Activities start tonight:

Carnival in Panama City is a Tradition that dates back to 1910. Photo: Rubén Flores Ulloa. (rubenphotos@hotmail.com)

Attention Carnival afficionados! All activities planned in Panama City will take place along Vía España and not on Avenida Balboa as it was previously announced. The big party starts tonight, Friday February 25th and ends during the small hours of Ash Wednesday.

According to Mingthoy Giro, president of the Panama City Carnival Board, an important change this year is the establishment of a "culecódromo" (in Panamanian parlance, "culecos" are outdoor parties in which participants jump and dance as they are doused by water trucks. Thus, "a culecódromo" is a venue especially designed for such activity) allowing all activities to take place in a single location. The "jumping, wetting and dancing" will take place between 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., followed by day-time parades presided by "Her Majesty" Sorangel Matos Arce and her court of beautiful princesses. The parade, contrary to years past, will take place during daylight hours, for the enjoyment of people of all ages.

Carnival on Vía España. The city's main thoroughfare runs along the banking and hotel district.

A string of famous Panamanian and international singers and DJs, mainly tropical music stars, are listed to offer concerts during Carnival, including Eddie Herrera, Gilberto Santarosa, Olga Tañon, Kriz y Angel, Nikki Jam, Comando Tiburón Los Rabanes, Os Almirantes, Iván Barrios, Erika Ender , and La K'shamba Capitán Ponche. These concerts will be held at night time, until 11:00 p.m., although party lovers may continue dancing on the streets until the small hours.

A number of international TV and cable networks will cover the event, including Univisión, TV Novelas, Canal de las Estrellas as well as a gruop of Venezuelan TV stations.

Carnival in Panama City reflects the Caribbean, tropical heritage of its people –contrasting with the folklore nature of the festivity in the interior provinces. Although thousands of Panamanian party enthusiasts leave the city for Carnival "hot spots" like Las Tablas, Chitré or Penonomé, not a few stay in town to enjoy the fiesta, which ends on Ash Wednesday with a strange ceremony known as the "Burial of the Sardine", in which thousands flock to the beaches to say "good bye" to earthly pleasures in preparation for Lent.

Nation wide festival of Carnival

Beauty on Vía España. Photo: Rubén Flores Ulloa. (rubenphotos@hotmail.com)

Carnival is an excellent time to see the entire nation enjoying itself with colorful parades, dancing and all sorts of entertainment activities. Visitors are always welcome, providing they share the same youthful, wild and adventurous spirit their hosts exhibit during this time of the year.

The color and beauty of the nightly parades in each town, combined with the folklore manifestations of the festival in the provinces, are definitely worth seeing.

The following are a few tips which will help you enjoy or survive this nation-wide festival:

Lodging
If you are planning to visit a Carnival "hot spot" in the country please note that most hotels in the provinces will be full, some with reservations booked a year in advance. Therefore, it is best to plan day-long tours, leaving early in the morning and returning in the evening. Most Carnival locations are within a 3-4 hours’ drive from Panama City.

Traveling by bus/plane
A large percentage of Carnival travelers uses the inter-provincial bus service, provided by large, air-conditioned units. Buses depart from Gran Terminal de Transporte, a large, modern facility featuring waiting rooms, showers, stores, pharmacies and ATMs. Keep an eye on your luggage. The terminal will be crowded 24-hours a day.

The adjacent Marcos A. Gelabert domestic airport is also expected to see an increase in passenger flights during this time.

Traveling by car
Expect heavy traffic on the Pan-American Highway, the Trans-Isthmian Highway and inter-provincial roads. West-bound drivers can now use the Centennial Bridge, which links eastern Panama City with the town of La Chorrera in 25 minutes. Since it is possible to see drivers in "fiesta mode" it is best to travel during daylight hours. Lock your car doors properly and remove all valuable items from sight.

Dress comfortably
Dress in a "tropical" manner (shorts, sandals, T-shirts.) Visitors near Carnival areas can expect to be "showered" at "mojaderas", so bathing suits are also advisable. If you are not into this "play", keep your car windows up at all times. Don't forget your sun screen and shades.

Emergencies
The Civil Protection System and the Red Cross will have tents and special posts all along the Pan-American Highway. Medical facilities are adequate in major towns.