Panama holidays: The emerging destination hoping to become the next Costa Rica
I am standing on a tiny island, roughly the size of a tennis court. In the centre is a solitary palm and the only beach furniture is bleached-out driftwood. Theres no one else around this is my very owndesert-island playground.
This islands only five years old, it hasnt even got a name yet, saysmy guide, Gilberto, as he hands me a mask and snorkel. And that one over there only appeared a year ago.
It seems that Panama is growing its own pristine holiday destinations of tomorrow in the form of the ever-expanding San Blasarchipelago.
Simple life: The San Blas archipelago is controlled by the Kuna people who are ensuring it does not become overdeveloped
The multiplying islands phenomenon is caused by ocean currents moving material and building up low-lying sand cayes, according to British Geological Survey marine geologist Professor Tappin, ensuring a steady stream of newly-created desert islands to explore.
The 378 (and counting) cayes lie off the countrys Caribbean coast and only 49 are inhabited.With just a handful of hotels and sporadic transport connections, few have made it onto the tourist trail... yet.
Inky patches of reef lie so near to the shore, it only takes a few strides into the calm waters to reach a forest of coral, which is alive with neon fish. And the islands are dotted so close to each other that it is possible to hop between them on a little wooden motorboat.
Tradition: The Kuna weave and sell fabric and own all the local businesses
The San Blas islands are also known as Kuna Yala and form part of an autonomous province of Panama, governed by the indigenous Kuna people. Gilberto is Kuna born in the area but raised near the Panama Canal, where his grandfather worked, he returns regularly.
I prefer life here, he says. Its peaceful, no stress, no traffic. Its about nature.
And thats how the Kuna intend it to remain. They have banned outside investment in the islands, all local businesses are Kuna owned and jet-skis are prohibited after one knocked awoman and child from their canoe.
If the San Blas islands are going to become a popular tourist destination, the Kuna are going to do it their way, without the interference of enormous foreign companies.
In the afternoon, Gilberto takes us to the larger Corbisky island, home to 200 Kuna, where a five-day comingof age ceremony is taking place for a local teenage girl.
Shes nowhere in sight, but the village men gather around a fire, singing, while women heat vast cauldrons of plantain and yam. A group of Kuna ladies are selling molas, the bright embroidered squares of fabric they use to decorate their blouses.
It is through local businesses like these that the communities are supporting themselves, everything is on a small, manageable scale.
Natural delights: Soberania National Park is perfect for birdwatchers and nature-lovers
While Panamas Bocas del Toro archipelago, further west, offers better-organised island life, with everything from trekking and surfing to bars and spas, there is a real feeling of being among the first to discover San! Blas. < br>
Reached by a 20-seater propeller plane from the mainlands Albrook airport, flight times are changeable and accommodation on the islands is certainly unique.
Local flavour: Laura tries ceviche, a dish involving fresh fish marinated in lime juice and chile
My room at Yandup Lodge on Yandup Island is a spacious palm-roofed palapa on stilts over the ocean, not unlike the pictures you see of luxurious five-star resorts in the Maldives, but mine is more authentically rustic - and quite a bit cheaper.
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Natural beauty is one of Panama's main selling points. Beyond the watery delights to be found at the Bocas del Toro and San Blas archipelagos, the mountainous province of Chiriqui boasts coffee plantations, orange groves and the picturesque town of Boquete, on the slopes of the dormant Volcan Baru.
There are also swathes of rainforestto explore. Just 40 minutes away from Panama City, I take an open cablecar above the lush canopy of the Soberania National Park. Starting at the luxury Gamboa Rainforest Resort, the ride is a birdwatchers dream, with yellow-billed toucans flying from treetop to treetop.
Likeneighbouring Costa Rica, Panama is a great eco destination, but unlike its northern competition, in ! Panama t he major tourist crowds are yet to descend.
Inthe capital itself, which is well established as a business hub thanks to its proximity to the country's famous canal, Donald Trumps new sail-shaped Ocean Club hotel and apartment complex dominates a glinting skyscraper jungle.
But the city is increasingly keen to show off its cultural heart too. Across the marina from the commercial district is the Casco Viejo, or old town. Built by the Spanish in 1673 it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is undergoing a major facelift, buildings are being spruced and streets tidied.
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Anemerging boutique hotel scene has already put the old town on the discerning travellers map. Bond star Daniel Craig stayed at stunning Canal House a beautifully discreet restored 19th century mansion with just three rooms - while filming for Quantum of Solace.
Vintage clothes shops, galleries and caf-lined squares blend with fruit stalls, street barbecues, toffee-apple sellers and crumbling grand facades.
Street food: The city is full of locals selling treats for children and visitors to try
I queue with school children to buy bags of delicious green mango doused with vinegar, salt and pepper (surpr! isingly tasty), try on a few Panama hats - well, when in Rome - then head down to the vibrant fish market, where pint pots of fresh ceviche (fresh fish marinated in lime) go for just a couple of dollars.
But of course, no visit to Panama is complete without a trip to the famous canal that prompted the country's independence movement, made it famous throughout the world and caused decades of friction with former waterway owners, the U.S.
Just 20 minutes from the capital, enormous cargo ships ply their trade and epic tales of death and disease during the waterway's construction (more than 25,000 workers lost their lives) abound. But despite its somewhat troubled past, the pride in which it is still held nationally make the canal a surprisingly atmospheric addition to my trip.
Linking the Pacific and Caribbean, Panama resumed control of the canal from America in 1999 and it now earns the country $6 million a day. An extension is due to open in 2014 and a sense of noble endeavour still pervades.
Admiring crowds cram onto the viewing platform to watch a huge ferry piled high with containers edging through. As the warm afternoon rain comes down, there is a respectful hush as the crowds wave to the crew.
Eventually I decamp to a drier look-out: the panoramic Miraflores lock restaurant, where yet more fresh fish and a dessert table groaning with creamy gateaux entice well-to-do Panamanians for lunch and dinner.
Its time to raise a glass of crisp, cold Chilean Sauvignon Blanc to a fascinating trip, and one of Latin Americas most exciting new destinations.
Travel Facts
Continental Airlines (www.continental.com) flies to Panama from London via North America from 670 return.
KLM (www.klm.com / 0871 231 0000) now has daily flights from London via Amsterdam from 594 return.
For a range of holiday packages,! visit < a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.panamatravelgroup.com/">www.panamatravelgroup.com.
For more information on Latin American holiday destinations, visit www.lata.org
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