When you find this point you immediately think New York on one hand and San Francisco on the other.

The development also has an extensive reforestation project in which you will find not only Caribbean pine trees, but also local trees such as Cedro Espino and Caoba Nacional. If you like gardening then you will love Altos del Maria: the rich volcanic soil makes gardening fun: you will see flowers and plants that you would normally buy in a nursery in the U.S. growing in the wild.

If you decide that you want some nightlife beyond the mountains, the drive from Altos del Maria to Panama City is an easy one. The road has recently been upgraded so that there are two-lane highways going into and out of the city. And in the near future a new bridge will be built over the Canal that will shorten the trip from Altos del Maria to Panama City from an hour and a half to one hour. I highly recommend Altos del Maria to anyone who is thinking about locating themselves in Panama: clean, cool air without the noise of the city. The international airport is only an hour and a half away and the beaches below Altos del Maria offer sun, surfing, fishing and modern services.

Other Pastimes in Panama

Bird Watching

Panama is recognized as the best place in the world to bird watch. There are 940 different species of birds in Panama most of which are protected in three important national parks: Darien National Park, Metropolitan Park and Chagres National Park. Some hotels specialize in bird watching tours: Gamboa Rainforest Resort and the Canopy Tower Resort. Both have comfortable accommodations and both place you right smack down in the middle of the rainforest. For bird watchers both hotels will allow you to see many species within a very short time. If you are just starting to develop an interest in bird watching then I suggest you buy the excellent book The Birds of Panama. 

If you are visiting Panama for the first time then you should do a little of everything: first bird watching, then a visit to the beach and finally go to the mountains to check out the waterfalls and cool air. If you only visit one place you may become bored or think that Panama has little to offer.

Surfing

If you like surfing then Panama offers some of the best surfing in Latin America. I recommend two places for those that want to surf: Santa Catalina in the Province of Veraguas and Playa Venado in Los Santos Province. Both offer facilities for surfing and of the two Santa Catalina is considered the real jewel of surfing in Panama. To get there you need to go to the Santiago de Veraguas, then catch a ride to the town of Soná, from there you can catch a ride on the back of a small 4x4 to the ocean. The ride from Panama City to Santiago is 3 hours and from Santiago to Soná 2 hours and Soná to Santa Catalina another 2 hours. Rent a car if you can, as the bus trip can be cramped and long. 

Skydiving

Skydiving was initially introduced to Panama about 35 years ago when it was training for the Panamanian Air Force. Roughly three years ago the Panamanian Skydiving Association was formed and has since grown to have 26 members. To “learn to fly” in Panama is easy and safe. All equipment and instructors are certified by the United States Parachute Association as well as the International Aeronautique Federation. There are two ways to learn here in Panama.

First, The Tandem Skydive is the easiest way to be introduced into the world of freefall skydiving. Together with your instructor you exit the aircraft, then freefall together at 120 miles per hour, for over a mile, and then descend under a parachute built for two for 4 to 5 minutes followed by a safe and gentle landing back on the ground. A Tandem Skydive is a great introduction to the sport of skydiving, requiring a minimum amount of training, usually about an hour.

Static Line is the oldest method to learn to skydive. A static line parachute jump involves no freefall. After your Static Line First Jump Course, which takes 4 to 6 hours, you make your static line jump under the direct supervision of a USPA certified jumpmaster. You exit the aircraft, and the parachute is opened by the use of a static line which is attached to the aircraft. You then descend to the ground with the guidance of radio communications. 

If  you are interested in being one of few who truly fly, visit, http://www.stm35.com/apdp/ and www.panamafreefall.com  (Info: Josh Maccammon)

Panama has a lot to offer to those that want to visit or those who wish to stay. I’ve heard a lot of people tell me that they only came to Panama for a fishing trip but decided to stay on for good. Remember, with Panama you have to search out the jewels and in the searching you will discover things you never believed the country could offer. Panama is still a country that has places so beautiful and so unknown that you will often find yourself laughing to yourself about the incredibly beautiful unknown place before you.