Located
in the heart of the Republic, the province of Veraguas is a vast territory
filled with numerous, yet-to-be-discovered tourist attractions.
Although
it is the only Panamanian province with coasts on both oceans, its
forested Caribbean coast is as pristine as when Christopher Columbus
visited the area more than 500 years ago, dotted by little Indian
villages. Its Pacific coast, on the other hand, offers some of the
best surfing beaches in Latin America, most of which are usually deserted.
The
baroque-style altar of San Francisco de la Montaña church,
province of Veraguas. |
A rich
farming and cattle region, Veraguas also has a thriving city, Santiago,
which offers a growing number of small, but good hotels, banks, shopping
centers and medical facilities –a true mixture of town activity
and country spirit. Situated on a coastal plain in the south-central
region of the province, Santiago is a half-way stop between Panama
City (three hours to the east) and the Costa Rican border (four hours
to the west). The city can be used as a base to discover the following
attractions:
Atalaya:
Located only 10 minutes from Santiago, the small community of Atalaya
is the home of the San Judas Tadeo church, an 18th century structure
with an image of Jesus Christ, "El Cristo de Atalaya", one
of the most revered patron saints in the country, honored with an
annual pilgrimage between February and March.
San Francisco
de la Montaña: The mountains of Veraguas, which are part of
the Central Cordillera, has more cool-weather locations than the "beaten
path" highlands of the province of Chiriquí. In some areas,
temperatures fall as low as 50 F. The best known mountain area of
Veraguas is the small community of San Francisco de la Montaña,
located 18 km north of downtown Santiago. The town’s main attraction
is its 19th-century baroque-style church, which is currently under
restoration.
