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Panama, Panama, Panama
Greetings from Panama! My name is Marina Ehrman and I have been a professional tour guide and promoter for Panama Tourism and Travel Company since 2005. I love what I do and am proud to share what my country has to offer. It is filled with endless leisure and commercial attractions, friendly happy people who open their doors to all visitors. Panama is a country of incomparable natural beauty with a variety of tourist attractions, beautiful beaches in the Pacific and Caribbean. The tropical climate year round with its diversified flora, fauna and indigenous groups make it one of the most important of Ecotourism in Latin America. I invite you to know our country’s history, culture and also enjoy the cuisine, folklore and traditions that only a place in the world can provide………Panama! Contact me and I’ll organize your visit and will be happy to welcome you in Panama. For more information on Panama, follow my Facebook page and my blog. Visit www.panamatourismtravel.com

Penal Colony of Isla Coiba Tour



Mention Isla Coiba to the average Panamanian and treasured marine park and abundant ecosystem are probably not the image that pops into their mind.  For modern day citizens of Panama, stories of imprisonment, torture and death are more like to come to mind.
Coiba Island was Panama’s version of Devil’s Island.  From 1919 to 2004, the penal colony on Isla Coiba was home to the country’s most dangerous criminals as well as home to many who found themselves on the wrong side of the political struggle.  At its peak, The Coiba Island Prison housed 3000 inmates in about 30 camps spread around the islands.
“Los Desaparecidos” was the name given to the hundreds or even thousands who disappeared in Panama under dictators Omar Torrijos and Manuel Noriega, never to be seen again.  It is believed that many of these unfortunate individuals either ended up in unmarked graves near the Coiba’s penal colony or to have been dismembered and fed to the abundant shark population in its surrounding waters. 
After the fall of the dictatorship, Coiba resumed its role as a criminal prison camp rather than political prison.  In its final days, prisoners were the run of the mill thieves, murders and rapists serving their debt to society by farming and ranching the island to provide for their own existence.
The prison is now closed.  The prisoners have been relocated to other facilities and anything of value has been removed from the site.  The remaining structure is slowly being reclaimed by jungle and the marine air.  Its crumbling buildings and simply marked graves serve as the only memorial to Coiba’s dark history.

The fear of the prison and its inhabitants inadvertently resulted in preservation of the largest untouched rain forests in the Americas.  Because of the deterrent of the penal colony, about 80% of the islands forest remains virgin and unmolested.  A true silver lining in one of man’s most horrible moments.  Of course, with the prison gone and the supervising staff woefully under funded, Coiba’s next challenge is fending off poachers preying on the abundant wildlife of the park.

The Black Race Proudly Celebration



May, month of the black ethnicity, is enthusiastically celebrated by black civic and folkloric groups in Colón who take advantage of the time to present their culture, contributions to the nation's history, way of thinking, music and, above all, their famous cuisine

Painted Hat



In our country, men in the countryside use a type of hat commonly known as the "sombrero pintao" , or painted hat. They are usually made using natural fibers from plants such as rush, a type of reed, bellota, a type of miniature palm frond or pita, similar in appearance to the aloe vera plant, which are suitable for our climate. The dark color for the stripes is obtained from the chisná plant, whose leaves are boiled along with the fibers to be dyed. This whole process is carried out by hand, using techniques passed down from generation to generation.

The quality of these hats is defined by the number of times the fiber had to go around to make the hat, so the simplest hats have 15 or less rounds and very fine hats with 16 to 24 rounds, which are much more expensive. For example, a painted hat with 16 rounds can cost from about 150 to 500 dollars.

In the rural countryside other types of hats are made using different materials, such as the white hat in the central provinces, the reed or cream colored hat in Veraguas, Los Santos and Coclé and the hat from the spinning palm, in northern Santa Fe de Veraguas.

The hats are divided according to how they are colored, or painted. The Mosquito style has many black spots on the braids. The Blanco, also known as the "ñopito" hat is totally white, and according to the taste of the buyer, may have a small black coloring on one side of the crown. The Junco is very durable, named so because it is made naturally with rush fiber. The Pintao is one of the most popular, named not because it is made in the town of La Pintada, but because it is decorated with a combination of white and black colors.

The hat known as Pepita de Guate is woven by inserting the black bellota fiber in between the white bellota strands.

The Talco style is similar to the "pintao," but the difference is that the former has a double row of black decorative fibers instead of one. The so-called Tumba Hombre, perhaps referring to the swirling women's skirt that dizzied men, has a combination of round black spots on the base, crown and brim.
In addition to these, there are other types of hats, such as the Reatilla, Talco Plumilla and Talco Encontrado.

