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The history of Gorgona, Farallón and the other beaches along the Pacific Coast is like many things in Panama tied to the building of the Panama Canal. Most of the people that settled these Pacific beaches came from small villages that now make up part of the Panama Canal. They were moved from their original homes and settled along the coast so that their villages could be flooded over and turned into the floor of Lake Gatun. A number of the beach towns start with the name “New” since the “Old” town is now at the bottom of the Lake.
What are these new towns like? All are located on sparsely populated beaches and the few people who do live on the beach normally only visit on weekends. The beaches are very private and large with white or brown sand. Some like Coronado or Gorgona have hotels or villas you can stay in: in Gorgona there is Cabañas Playa Gorgona where you can rent a cabaña with two bedrooms and full kitchen for under $50 a night. The cabañas are located right on the beach and sit on beautifully sculpted grounds with swimming pools and palm trees.
If you want something more upscale then Coronado Beach Resort is probably the place you want to visit. A lifetime membership at the Resort is around $5,000.00 and a monthly fee of $150.00, but with your membership you have access to a fully developed country club: tennis courts, health spa, Olympic pool, an 18 hole professional golf course that hosts tournaments sponsored by Samsung and Panasonic as well as a gym, breakfast bar and equestrian club. If you want to stay at the Resort, the rooms have a mini-bar, cable television and balconies with golf course views. The resort also offers a beach club with restaurant and pool. At the entrance for Coronado Beach is a small shopping center that has a modern supermarket and other services such as banking, medical, dental and optical care.
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Other Pastimes in Panama
-Bird Watching
Panama is recognized as the best place in the world to bird watch. There are 940 different species of birds in Panama most of which are protected in three important national parks: Darien National Park, Metropolitan Park and Chagres National Park. Some hotels specialize in bird watching tours: Gamboa Rainforest Resort and the Canopy Tower Resort. Both have comfortable accommodations and both place you right smack down in the middle of the rainforest. For bird watchers both hotels will allow you to see many species within a very short time. If you are just starting to develop an interest in bird watching then I suggest you buy the excellent book The Birds of Panama. If you are visiting Panama for the first time then you should do a little of everything: first bird watching, then a visit to the beach and finally go to the mountains to check out the waterfalls and cool air. If you only visit one place you may become bored or think that Panama has little to offer.
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-Surfing
If you like surfing then Panama offers some of the best surfing in Latin America. I recommend two places for those that want to surf: Santa Catalina in the Province of Veraguas and Playa Venado in Los Santos Province. Both offer facilities for surfing and of the two Santa Catalina is considered the real jewel of surfing in Panama. To get there you need to go to the Santiago de Veraguas, then catch a ride to the town of Soná, from there you can catch a ride on the back of a small 4x4 to the ocean. The ride from Panama City to Santiago is 3 hours and from Santiago to Soná 2 hours and Soná to Santa Catalina another 2 hours. Rent a car if you can, as the bus trip can be cramped and long.
-Skydiving
Skydiving was initially introduced to Panama about 35 years ago when it was training for the Panamanian Air Force. Roughly three years ago the Panamanian Skydiving Association was formed and has since grown to have 26 members. To “learn to fly” in Panama is easy and safe. All equipment and instructors are certified by the United States Parachute Association as well as the International Aeronautique Federation. There are two ways to learn here in Panama. First, The Tandem Skydive is the easiest way to be introduced into the world of freefall skydiving. Together with your instructor you exit the aircraft, then freefall together at 120 miles per hour, for over a mile, and then descend under a parachute built for two for 4 to 5 minutes followed by a safe and gentle landing back on the ground. A Tandem Skydive is a great introduction to the sport of skydiving, requiring a minimum amount of training, usually about an hour.
Static Line is the oldest method to learn to skydive. A static line parachute jump involves no freefall. After your Static Line First Jump Course, which takes 4 to 6 hours, you make your static line jump under the direct supervision of a USPA certified jumpmaster. You exit the aircraft, and the parachute is opened by the use of a static line which is attached to the aircraft. You then descend to the ground with the guidance of radio
Panama has a lot to offer to those that want to visit or those who wish to stay. I’ve heard a lot of people tell me that they only came to Panama for a fishing trip but decided to stay on for good. Remember, with Panama you have to search out the jewels and in the searching you will discover things you never believed the country could offer. Panama is still a country that has places so beautiful and so unknown that you will often find yourself laughing to yourself about the incredibly beautiful unknown place before you.
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