Bath by two oceans, Veraguas is the only province that owns this privilege. This is a destination with great potential, just recently 80% of virgin territories have been open for tourists, besides all the historical and scientific findings in the last years. It’s natural wonders, the greenery of its forest, the clear waters, invites all Visitors to discover the new ecological and adventure tourist routes.
Protected Paradise
With more than 410 kilometers of coasts and beaches, Veraguas has 40 islands, being Coiba the largest in the country. Yo can take a group tour, and lodge surrounded by nature. If you want to check the beautiful virgin mangroves, going through San Pablo river at Puerto Cabimo is the best option. Through water or land, you can see one or more of the nine protected areas, including forest parks.
Discoveries
At Cerro Hoya National Park, you can take a selfie close to the oldest stones in the country, dating back before Panama separated the oceans thousands of years ago. A recent archeological discovery. But there is also the bicephalous snake carved on a 5 and a half meter high stone, the longest petroglyph in the country that date back to 500 A.D.
Religious Tourism
At only 17 kilometers from Santiago, the province’s capital is located San Francisco de la Montaña, home of the church that carries the same name. This church was built back in 1630, having altars made out of fine wood and covered with 23 carat gold. It also portrays baroque and indigenous art. A must go place for all who love history and culture.
Marine Life
The beaches of “the pearl between two oceans” are well known for being nursery homes for marine species. Every June four types of marine turtles (Carey, Lora, Baula and Green) start coming to these beaches. Every year these turtles come back to the same place they were born to complete the reproduction cycle and leave their eggs. The communities of Mariato and Mata Oscura organizes a festival every year to help the turtles complete their cycle and preserve these marine species.
But if you want to see with your own eyes big humpback whales, you have go to the Pacific region of Veraguas. Every year they come to procreate and have their baby whales in Veraguas. Besides being acrobatic, which is a perfect moment to take an amazing photograph or video, this whale is a very noble specie. You can watch them between the months of July and november.
Sports to Enjoy
At the Gulf of Montijo (Ramses site), on the coasts of Mariato, either in Cebaco island or Coiba National Marine Park, you can enjoy world class fishing. The catch of the day can be of corvina fish, snapper fish, wahoo, sailfish, even marlin fish.
But you can also spend time nearby professional surfers staying at Santa Catalina. At this beach town you can surf waves from 3 to 7 feet high, the reason why local and international surf contests are held here.
But if your thing is deep sea diving, Veraguas has the second largest coral reef in the Pacific American Tropics, with more than 135 hectares at Damas Bay in the coasts of Coiba. If you have never dive, not to worry, there are great diving schools in Veraguas for the most adventurous tourists.
Other Tourists Destinations
One of the places local Visitors go the most at Veraguas is La Yeguada. Here you can relax close to a lake surrounded by pine trees, a natural environment that looks like places up north in the continent.
You can also visit Parque Nacional Santa Fe and the recently created Parque Hector Gallegos, home of Jaguars and Pumas. Both are forest parks where you can check numerous waterfalls, some yet without a name. These parks also have walking trails that lead you to rivers where you can do rivertubbing, which is to sit on a round floater and let the river flow take you to some real fun. The forest environment is surrounded by coffee farms, orchid and viewpoints for bird watching.
Enjoy Veraguas
There is still a lot to explore, even for local Visitors that are starting to discover the wonders of this province. Recently the Tourists Chamber of Panama, The Veraguas Chamber of Tourism, Panama Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Natural Environment (Mi Ambiente), the Panamanian Association of Tourism Operators (APOTUR), The Chamber of Tourism for the Interior (REDTUR) and MarViva launched the new Tourist Destination Brand “Explore Veraguas, a unified tourist campaign to promote the very unique places that everybody still have to see for themselves.
For more information visit www.exploreveraguas,com
