Can you keep a secret? One of the
best-kept secrets in the world of travel is ... Panama.
What does Panama have besides the canal, those funny hats, and the legacy of
United States intervention? To begin with, Panama can boast 1518 islands,
many of which are uninhabited; close to 500 rivers, including 2 that offer
some of the best rapids to come on the scene in many years; unparalleled
biodiversity; two mountain ranges; pristine stretches of rain forest; and
much more. Panama has been given the highest tourist safety rating by the
Pinkerton Intelligence Agency—the same rating given to the United States.
Ninety-five percent of the tap water is drinkable. But best of all: almost
no one knows about it.
Ecotourism and Panama
Suzanne Murray of Philadelphia accurately summed up the Panama phenomenon:
“When my husband and I went to Panama for a recent vacation (at his behest),
all I associated with Panama was the
Panama Canal and the U.S. invasion to
capture Manuel Noriega back in the 80s. The real, live Panama that unfolded
before my eyes was surprisingly delightful!” In fact, Murray and her husband were so taken with Panama that “although we
originally had plans to make it to Costa Rica, Panama won our hearts and we
never made it."
Cascade along the Río Chiriquí Viejo
(B. Gourley)
Panama’s rich natural landscape and relative obscurity make it a perfect
destination for a relatively new breed of health-minded tourist: the
ecotourist.
You may have an easier time cataloging Panama’s bird species—currently
estimated at 940—than you will getting people to agree on an exact
definition of ecotourism.
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines the term to mean
"responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and
improves the well-being of local people." According to TIES, travel that
falls under the rubric of ecotourism strives to: minimize impact; build
environmental and cultural awareness and respect; provide positive
experiences for both visitors and hosts; provide direct financial benefits
for conservation; provide financial benefits and empowerment for local
people; raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and
social climate; and support international human rights and labor agreements.
View from the Chiriquí
Highlands (B. Gourley)
However, the term “ecotourism” is often
misused.
Brian Gourley is the owner and operator of
No Mondays Tours, an ecotourism
company that currently leads tours to Panama. According to Gourley, “people
have begun to realize that eco- often equals dollars. A lot of locals and
tour operators will simply stick the eco- prefix in front of their name and
assume that they will attract environmentally conscious travelers.”
The better practice, advises Gourley, is to
ask pointed questions of the operators advertising themselves as
environmentally and socially responsible. It is also a good idea to check
the TIES website to see if the “ecotourism” outfit in which you are
interested is a member of TIES. This is obviously not a foolproof method,
but it does help point to the outfit’s commitment to ecotourism.
Gourley also warned against confusing
ecotourism with other types of travel. "A lot of people think that
ecotourism means adventure travel. They assume that an ecotour means
grueling physical activity and a bunch of gross health food,” he explained.
"But at bottom, ecotourism is more a philosophical mind-set than a set of
activities."
Opportunities for the Ecotourist
in Panama
Here is a non-exhaustive list of activities you can look forward to enjoying
on an ecotour in Panama:
-
Parque Nacional de Soberanía. 22,000 hecatare park of pristine forest. Contains Pipeline Road, arguably the
best birding trail in Panama. Also in the park: Canopy Tower, which
affords guests and visitors the opportunity to view wildlife from the
well-placed observation deck.
-
Barro Colorado Island. Administered by
the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, travelers are allowed short
day hikes to this extraordinary bit of biodiversity. On the island alone,
researchers have catalogued more tree species than in all of Europe.
-
Parque Nacional Isla de Coiba. What’s not
to love? World class diving, deep-sea fishing, and an active penal colony.
-
Playa Santa Catalina. Said to be the best
surfing in Panama.
-
Parque Internacional la Amistad. Park
located in both Costa Rica and Panama that was designated a World Heritage
Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) in 1990.
-
Parque Nacional Volcán Barú. Offers
hikes to Panama’s highest point, the site of a now dormant volcano. At
3,478 meters, the rumor is you can see both coasts on a clear day (but
there’s never a clear day).
-
Río Chiriquí and Río Chiriquí Viejo. Two
rivers in the Chiriquí province that are the only rivers offering
commercial rafting and kayaking runs. Features everything from Class ½ to
Class 5.
-
Parque Nacional Darién. In a truly
untamed region, this park cannot be reached over the Panamanian ground,
unless you are on foot. Most people access this remote park on the
Colombian border by boat or plane. Features a greater variety of
ecosystems than any other place in tropical America and a spectacular
range of wildlife including jaguars, ocelots, pumas margays jaguarundi,
giant anteaters. Not to mention hundreds of bird species.
Comarca de Kuna Yala
Each province of Panama offers myriad opportunities for ecotourists. However, one of the provinces that uniquely illustrates the
difference between ecotourism and ordinary sightseeing–and the extraordinary
potential of Panama as an ecotourism destination–is the Comarca de Kuna Yala.
The Comarca de Kuna Yala, which is
sometimes referred to by the outdated colonial name “San Blás Islands,” is
the territory of the autonomous Kuna Yala Indians. The Kuna Yala, who
successfully battled Panama for their independence in 1925, have struggled
fiercely to retain not only their independence but also their cultural
identity.
Kayaking
in the Kuna Yala Archipelago (B. Gourley)
To this day, the Kuna dress is much the
same as it has been for centuries. There are hundreds of islands in the Kuna Yala Archipelago, yet
only forty of those are inhabited in any meaningful sense of the term. No
foreigners are allowed to own property anywhere in the territory.
This unique blend of political independence, cultural stewardship, and
untouched natural beauty has attracted tourists to the Kuna for many years.
Yet there are several crucial differences in the way tourists behave toward
the Kuna.
Gourley explained that the cruise ships that travel to the Kuna Yala
Archipelago usually stop only briefly. “They just let people out to shop
like cattle. No one really gets to see the Kuna culture. Instead, the
tourists just gawk and take pictures.” In fact, Gourley, explained, one Kuna
Yala official grew so fed up with the photo-happy tourists that he was moved
to say, “No somos animales.” (“We are not animals”).
Even more troublesome, Gourley pointed out, are the tour operators who tout
themselves as conscientious operators yet fail to adhere to even the most
basic ecotourism precepts.
“A lot of the same people who claim to honor local cultures don’t even seek
the permission of local chiefs before venturing out into the waters the
chiefs control,” Gourley noted. “We are always certain to obtain permission,
and we also spend some time actually sharing in Kuna activities such as
birth rite ceremonies and the telling of folk tales.”
If you think a socially and environmentally
responsible foray into a land of unparalleled and untouched beauty might be
for you, consider looking for an ecotourism operator who goes to the Comarca
de Kuna Yala or any other part of Panama. If nothing else, your operator may
be able to help you narrow down your choices—because once you learn all
Panama has to offer, you will be hard-pressed to decide for yourself.
Audrey Knight
is an attorney and freelance author who lives in Austin, Texas. Her work has
appeared in The Review of Litigation and some boring legal education
courses. She will have an article published by The Bicycle Exchange in
January. A self-described exercise nut, Audrey keeps herself healthy with a
regimen of running, cycling, swimming, and red-wine-drinking.
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