Must-see attractions in Península de Azuero

  • Taller Dario López

    Península de Azuero

    One of Panama's top artisans, Dario López has been making colorful masks for folkloric dancers since the 1960s. These days most of his masks and satin…

  • Iglesia San Atanasio

    Península de Azuero

    On the east side of Plaza Simón Bolívar, this national treasure was consecrated in 1782, although the foundation stone had been laid more than two…

  • Isla Cañas

    Península de Azuero

    Isla Cañas is one of a handful of places that olive ridley sea turtles nest in high numbers (the others are two beaches on the Pacific side of Costa Rica…

  • Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla Iguana

    Península de Azuero

    This 53-hectare reserve is centered on a deserted island ringed by corals. The water is shallow enough for snorkeling and, as elsewhere in the Pacific,…

  • Museo de Herrera Fabio Rodriquez

    Península de Azuero

    This small museum, housed in a lovely two-story colonial building, contains many well-preserved pieces of pottery dating from 5000 BC until the Spanish…

  • Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán

    Península de Azuero

    This 18th-century churrigueresque (an ornate Spanish baroque style) church has some lovely carvings; check out the pulpit and the retablo (altarpiece). It…

  • Museo de la Nacionalidad

    Península de Azuero

    This modest museum, on the north side of Plaza Simón Bolívar, occupies the former house where Panama’s Declaration of Independence was signed in 1821. Pre…

  • Taller Carlos Ivan de Leon

    Península de Azuero

    Master mask-maker Carlos Ivan de Leon creates the most elaborate and frightening masks in Panama at his house just after Calle Segundo Villareal. He…

  • Varela Hermanos

    Península de Azuero

    At the Hacienda San Isidro near Pesé, 23km southwest of Chitré, Varela Hermanos, the country's largest seco (alcoholic drink made from sugarcane)…

  • Iglesia Santa Librada

    Península de Azuero

    The walls and base of the pulpit in this baroque-style church on Parque Belisario Porras are original, as are the painted faces of cherubs on the ornate…

  • Parque Nacional Sarigua

    Península de Azuero

    Some 26km northwest of central Chitré, Parque Nacional Sarigua is arguably the most important pre-Columbian site in Panama. The archaeological site has…

  • Refugio de Vida Silvestre Cenegón del Mangle

    Península de Azuero

    This 776-hectare refuge about 25km north of Chitré protects a mangrove forest at the mouth of the Río Santa María. It's an important wildlife area and…

  • Playa El Agallito

    Península de Azuero

    Playa El Agallito is a mudflat created by silt deposited by the Río Parita and the Río La Villa, 9km north of Chitré. At low tide, it stretches more than…

  • Museo Belisario Porras

    Península de Azuero

    South of the main square is the former home of three-time president Belisario Porras, during whose administration the Panama Canal opened. The museum…

  • Museo Casa de Manuel F Zárate

    Península de Azuero

    Set in the former residence of Manuel F Zárate, the folklorist devoted to conserving the traditions of the Azuero region, this museum is a good…

  • Ceramica Hermanos Calderón

    Península de Azuero

    Ceramica Hermanos Calderón is where you can buy traditional painted ceramics at wholesale prices. These pieces are made on the premises in a workshop…

  • Catedral San Juan Bautista

    Península de Azuero

    Unlike many cathedrals that impress through ostentation, this 18th-century number is striking for its elegant simplicity and fine balance of gold and wood…