Panamá Province
The nondescript town of Campana, located 65km from Panama City, is home to this famous cheese shop, an institution that few Panamanian drivers can pass by without stopping in. It’s a simple shop that usually sells fresh cheese (string, mozzarella, farmers, ricotta) and homemade meat and fruit empanadas (turnovers).
The cheese shop is right next door to a large parking lot on the right-hand side of the road, if you’re heading west from Panama City.
25.92 MILES
Celebrating Panama as the land bridge that has permitted astonishing biodiversity in the region, this world-class museum is a visual feast. Exhibits tell…
27.01 MILES
This wonderful privately owned museum features the best collection of Panamanian art anywhere, an excellent collection of works on paper by Latin American…
25.87 MILES
The easiest way to visit the Panama Canal is to head to the Miraflores Visitors Center, just outside Panama City. This modern center features a four-floor…
Panama Rainforest Discovery Center
28.11 MILES
Geared toward ecotourism and environmental education, this is an excellent facility for birdwatchers and nature-lovers. Since you are probably here to…
27.31 MILES
At the tip of the southern point of Casco Viejo, this beautiful plaza pays homage to the French role in the construction of the canal. Its large stone…
28.14 MILES
This 195-sq-km national park is one of the most accessible tropical rainforests in Panama. It extends much of the way across the isthmus, from Limón on…
27.14 MILES
This Casco Viejo church protects the famous Altar de Oro (Golden Altar), the sole relic salvaged after privateer Henry Morgan sacked Panamá Viejo.
27.23 MILES
This impressive museum is housed in a beautifully restored building that once served as the headquarters for the original French canal company. The Panama…
13.92 MILES
The beach on the southern side of the peninsula has lovely tan sand and a wilderness backdrop. The area is notorious for stingrays, though, so swim with…
18.36 MILES
El Valle’s peculiar árboles cuadrados (square-trunk trees) are located northeast of the Hotel Campestre. After a 30-minute hike through the forest and…
19.44 MILES
About 1km north of Av Central, this zoo set in the forest is home to everything from tapirs and capuchin monkeys to jaguars and more than 50 species of…
4. Panama Amphibian Rescue & Conservation Project Center
19.44 MILES
This conservation center was created in 2007 with the support of Houston Zoo to help save amphibians from a deadly virus threatening their numbers around…
19.58 MILES
For the largest selection of orquídeas (orchids) in the region, visit this idyllic, not-for-profit garden east of the center, run by the local association…
19.66 MILES
The exhibits in the three rooms of this small museum east of the center focus on local history and the eponymous mestizo national hero. The most…
19.77 MILES
The most famous waterfall in the El Valle region is 35m-high Chorro El Macho, one of four cascades located about 2km north of town; it's a 15-minute walk…
20 MILES
One of El Valle's top attractions allows you to walk among up to 250 butterflies as they flutter by in a screened 'flight house.' Learn more about these…