Located
immediately west of the province of Panama, this square-shaped territory
is the country’s No. 1 producer of salt, sugar and shrimp, but
its is now starting to flex its tourist muscle.
The region
has three, well-defined areas of potential: the Pacific coast, the
most developed, which attracts large numbers of visitors with its
two all-inclusive beach resorts; the cool mountains of the north (where
the popular resort community of El Valle is located) and the southwest
region, which has great potential for agro and cultural tourism. The
province has beautiful, but underutilized tourist destinations, such
as the Omar Torrijos National Park, considered a treasure chest for
eco-tourists, harboring dozens of species of birds, mammals and plants.
Pre-Hispanic burial site at El Caño Archaeological Museum.
The friendly,
hospitable and easy-going Coclesanos are proud of their strong cultural
background, the mixture of Spanish and Native American traditions,
demonstrated with fervor through three major annual festivals: the
Orange Fair, in Churuquita Grande (January), the Torito Guapo Festival,
in Antón (October) and the picturesque Water Carnival, in Las
Mendozas (February/March.)
Coclé
has a rich history. A prosperous Native American culture developed
in the area between 1,500 BC and 1,500 AD, the remnants of which can
be visited at El Caño Archaeological Museum, near Natá.
The town of Natá is also home to the second oldest Catholic
Church in the Western Hemisphere. After the plundering of the old
city of Panama by Sir Henry Morgan in 1671, the towns of Penonomé
and Natá briefly alternated as the seat of the country’s
colonial government.
Pre-historic, Native American
ceremonial grounds, in El Caño.
Penonomé,
the provincial capital, is a small, but growing city combining modern
amenities and country charms. It is the geographic center of the Republic
of Panama, the marker of which is located in its central plaza.
