The Lost Paradise of Panamá

The town of Antón is in western Panama, and is spread out on either side of the Interamericana Highway. If you’re traveling west from Panama City, Antón is near Rio Hato, or only a few kilometers past Playa Farallón and the huge Decameron Resort. Many of the resort workers come from the Antón and Juan Diaz area. You might even see a private bus driving around that picks up and drops off the employees of Decameron.  Antón is also close to the turnoff to El Valle de Antón, commonly known as El Valle, which is a completely different town. However, if it’s your first trip to this area, it could be a little confusing.

If you’ve been traveling west by car or bus, Antón is a good place to stop, stretch your legs, get a bite to eat, and use the restroom. I recommend stopping off at Tio Julio. They have a nice restaurant with a variety of food selections, and clean bathrooms.

Tio Julio

If you do stop in Antón, ask where the old cathedral is. From what I gathered, this one was built in 1692. Although it’s old, it’s not nearly the oldest. In fact, less than an hour down the highway between Penonomé and Aguadulce is the town of Natá. The church here is considered to be the oldest still in use in the Americas (1522), followed by the church on Isla Taboga (1524). There was a wedding on the day I was at the Antón church, so I wasn’t able to take any pictures of the inside.

Church in Antón

Whether you come to the Isthmus via boat, plane, car or bus, try to fit in a visit to The Causeway. It has just about everything you could want or need. Stop by for a good meal, a spectacular view of Panama City across the bay, and an enjoyable breeze from the Pacific.

Panama City - View from The Causeway

Rain covering Panama City in the distance

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Construction continues to boom on The Causeway. Soon, there may not be many trees left. There are new hotels, restaurants, and shops. It’s a great place to stop for cruisers that are going up or down the coast, as well as for those  that need a break from Panama City.

Naos, Culebra, Perico, and Flamenco

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For those that live in the Tropics, it’s not always a paradise. Even the Garden of Eden had a snake problem. There are certainly many advantages when it comes to being able to grow a wide variety of fruit and vegetables on a small parcel of land. But it often comes with hardship. A friend of mine recently lost 15 chickens and two turkeys to snakes, and his brother was attacked by African bees, a very aggressive and sometimes deadly insect. And then there are the daily annoyances of no water, or no power–or both. Even though the obstacles are many, rural Panamanians thrive and are quick to flash a smile. Below are a few more pictures of life in the interior.

This is a chicken roost, a small platform of poles tied to trees about four feet off the ground. Each evening about a half-hour before dusk, the roosters and hens begin their slow climb up the angled poles to the roost. If the sun sets before they make it to the top, or are still in the yard, they’ll stop where they’re at and remain motionless and quiet until dawn.

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Everyone has a green thumb in Panama. If you shove a stick in the ground, chances are it will grow. For those that live in a town and have a small piece of land, you’ll probably see a few plantain trees, coconut trees, and maybe even some yucca plants in their backyard, to name a few. Large mango trees are also fairly common and provide shade during the hot afternoons. For those that live in a rural environment, they literally can grow everything they need to live on within a 100 meter radius of their home. Below are a few pictures of some of the things you might see.

Vaca / cow skull in an orange tree

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