay. The water in the bay has developed a putrid smell and became contaminated because of this. For almost a decade there have been clean up efforts in the bay and attempts at better waste processing systems.

Panama is the southernmost county located in Central America. It is famous for having the Panama Canal, which is a key shipping canal used to travel from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean. The country has seen its way through various military regimes, United States involvement in government, and have now settled into a government that is presently ran by President Ricardo Martinelli. The population has grown at a fast rate from 1.1 million people in 1960 to almost 3.4 million people in 2008.

The country did not have a sewage treatment plant for the large cities and with the large growth in population that had a negative effect on the environment. Each city dumped their sewage straight into rivers around the area. By doing that the river and bay were both contaminated with the waste. The waste being dumped by the larger cities turned the waterworks inside the country into a contaminated mess that had a pungent odor as well.

To help correct this pending health and environmental issue, the country implemented the Panama City and Bay of Panama Cleanup Project which is funded by CAF. CAF is Latin America’s development bank and is dedicated to help fund this venture to help clean the bay area, as well as the development and placement of a waste water treatment plant. Overall CAF has funded more than $1 billion for the project over the past five years with $540 million in 2010 alone.

The country’s Ministry of Health is overseeing the construction of the sanitary sewers, drain network and water treatment plant. The drain network will service the cities with approximately 135 kilometers of pipe. For the sewer system there will be a 3 meter in diameter and 8.2 kilometer long interceptor tunnel.

With such a large project Herrenknecht in Schwanau, Germany was contacted to build a large tunnel boring machine. The machine is 3.6 meters in diameter and 124 meters long, and was shipped to the country in August. The machine is nicknamed after President Martinelli’s mother, Gloria, and is painted in the Panamanian flag colors.

Because of the contamination, the rivers and bay have a bad smell and bacteria in them. No fishing or water recreation takes place because of this contamination. There are fish in the waterways but they are contaminated themselves. Prior to being contaminated, the rivers and bay would be a place for people to go swimming but that no longer takes place.

Even after the clean up project is complete it will take 10 to 15 years for nature to continue cleaning itself in the rivers and bay. Stopping the contamination is the focus of the Panamanian people at this time and this will be done by creating an infrastructure that helps with the water treatment. Once the project is completed, it is hoped that the people of Panama will be able to swim and fish in the areas waterways again.

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