A "Dirty Devil" -- a traditional Corpus Christi icon.

Some of the most vivid folklore performances of the season can be enjoyed in the town of La Villa, province of Los Santos, during the Corpus Christi festival, scheduled May 19-June 5.

The celebration, which dates back to medieval Spain, is a mixture of the religious fervor of the Roman Catholic faith and native traditions, both of which are strong in the Azuero Peninsula (the provinces of Herrera and Los Santos). The combination results in ten days of color, dances and humor, best represented by the diablicos sucios (dirty devils), odd-looking characters depicting the triumph of evil following the death of Christ.

The religious element of Corpus Christi starts on May 21 with a mass known as "Cuarteo del Sol". The highlight of the religious part, however, takes place May 26 with the Corpus Christi mass, which signals the beginning of the dance performances at the town's main square.

Visitors are especially encouraged to attend the festivities on Tourism Day (June 4), which will feature, dances and recreational activities for all ages. Activities formally conclude with Women's Day (June 5), on which the ladies of La Villa, dressed in costume, will harrass and scare visitors throughout town.

Accommodations in La Villa, which is a three-and-a-half hour drive from Panama City, are few, but the town is only a bridge away from Chitré, the largest city in the Azuero region, where most hotels are located.

An excellent bus service departs to Chitré, La Villa and most towns of Azuero from the National Bus Terminal, located in Albrook. Visitors can also fly into Chitré on daily, scheduled flights departing from Marcos A. Gelabert Airport, also located in Albrook.

A lot has been said and written about the town of Boquete, in the westernmost province of Chiriquí since it was declared "the best foreign city for North American retirees" by U.S. magazine International Living a couple of years ago. While many, primarily in Panama's tourism industry, welcomed the new influx of foreigners with open arms, others, especially some realtors and their clients, expressed their concern about a possible, abrupt rise in land prices.

The truth, according to Kiersten Van Horn, sales manager of Rhino Panama Real Estate, is that there is still a lot of space in Boquete and surrounding area at excellent prices.

Van Horn --herself a recent immigrant-- told The Visitor that, although many foreigners have purchased properties at formal, upscale developments like Valle Escondido, the trend among most expats is to acquire land. "Most of Boquete's real estate comprises large extents of cow pastures" --a very profitable business both for the buyers as well as for many small local tenants who are seeking fresh cash.

Although prices in Boquete have obviously risen (a property on Boquete's main street could be apprised at $250 per square meter), an undeveloped property a couple of kilometers away can easily cost between $10 and $20 per square meters, and in the case of large farms, prices could be as cheap as less than $1.00 per square meter.

Valle Escondido, Boquete. Over 2000 building permits were issued in this Chiriquí mountain town last year.

Contrary to what some people think, the majority of Boquete's foreign property buyers are middle-class babyboomers who seek to build or buy small quarters instead of huge, luxurious mansions. "One needs to remember that more often than not, they are retired couples with grown children who spend only half-a-year in Panama", said Van Horne.

At any rate, there is no doubt that Boquete is experiencing a boom, fueled by a strong international promotion by Panamanian and foreign companies, the town's pastoral environment and its excellent, year-round, spring-like weather. Approximately 500 expats currently live in this town of 20,000 souls nestled on the eastern slope of Volcán Barú, Panama´s highest peak. And their influence in Boquete society is being felt. They are opening new restaurants, hotels and bed-&-breakfasts and tour companies --a fact that entails even more construction work in and around the quaint mountain community. "Over 2,000 building permits were issued in town last year", said Van Horn.

But, if for any reason those considering moving to Boquete think the trend could lead to "claustrophobia", there is good news. According to Van Horn, other nearby cool-weather mountain areas are just starting to be "discovered", such as Volcán (Panama´s highest city), Cerro Punta, Puerto Ríos and Dolega.