Hearing the word Panama everyone immediately thinks of the famous Panama Canel that connects the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean, and maybe some remember Janosch's story "The Trip to Panama” from childhood days. Anyway, the small country between Colombia and Costa Rica, between the Pacific and the Caribbean is worth a trip for many reasons!

The Panama Canal and the banking sector are undoubtedly the largest and most important sources of income for this beautiful country, but tourism has also been growing considerably for some time now. The beautiful national parks, which protect the local flora and fauna, are home for a variety of exotic mammals such as coati, peccaries, tapirs and a wide variety of monkeys, as well as reptiles, birds and insects. The parks are very popular among visitors.

Panama has an area of only about 75,517 km2, (29157 square miles) but a coastline of 2,490 km (1547 miles). The country is divided into nine provinces and five indigenous regions. Each province stands out with its own cultural traditions - music, dances, clothing and cuisine. Around 4 million people live in the small serpentine-like country, that connects Central and South America, 810,000 of whom live in the capital, Panama City.

The “Pañameños” proudly describe their country as the “bridge of the world” and “heart of the universe” - so they obviously do not lack self-confidence.
The population of Panama is an astonishing mixture - on the one hand there are the indigenous people and on the other hand immigrants from China, the West Indies, Spain, descendants of slaves abducted from Africa, immigrants from the Middle East, Switzerland and North America all merged in Panama and influenced its culture.
The official language is Spanish due to the colonial past, but in some areas indigenous languages are still spoken and on the Caribbean coast you can hear "Patois", a Creole language with English roots.
The Panameños are warm and friendly hosts who like to party extensively, and many are absolutely crazy for baseball. They like to show guests their sights and their amazing cuisine - given the influences of so many different cultures, it is no wonder that very interesting fusion dishes are on the table in Panama.

Panama has a tropical climate, with a dry season from December to April and a rainy season from May to November. The climate varies depending on the region and altitude. On the coasts, temperatures can reach up to 35 °C. However, it can rain all year round on the Caribbean coast, while the Pacific coast has a drier climate. The Azuero peninsula has an extremely dry climate, whereas it rains a lot in the mountains during the rainy season. March and April are the warmest months of the year, but the “colder” months also offer pleasant travel weather.
Panama is still an insider tip among travellers and is definitely the right place for an unforgettable and very special stay abroad!

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