Guarare is located at Los Santos Province, and is very visited for its beaches such as Puerto and Bella Vista, where you can find different restaurants on the seafront that offer a varied foods from Panama and the region. However, its cultural legacy represents the rich traditions and folklore of our country.
Name from an Indigenous Origin
The name Guarare is of indisputable Ngäbe origin, having a relationship with the indigenous chief Guararí, the history of this town going back to the time when the resistance of the indigenous race faced the Spanish colonization with great courage.
Arrival of the Spaniards
It is said that a group of Spaniards, discouraged by the sacking of Panama City by Henry Morgan and his pirates, embarked on ships and disembarked in the lower areas of Azuero. They disputed the land with indigenous groups in the area and brought their customs to the region. Historians and explorers of the Spanish Crown wrote that after the port was built, barges were built in which Diego de Hurtado visited the coasts of Montijo and Chiriqui.
Mejorana National Festival
Although this year the Mejorana National Festival will not be held in September as usual due to Covid-19, after 72 years of history, it is one of the most important cultural expressions of the isthmus and is carried out with the purpose of disseminating, preserving and sharing the folkloric experiences and customs of that region.
This festival is celebrated in honor of “La Mejoranera”, an instrument smaller than the Spanish guitar that became popular in the region and is manufactured in the village’s home workshops.
During the Festival you can enjoy traditional dances such as the Congos Portobeleños, the Diablos Limpios de Parita, the Diablicos Sucios, the Manitos Ocueños, the Indios de la Arena, La Cumbia Chorrerana, tunas from Las Tablas, violinists, drummers, accordionists that walk in parades through the town’s streets sharing the joy and messages of their cultural expressions with the locals and foreign Visitors.
Guarare Museum
Guarare is a land of folklore, and it also hosts the Manuel F. Zarate Museum that gathers old skirts, masks and folk musical instruments. It is a very popular place for hundreds of Visitors whom at different times of the year fill the place to discover important symbols of our cultural life.
Gastronomy
The regional gastronomy offers sancocho (traditional Panamanian chicken soup), also the panamanian rice with chicken, the pindín salad (potatoes with beets and vegetables), empanadas, carimañolas and roasted pork served at open-air restaurants (called fondas) and delicious dishes that no one can resist.
Although Guarare does not offer yet a hotel infrastructure, the surrounding towns such as Las Tablas, Los Santos and Chitre (in the Herrera province) offer good hotels for all tastes.
Very soon each Panamanian and foreign visitor will be able to rediscover again the history, traditions, amazing places and delicious gastronomy that this beautiful region of Panama has for everyone.
