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Destination content © William Friar, used from Moon Handbooks Panama, 1st edition.

The province of Los Santos

Here you can find the place where our independence started. Our folklore is lived here with the most enthusiasm and care. You can find events such as el Festival de la Mejorana, Festival de la Pollera, Festival de Corpus Christi y al Feria Nacional de Azuero.

Los Santos, traditionally considered the center of Panama's Spanish folkloric heritiage, may also offer the country's best beach experiences. It has a long dry season (December through May) and provides a nice counterpoint to the more popular Bocas del Toro region (which tends to be quite rainy those months).  The best beaches are at the very southern tip of the province (Pedasi, Playa Venado), which area is also home to one of the country's most dramatic natural phenomonon each October, when thousands of sea turtles nest in Isla Canas.  The February Carnival is the province's most famous event, drawing thousands to the charming town of Las Tablas for a week-long drink fest.

A province that predominantly dedicates itself to agriculture and cattle. It has a lot of colonial history and like many central provinces you will certainly find nice churches on the town square dating back to the colonial and early republican times.

While in Los Santos treat yourself to a hearty breakfast with Queso Prensado (a delicious cheese) and Rosquitas (a crunchy bread shaped like a ring). For lunch and dinner try typical panamanian dishes (Sancocho!). Go to the beach and have some fresh seafood served with "Patacones" (fried plaintain).

Iglesia de San Atanasio

La Villa's church, sometimes spelled Iglesia de San Atanacio, was declared a national monument in 1938, though what's inside is more impressive than the building itself. It has a huge main altar, an ornate wooden affair in gold and blue, that was erected in 1733. That makes it older than the current church, whose beginnings date from 1773. The altar and other fixtures were undergoing a major restoration when I last visited, and from the looks of things work may well be continuing when you visit. Even if the church hasn't officially reopened, though, it may be possible to slip inside and watch the restorers at work, which is interesting in itself. Among the church's other features is a tall, fantastically ornate archway, also erected in 1733, that is covered with gold arabesques and splashes of reds and blues. It looks almost Chinese. The church is in the center of town, next to the plaza.

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