Panamanian Passion
Varied in terrain and activities, Panama is also a country with a big heart.
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| STAY Bristol Panama 011.507.274.0000 Bristol Buenaventura 011.507.908.3333 :: thebristol.com |
I’ve joined the charge to indulge in all things Panamanian. Imagine Mardi Gras on Fat Tuesday: thousands parading and partying in heated fervor. Mix the clubbing atmosphere of South Beach with the gaming scene of Vegas, add a dash of beautiful men and women swooning to Latin rhythms blasting from street-side clubs, shake and stir.
The scene is electrifying; Panama City, with its plentitude of all things beautiful – whether of natural or man-made origin – is on par with cosmopolitan cities the world over. For anyone with a keen interest in Latin American culture in the here and now, Panama has emerged as the go-to destination.
World-class restaurants and after-hour hotspots open early and close late. Wynn’s flagship Central American Casino rings with Wild-West payouts. Trump is next in line, his Ocean Club soon to be the hallmark of luxe living, Panamanian style. I’ve positioned myself in the five-star Bristol Panama, its immediate access to the bounty of the city and its luxurious amenities providing the perfect environment for my two-week Panamanian getaway.
A day spent touring the city includes two must-sees: Casco Viejo, Panama’s historic Spanish colonial town, which in 2002 became a UNESCO world heritage sight, and the Panama Canal. Cruising Casco Viejo is like visiting a new and improved version of old-world Havana. Spurred by local and foreign investment, the movement to bring back the glory that once made Casco one of Spain’s main colonial hubs in the Americas is helping to create one of Central America’s most distinguished and modern cultural heritage sites. Casco’s breathtaking 16th- and 17th-century Spanish and French colonial architecture was featured in the latest James Bond installment, Quantum of Solace, most of which was filmed here, and boutique hotels, luxury residences, gourmet restaurants, night clubs, and bars now populate formerly condemned city streets. In fact, this once forgotten neighborhood has undergone a revolution.
The Panama Canal has been vital to the resurgence of this bi-coastal nation. Fees levied on boat transfers through the canal bring in significant revenue. This guaranteed influx of capital and the government’s commitment to investing in social infrastructure has allowed Panama to develop into one of the wealthiest and most secure countries in Latin America and a hotspot for world trade and investment. Whether you’re looking for affordable real estate, retirement bliss, adventure traveling on a shoestring, or parading about on a handsome budget, Panama’s diversity welcomes everyone.
If Panama City is hot, the equatorial heat is even hotter. And while the city boasts a myriad of after-dark activities, the natural environment of Panama hints at divine intervention: Pacific and Caribbean coasts, world-class sportfishing and some of the world’s greatest surf spots, not to mention a diverse topography of tropical reefs, lush jungle, diverse wildlife, temperate highlands, and a seemingly endless coastline inhabited by indigenous people of various ethnicities are just a few of the wonders of the terrain.
It’s hard to believe that life in Panama moves at such a leisurely pace given my first three days of indulgence, but breezing through the Caribbean Sea en route to a distant surf location, the city’s incessant buzz seems light years away. Here I find myself living life through experience, surfing the world-class waves of Bocas del Toro.
From Bocas I pass through the central mountain highlands traveling south to the Pacific; a highlight of this journey is El Valley, where thermal spas and mud baths complement the bed and breakfast boutiques and zipline adrenaline runs through steep jungle topography.
Given the intensity of the equatorial heat, I appreciate the convenience and pleasure of returning after a full day’s exploration to the luxurious Bristol Buenaventura resort and spa.
The current push to create a high standard of living on par with the best is exemplified at Buenaventura. An immaculate facility, the resort sports world-class spa facilities, a signature Jack Nicklaus 18-hole golf course and a phenomenal offering of local fusion cuisine.
The natural gifts of Panama are unmatched in Central America. Its off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden treasures provide a mix for the ages. Sitting back and relaxing with nothing to do but bask under the shade of the swaying palms, libation in hand, I reflect on the diversity of my experience here.
From sinking into the all-out craze of the carnival to sharing local customs with the Embry Indians in the deep jungle of the highlands to living on a shoestring in Bocas del Toro while scoring some of the best waves of my life; and then, in the blink of an eye, to be living as luxurious a lifestyle as one could imagine at Buenaventura, Panama’s delights are as varied as its terrain. It’s a country small in size but huge in heart; the locals’ desire to share comes from the heart and is as much a reflection of their experience and pain in remembering the past as it is a reflection on their determination to create a prosperous future.
