Panama is known mostly for its famous canal, the country's natural attractions offer an irresistible lure to far-sighted travelers. This often overlooked country offers some of the finest birding, snorkeling and hiking in the Americas, and in Panama City the shopping is world class. Panama's charms include its stunning coastline of palm-fringed beaches, its astounding wildlife - boasting an incredible diversity of tropical birds - and its proud, vibrant indigenous peoples, such as the Kuna. While in Panama, you'll find it hard to shake the inescapable feeling that you're in on a secret the rest of the traveling world has yet to discover. Panama also has been voted the No. 1 place to retire in the last few years and it is easy to understand why. The condos and houses being built are of very high quality, and many come with amazing views for just a few extra dollars. What works here as well is that the currency is essentially US dollars, although it goes by a different name (balboas).
Panama is worth a visit at any time of the year and now that Spirit flies here, the price is far cheaper than was ever available before. Booking your hotel well in advance is advised as there is a shortage of hotels. Along the Pacific Coast just outside Panama City, begin a string of pretty beaches of white sand and sapphire blue waters, well known beaches and beach communities are Punta Chame, Gorgona, Coronado, Rio Mar, Santa Clara and Playa Blanca.
About two miles from the center of Panama City are found the ruins of the first capital, known as Old Panama or Panama La Vieja, founded in 1519. Fragments of walls and arches stand in an open park, recalling the splendor of the Spaniard's first settlement on the Pacific Ocean. From here, expeditions were mounted to conquer the Inca Empire of South America. All of the wealth from Peru, Chile and California flowed to Spain through Old Panama Not surprisingly, the enormous quantities of gold attracted pirates like sharks to Panama's waters. When Henry Morgan looted the city in 1671, Panama's governor ordered the powder magazine burned and the whole city went up in flames. The capital was moved two miles to the west, and present-day Panama City was founded in 1673. The most impressive structures remaining are the cathedral, with a massive bell-tower, and the Bishop's House. In front of the ruins, alongside the ocean, is an artisan's market, full of native crafts, and a small restaurant with a fine view out to a bay where Spanish galleons and pirate ships once lifted sail.
One of the things to be careful of in Panama though, is the offer of Medical Tourism opportunities. Many of the hospitals are first class and there doctors have been trained in America, and the lure of cheap plastic surgery brings in hundreds of patients each year. However, if something goes wrong, most Doctors, surgeons and businesses do not have Insurance and will have got you to sign a paper saying that you are being treated under Panamanian law. In Panama, the law is very different than in America, if something does go wrong you will not receive any damages.