These hats have managed to become an important part of typical dress for male Panamanians. Our women also use them, for example when wearing the common dress of the pollera Montuna, as well as when they get dressed up to attend the cantaderas, festive singing and performing parades.
There are no protocol parameters for its use, as it can be used both as a garment for a gala occasion, and also for daily use, without disrupting the custom or folk pattern for use of the traditional hat.
The way to wear the hat and fold its brims reveals a cultural expression, as well as the mood of its user, according to the following peculiarities:

1. Fold the front and back brims of the hat: a characteristic made famous as the Pedra style of wearing the hat, which attributes the wearer to being a successful person at a stage of splendor and pleasure in his life, and also synomynous with masculine charm and fighting skills.

2. Fold only the back brim of the hat: its wearer is considered an intellectual person with vast knowledge in a certain area of science or knowledge.

3. Fold only the front brim of the hat: indicates that he who wears this style is a ladies' man, ready to conquer a woman.

3. No fold on the hat brim: no particular interpretation is ascribed to this style, which is used during outdoor work to protect from sunlight.

4. No fold, with the front part of the hat tilted forward: the person wearing it is feeling low, dismayed, distressed, and is very commonly used by those in grieving.

Visit Coiba: Granito de Oro Island

panama-coiba-island-isla-beach-playa

A small islet off the northeastern coast of Isla Coiba named Granito de Oro has emerged as one of the most popular stops for visitors interested in snorkeling the abundant waters of Coiba National Park and picnicking on one of the most pristine beaches in the world.

Its steep volcanic outcropping forms a structure which holds the beautiful white sand in place and creates a reef structure which shelters a large variety of beautiful marine life. It is the aquarium of Coiba, offering easy access to eels, turtles and large schools of fish.

Granito de Oro offers the casual snorkeler a diversity and volume of marine life that many avid scuba divers spend their lives trying to see. The waters surrounding it have been called one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world

Guided Fishing at the Panama Canal



Fishermen are always impressed by the abundance and variety of fish in Gatun Lake at the Panama Canal. This lake is home to species such as peacock bass, tarpon, snook, and many others. Since these fish are so plentiful, there are no limits or restrictions.

One of our fishing guides will take you and your party on a private guided tour of the lake and show you the best spots.

Surrounded by the peace and tranquility of lush tropical forests, this is a great tour for friends, families, or individuals to enjoy the bounties of nature that Lake Gatun Panama offers.


International Access Code to Phone Panama

How to dial Panama Tourism & Travel ?  

International Access Code to Phone Panama

To Dial internationally, you must first dial your country's special code to access international phone lines. Each country has a specific code. It doesn't matter where you are dialing around the world, to get "out" of your country you must first dial your country's international access code.

For example,

To call from the USA or Canada to Panama Tourism & Travel dial 011 first:
011 (507) 6694-11-09

How to Dial from inside Panama

From inside Panama you can call us by dialing 6694-11-09 only.

List of International Access Codes to dial any international phone number

For your convenience, here is a list of countries and their international access codes.

