06 Oct The Real Panama Experience
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The Real Panama Experience
By Rebecca Reiber
There’s so much to see and do in Antón that it’s hard to know where to start. From beach resorts to off-the-beaten-path adventures, family friendly attractions, hole-in-the-wall ceviche joints, welcoming small towns, and diverse lodging options. There really is something for everyone here in The Real Panama. And best of all – we’re just two hours from Panama City, bordering San Carlos to the east and Penonomé to the west and boasting a wide variety of natural, cultural and tourist attractions.
In the district capitil, also called Antón, you’ll find the town’s colonial center which is home to the Church of St. John the Baptist and the iconic statue of Cristo Esquipulas of Antón. Every January 15 the town holds a religious festival in honor of the Christ, which starts in the church, extends out into the town square and throughout the streets of the colonial center. This festival attracts pilgrims from all around Panama and Central America. Likewise, the town’s secular National Toro Guapo Festival, held every 15th of October, features traditional costumes, dances, contests, and a costume bull fight in front of the church at sunrise. Let’s leave detailed descriptions of each festival to a later date and talk more about what there’s to do around here.
The town square, aptly named January 15 Plaza (Plaza 15 de enero), is where neighbors gather to meet daily, and often boasts artistic presentations, public meetings, fairs and other activities. When visiting Antón, take a walk along 2nd and 3rd Avenues to enjoy the historic houses and don’t miss the “Cultural House”, a small museum where you’ll get to know the town’s history and see many artifacts from yesteryear. If you like ceviche, you can’t miss a spot known by the locals as “donde Simón”. Yeah, it’s a bit of a dive, but has the best traditional Panamanian ceviche and the owner’s a treasure. You can also take a farm tour right outside of town at Finca el Guayabo where you’ll learn about farm life, cattle, sugarcane and more. Be sure to ask about horseback riding. The more adventurous can find a guide to go explore “playa los azules” a beautiful beach only accessible through the mangroves, or take a local bus down to coast of Juan Hombrón where you can watch artisanal fishing practices and enjoy this rustic beach. Either way, you’ll likely be the only ones on the beach aside from the fishermen, and you;ll wan to be sure to pack a picnic basket.
In the town center you’ll find lodging options like Villa Astoria Guest House, recently remodeled in colonial style with internal gardens, covered terraces, and 9 guest rooms. The Villa’s owner took to heart the motto “if you build it they will come”, becoming the first to promote Antón as the ideal base for anyone who wants to experience The Real Panama. Since we already mention a few things to do and see in town, let’s spread out from here.
The well-known Antón Valley boasts the India Dormida, waterfalls, thermal pools, square trees and golden frogs. To get there from Antón, there’s no need to drive along the Panamerican, just cross it and follow the road to Caballero as it winds its way up the mountain. You don’t want to miss El Manantial on the left just as you start heading out of town, it’s a great restaurant and bar with walking trails, lakes, beautiful landscaping and a swimming pool. As you continue up the mountain, the road winds through many picturesque villages. It’s not always easy to know what village you’re in some have signs but most don’t. You can recognize village limits as each as a chapel, church, school, health center and / or community hall and soccer field. Often, but not always, you can find the town’s name painted on the community hall or some other building. Hey, this is The Real Panama – locals don’t need signs to know where they are! You’ll feel the change in temperature as you reach the top of the mountain where you can enjoy spectacular views of El Valle, the mountain ranges, and as far as the beaches.
Speaking of beaches, Antón has it made! In addition to the beach adventures already mentioned, among the more well-known Antón beaches are Bijao, Farallón, Buena Ventura and Playa Blanca. At most of these you’ll find a lot of tourist attractions, night life, and sporting and adventure activities. But back to off-the-beaten-path activities – just 15 minutes from the Panamerican highway in Santa Rita the Santa Rita waterfall (Cascada de Santa Rita) awaits. Along the Rio Hato (the name of the river and the town), you’ll find the Chorro de Rio Hato and if you head towards Llano Bonito and El Retiro, you might just find the Chorro de El Retiro. Be sure to stop and ask how to get there because you’ll be lucky to find signs to any of these. When you come explore The Real Panama, these are just a few of the local treasures you might find.
Another great way to explore the area is through the network of paved roads that meander through the mountains of Coclé. Whether as a leisurely drive or a nice long bike ride, there are a number of routes and they really can’t be missed. From the highest point of the Antón-Caballero-El Valle Road, instead of heading into El Valle, for instance, you can follow a less-known route that will take you along mountaintops between hills and valleys and over rivers and streams through San Juan de Dios. You can then choose the Juan Diaz route which will bring you gradually down the mountainside into extensive plains and back onto the Panamerican, or the route which connects with Penonomé in one direction and La Pintada in the other. Both much worth traveling – and this last one really deserves to be documented – perhaps next time!
Join us here in The Real Panama, just 2 hours from the city in a laid-back rural colonial town with quick access to beaches, mountains, and lots of friendly local people who love to share their culture and history. We look forward to meeting you!
Rebecca Reiber is owner of Villa Astoria Guest House, and founder of the 8th Life Panama EcoVillage Project. She has lived in Panama for the past 11 years, where she works as a consultant. She recently purchased a colonial style property in Antón and remodeled it to receive guests, as the first step towards disengaging from consulting work and focusing 100% on 8th Life Panama.
VillaAstoria.org and 8thLifePanama.org Email: [email protected]
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