We'd heard of Panama from books and documentaries mainly focusing on the Panama Canal but more recently Panama had come up amongst friends who had visited during their VISA runs from Costa Rica.

After living in Costa Rica for six months we both knew it was not what we were looking for and had been tossing around the idea of going to neighboring Nicaragua to see what it had to offer. It was on that discovery trip to Nicaragua and during a brief conversation with the Italian owners of the hotel, that put us on a new path… a path less traveled… to Panama. The Azuero Peninsula in Panama had been described to us as an oceanic paradise set amongst rolling hills and flatlands. Many say it resembles Tuscany. Based on what we had seen and heard we both knew we have to visit the Azuero and see first hand for ourselves. My first impression of the Azuero Peninsula could be summed up in one word, charming. Clay tiled roofs topped brightly colored homes with wrap around porches lined with rockers. I couldn't help but notice the multitude of hammocks strewn throughout every house and seemingly occupied at all times of the day. Exotic birds sang amongst banana, mango, papaya and coconut trees - a continual reminder that we were in a tropical paradise. In the morning, men dawning straw hats and the traditional white shirts with machete in hand would canter off on their horses to work the fields for the day. In the Azuero Peninsula the preferred method of transportation is horse and bicycle over swanky sedans. You can leave your watch at home as there is no concept of time in these lands. Everything seems to move with a slow, purposeful intent. Parts of the Azuero Peninsula are still very isolated however the new highway that connects with the Panamerican at Divisa has opened up a lot of the Eastern areas of the Azuero Peninsula. Yet despite the influx of foreigners over the past few years I still felt as though I had stepped back in time. The Azuero Peninsula has been inhabited for thousands of years, settled by Spaniards in the 16th C and it has maintained a lot of the colonial traditions. The Azuero's economy is based on agriculture but is also known for its many traditional festivals and handicrafts as well as excellent beaches. The Azuero Peninsula is the origin of the Tipico Music and is also where the greatest fiestas take place. It is said that outside of Rio nobody celebrates Carnivale like the Azuero and nobody is more passionate about their festivals than the people from the Azuero Peninsula. We stationed ourselves in a quaint fishing town, called Pedasi, and located about 80km south of Chitre which is the largest city in the Azuero Peninsula. Pedasi is surrounded by vast expanses of beaches that one can walk for miles, where one beach ends another begins. We even gave surfing a try at the world class surfing beach of Playa Venao, where international competitions are often held. A short boat ride from Pedasi lands you on the white sand beaches of Isla Iguana, renowned for its diving and snorkeling. Often dolphins and whales are spotted on the boat ride out. A bit further down from Pedasi on the southern tip of the Azuero Peninsula is Isla Canas, an important turtles nesting ground can be visited to see one of the four different types of sea turtles, including the leatherback. The people of the Azuero Peninsula are some of the kindest and friendliest people we had ever met. Always helpful and willing to lend a hand - we learned first hand after our truck broke down in the midst of a thunderstorm! This was exactly the type of place we were looking for and after a few short weeks in the Azuero Peninsula we decided to make Pedasi our home. Since relocating to Pedasi we have not looked back. If you are looking for peace and tranquility - this is the place for you.

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