Country Name
IDD International Prefix
Afghanistan
00
Albania
00
Algeria
00**
American Samoa
011
Andorra
00
Angola
00
Anguilla
011
Antarctica
Antigua
011
Argentina
00
Armenia
00
Aruba
00
Ascension
00
Australia
0011 (Voice calls)
0015 (Fax calls - Telstra)
0018 (Telstra special rates)
0019 (Fax calls - Singtel Optus)
Australian External Territories
00
Austria
00
Azerbaijan
00
Bahamas
011
Bahrain
00
Bangladesh
00
Barbados
011
Barbuda
011
Belarus
8**10 ( written as 8~10)
Belgium
00
Belize
00
Benin
00
Bermuda
011
Bhutan
00
Bolivia
0010 (ENTEL)
0011
(AES COMMUNICATIONS BOLIVIA)
0012
(TELEDATA)
0013
(BOLIVIATEL)
Bosnia & Herzegovina
00
Botswana
00
Brazil
0014 (Brasil Telecom)
0015 (Telefonica)
0021 (Embratel)
0023 (Intelig)
0031 (Telemar)
British Virgin Islands
011
Brunei Darussalam
00
Bulgaria
00
Burkina Faso
00
Burundi
00
Cambodia
001
Cameroon
00
Canada
011
Cape Verde Islands
0
Cayman Islands
011
Central African Republic
00
Chad
15
Chatham Island (New Zealand)
00
Chile
00
China (PRC)
00
Christmas Island
0011 (Telstra)
Cocos-Keeling Islands
0011
Colombia
Comoros
00
Congo
00
Congo, Dem. Rep. of (former Zaire)
00
Cook Islands
00
Costa Rica
00
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
00
Croatia
00
Cuba
119
Cuba (Guantanamo Bay)
00
Curaçao
00
Cyprus
00
Czech Republic
00
95200 (Discount carrier)
Denmark
00
Diego Garcia
00
Djibouti
00
Dominica
011
Dominican Republic
011
East Timor
00
Easter Island
00
Ecuador
00
Egypt
00
El Salvador
00
144+00 Telefonica
Ellipso (Mobile Satellite service)
00
EMSAT (Mobile Satellite service)
Equatorial Guinea
00
Eritrea
00
Estonia
00
Ethiopia
00
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
00
Faroe Islands
00
Fiji Islands
00
Finland
00, 990, 994, 999
France
00 (France Telecom)
40 (TELE 2),
50 (OMNICOM)
70 (LE 7 CEGETEL),
90 (9 TELECOM)
French Antilles
00
French Guiana
00
French Polynesia
00
Gabonese Republic
00
Gambia
00
Georgia
8**10 (written as 8~10)
Germany
00
Ghana
00
Gibraltar
00
Global Mobile Satellite System (GMSS)
00
Globalstar (Mobile Satellite Service)
00
Greece
00
Greenland
00
Grenada
011
Guadeloupe
00
Guam
011
Guantanamo Bay
00
Guatemala
00
130+00 Telefonica
147-00 Telgua
Guinea-Bissau
00
Guinea
00
Guyana
001
Haiti
00
Honduras
00
Hong Kong
001-- PCCW0080 -- Hutchison
009 -- New World
Hungary
00
ICO Global (Mobile Satellite Service)
00
Iceland
00
India
00
Indonesia
001,007
017 Voice Over Internet (VOIP)
Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean - East)
00
Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean - West)
00
Inmarsat (Indian Ocean)
00
Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean)
00
Inmarsat SNAC
Note: Inmarsat plans to shift all other codes to this Single Network Access Code by 2009.
00
International Freephone Service
N/A
International Shared Cost Service (ISCS)
Iran
00
Iraq
00
Ireland
00
048 to Northern Ireland (this special arrangement is much cheaper than dialing through the UK using country code 44)
Iridium (Mobile Satellite service)
00
Israel
00 (default selected carrier, not available from public phones);
012 (Golden Lines); 013 (Barak LTD); or 014 (Bezeq LTD)
Italy
00
Jamaica
011
Japan
001 (KDD)
010 (MYLINE/MYLINE PLUS)
0061 (Cable & Wireless IDC)
0041 (Japan Telecom)
Jordan
00
Kazakhstan
8**10 ( written as 8~10)
Kenya
000
006 to Uganda
007 to Tanzania
Kiribati
00
Korea (North)
00
Korea (South)
001, 002
00700 (Speed/ SKTelecom mobiles)
Kuwait
00
Kyrgyz Republic
00
Laos
00
Latvia
00
Lebanon
00
(To dial Syria From Lebanon, you may use "02-xx-number", where xx is the area code in Syria.)
Lesotho
00
Liberia
00
Libya
00
Liechtenstein
00
Lithuania
00
Luxembourg
00
Macao
00
Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Rep of.)
00
Madagascar
00
Malawi
00
Malaysia
00
Maldives
00
Mali Republic
00
Malta
00
Marshall Islands
011
Martinique
00
Mauritania
00
Mauritius
020
Mayotte Island
00
Mexico
00
Micronesia, (Federal States of)
011
Midway Island
011
Moldova
00
Monaco
00
Mongolia
001
Montenegro
99
Montserrat
011
Morocco
00**
Mozambique
00
Myanmar
00
Namibia
00
Nauru
00
Nepal
00
Netherlands
00
Netherlands Antilles
00
Nevis
011
New Caledonia
00
New Zealand
00
Nicaragua
00
Niger
00
Nigeria
009
Niue
00
Norfolk Island
00
Northern Marianas Islands
(Saipan, Rota, & Tinian)
011
Norway
00
Oman
00
Pakistan
00
Palau
011
Palestinian Settlements
00
Panama
00 Cable & Wireless
088+00 Telecarrier
055+00 Clarocom
Papua New Guinea
05
Paraguay
002
Peru
00
Philippines
00
Poland
0**0
Portugal
00
882 Rubicon/BT "GeoVerse"
Puerto Rico
011
Qatar
00
Réunion Island
00
Romania
00 022 to Moldova (this special arrangement is much cheaper than dialing through Moldova using country code 373)
Russia
8**10 ( may be changing to 00)
Rwandese Republic
00
St. Helena
00
St. Kitts/Nevis
011
St. Lucia
011
St. Pierre & Miquelon
00
St. Vincent & Grenadines
011
Samoa
0
San Marino
00
São Tomé and Principe
00
Saudi Arabia
00
Senegal
00
Serbia
99
Seychelles Republic
00
Sierra Leone
00
Singapore
001 - Singtel IDD
002 - MobileOne IDD
008 - Starhub IDD
012 - Singtel FaxPlus (Fax over IP)
013 - Singtel BudgetCall
(Voice recommended only/Fax possible)
018 - Starhub I-Call
(Voice over IP)
019 - Singtel V019
(Voice over IP)
Slovak Republic
00
Slovenia
00
Solomon Islands
00
Somali Democratic Republic
00
South Africa
00
Spain
00
Sri Lanka
00
Sudan
00
Suriname
00
Swaziland
00
Sweden
00
Switzerland
00
Syria
00
(To dial Lebanon from Syria, you may also use ""06-xx-number"", where xx is the area code in Lebanon.)
Taiwan
002
Tajikistan
8**10 (written as 8~10)
Tanzania
000
000, 005 to Kenya
006 to Uganda
Thailand
001 (to call Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar from Thailand, dial 007-60 +Area Code)008, 009 Voice Over Internet (VOIP)
Thuraya (Mobile Satellite service)
Timor Leste
Togolese Republic
00
Tokelau
00
Tonga Islands
00
Trinidad & Tobago
011
Tunisia
00
Turkey
00
Turkmenistan
8**10 ( written as 8~10)
Turks and Caicos Islands
011
Tuvalu
00
Uganda
000
000, 005 to Kenya
007 to Tanzania
Ukraine
8**10 ( written as 8~10)
United Arab Emirates
00
United Kingdom
00 (including ISDN)
United States of America
011
US Virgin Islands
011
Universal Personal Telecommunications (UPT)
Uruguay
00
Uzbekistan
8**10 (written as 8~10)
Vanuatu
00
Vatican City
00
Venezuela
00
Vietnam
00
Wake Island
00
Wallis and Futuna Islands
19**
Yemen
00
Zambia
00
Zanzibar
000
Zimbabwe
00

