It’s been a cozy, rainy few days here in Boquete. I’ve got a cup of locally grown coffee with me. This one is super special because it was gifted to us by some expats who came on one of our relocation tours, ended up buying a coffee farm here, and now they roast their own…
Introduction Panama shares general characteristics with the group of Ibero-American republics that became free. The process of independence from Spain is one of the most relevant events in the country’s history. Despite Spain’s sharp demographic, political, and military decline in the first two decades of the 19th century, it continued to hold political and economic…
Panama City was founded 500 years ago, on August 15, 1519, and holds the title as the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast in all of the Americas. The city was founded by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias Dávila, and was the starting point for the expeditions that ended up conquering the Inca Empire…
The Panamanian people are quite special. Polite, friendly and generally just good people. But, they have some customs and traditions that they hold dear, and it is good to know them before you get here, so you can interact with them in a favorable way from the beginning. Here are some ways you can be…
Having a population of more or less 4 million, Panama is a small country. In the past 20 years, a massive influx of expats, investors, and business people has been helping this country’s development wave. Panama has lost its third-world image and has become a destination for expats. Large expat communities are found here, specifically…
– Carnival has a deep cultural significance throughout Latin America and the Caribbean; Panama has become one of the biggest and best Carnival destinations. Carnival in Panama has been celebrated since the early 1900s in style similar to New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. This party is four days long and is celebrated the four…
Panama and its people love their holidays, and they seem to group them from March–April with Carnival and November with Independence Day. It is Independence Month in November, with five national holidays to celebrate. Government offices, banks, and many services are closed, but restaurants and retail remain open. The streets are lined with Panama flags,…
My time in Panama has been full of friendship, learning, and daily cultural exchanges. This country is not only full of beautiful biodiversity, but also boundless variations in social norms. I learned a lot of these in my time in the Peace Corps when I spent most of my time living, eating, working, and socializing…
In the Caribbean Sea, off the north coast of the Isthmus of Panama, lies the San Blas Archipelago, an exquisite collection of tropical islands. The Archipelago comprises of approximately of 360 low-lying islands, including sixty which are home to the Kuna people – an indigenous group of Panama and Colombia. The Kuna (also Cuna) Indians…