Los Santos Province Travel Guides | Panama's Folkloric Capital

Los Santos Province has beautiful beaches and delightful people, but its real strength lies in throwing a great party. Get down at the Carnaval in Las Tablas or the Corpus Christi bash in Villa de Los Santos, then recover with thousands of sea turtles at Isla de Cañas. Much like neighboring Herrera Province, Los Santos is centered on the Península de Azuero and is often thought of as the heart and soul of the country. Generations ago, it was here that Panama's cry for independence was first uttered, yet the residents of 'The Saints' Province take great pride in their Spanish history and showcase it in folkloric festivals that date back to the first settlers. Coverage includes: Villa de Los Santos, Playas Monagre and El Rompío, Guararé, La Enea, Las Tablas, Pedasí and around, Macaracas.

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The Azuero is inevitably called Panama's "heartland," a designation that tends to exclude the country's widely scattered indigenous populations, not to mention, for instance, those of African descent. If asked, many of these peoples would say their hearts belong to other parts of Panama. Still, the peninsula occupies an important, almost mythological, place in the Panamanian psyche. It is the wellspring of Panama's favorite folkloric traditions, many of which originated in Spain but have taken on a uniquely Panamanian form. Most of all, the Azuero is known for its festivals. It has the biggest and best in the country, from all-night bacchanals to sober religious rituals. At the top of the heap is Carnaval, held during the four days leading up to Ash Wednesday.

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Entering the Azuero Peninsula past Divisa, you'll feel as if you turned your watch back a hundred years. The Azuero Peninsula is considered the cradle of Panamanian folklore and rural culture, passed down from Spanish colonists who settled here during the 17th and 18th centuries. The region is dotted with terra-cotta-tile-and-gingerbread representations of early Spanish villas, and everything is very, very slowly paced -- except when residents join together for the raucous festivities for which this region is famous. Nowhere in Panama is Carnaval celebrated with as much gusto as it is here in the Azuero, especially in towns such as Las Tablas and Chitré; and religious festivals honoring saints are livened with fireworks, music, and costumed folkloric dances that are as pagan as they are Catholic.

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