New Panama Canal Administrator

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of Directors announced the appointment of engineer Jorge Luis Quijano as the new Panama Canal Administrator. Mr. Quijano will succeed Alberto Alemán Zubieta, who has been at the helm of the Canal for the past 16 years and whose term will end on September 3, 2012.

Jorge Quijano´s professional career at the Panama Canal began in 1975 and after several promotions he was appointed Maritime Operations Director in 1999. The Operations Department is the largest one within the Panama Canal and it is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure and equipment of the waterway.

Since September 2006, Quijano is the Executive Vice President of the Engineering and Programs Management Department in charge of the Panama Canal Expansion Program. He heads a group of about 500 professionals which is specifically responsible for contracting and managing the Locks Design and Construction contract, the Atlantic and Pacific entrance channels dredging contracts, the contracting of four dry excavation contracts to create a new 6.1 kilometer inland channel in the Pacific end of the Canal, the Lake level dredging to be performed by ACP´s workforce and other smaller contracts. As such, Quijano leads an integrated program management team made up of a consultant and ACP’s own professionals who have the responsibility to direct the execution of the entire Expansion Program.

FAQ: What’s the basis for the Panama’s economy?

Panama is a primarily service-based economy. Services include the Panama Canal, logistical services, tourism, the largest free trade zone in the Americas, and an international banking center with over 100 banks. Because of the high quality of life, many companies are making their Latin American corporate headquarters in Panama. There are also tax incentives and special economic zones for businesses and corporate headquarters.

Bananas, shrimp and coffee are the major agricultural exports.

FAQ : Is Panama a typical Latin American country? What’s the Ethnic makeup?

Panama is not typical at all. Don’t expect to see mainly the typical mestizo (descendants of a combination of Spanish and Indian) population like in the rest of Latin America. There's saying that Panama was "born globalized." The population of 3.3million people has diverse origins: Spanish descendants, blacks (brought in from the Caribbean to build the Canal), indigenous cultures, and important immigrant populations from North America, Europe, China, India and Middle East.

Of special note and a a tourism attraction are the are seven living Indian cultures: Gunas in the Guna Yala Islands on the Caribbean, Embera and Wounaan in the province of Darien, Ngobe Bugle in the provinces of Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro & Veraguas; and Teribes & Bokotas in Bocas del Toro province.