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CHIRIQUÍ PROVINCE

The western province of Panama is home to some true gems. The high mountains of the Continental Divide provide cool mountain air and rushing rivers and streams. Chiriquí claims to have it all: Panama’s tallest mountains, longest rivers and most fertile valleys. The province is also home to spectacular highland rainforests and the most productive agricultural and cattle-ranching regions in the country. As a result, los chiricanos (natives of Chiriquí) take a particular pride in their province and wave the provincial flag – in every sense – at the slightest opportunity.

It's also a land of immense beauty. On the coast, the pristine Golfo de Chiriquí boasts long sandy beaches and a rich diversity of marine life. The mist-covered mountains near the town of Boquete, a favourite of North American and European retirees, is a good base for adventures such as white-water rafting and hiking the flanks of Panama’s highest point, Volcán Barú (3475m). Boquete is also the center of Panama’s coffee industry, which means that a potent cup of shade-grown arabica is never more than a cafe away. The city of David in the lowlands provides the amenities and services, and also a route to the coast, which has many hidden beaches and beautiful islands to explore.

BOCAS DEL TORO PROVINCE

With its Caribbean islands dotting a shock of blue waters, Bocas del Toro is all that's tropical. This is Panama’s principal tourist draw and it will no doubt provide some of your most memorable experiences. Until recently, the Bocas were more easily accessed from Costa Rica than from Panama. These Caribbean islands are home to some of the best scuba diving and snorkelling anywhere in Central America. Bocas Town, the capital on Isla Colon, is a great, quirky place to hang out in.

The archipelago consists of six densely forested islands, scores of uninhabited islets and the Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos, Panama’s oldest marine park. The long-time base of Chiquita Banana, the mainland boasts the Parque Internacional La Amistad, shared with Costa Rica. It's also home to diverse wildlife such as the elusive jaguar, traditional Ngöbe-Buglé settlements, and the Naso, one of few remaining American tribes with its own monarch.

COLÓN PROVINCE

With an edgy reputation more true crime than travel, Colón rarely makes travel wish lists, but there is more to this Caribbean province than its downtrodden capital. Think pristine beaches and lowland rainforests, colonial splendours and modern engineering marvels. Portobelo, with its growing music and art scene, shows the best of vibrant Congo culture, while the luxury train between Panama City and Colón remains one of the greatest rail journeys in the Americas. With its colonial grandeur crumbling and its neighbourhoods marginalized, Colón is the city that Panama forgot, in spite of vigorous development meant to court Caribbean cruise ships where the last whiff of prosperity was seen during the construction of the Panama Canal. On the city's edge, the Zona Libre (Free Zone) was created in 1948. Generating billions in annual commerce, little benefit seems to trickle down to locals. From close up, it's an island of materialism floating in a sea of unemployment and poverty.

COMARCA DE GUNA YALA

A tropical archipelago with one island for every day of the year. With white sand and waving palms, these Caribbean islands cheat no one’s version of paradise. The Comarca is home to the Guna, the first group in Latin America to gain indigenous autonomy. Though they have had contact with Europeans since Columbus sailed these waters in 1502, clan identity is paramount, and many make tenacious efforts to preserve a traditional way of life.

In 2009 the road to Cartí was completed, making the region more accessible than ever and opening up options for day trips. Still off the beaten track, this narrow, 226km-long strip on the Caribbean coast stretches from the Golfo de San Blás to the Colombian border.

Community islands are acre-sized cays packed with bamboo huts, livestock and people. Visitors often prefer the more remote outer islands with few inhabitants. Most areas require landing fees. When visiting the Comarca de Guna Yala, consider how your visit may affect the community and be aware of your surroundings and remain sensitive about your impact.

DARIÉN PROVINCE

One of the world’s richest biomes is the 5760-sq-km Parque Nacional Darién, where the primeval meets the present with scenery nearly unaltered from one million years ago. Even today in the Darién, the Emberá and Wounaan people maintain many of their traditional practices and retain generations-old knowledge of the rainforest. If you want to sit in dugout canoes and travel down jungle rivers with indigenous tribesmen, then this is the place to do it. In a stroke of irony, much of the Darién has remained untouched because of its volatile reputation.

The road to Yaviza – the most accessible part of the province – has scenes of habitat destruction. Cruising the waterways and hiking trails are the only ways to explore the slow-paced interior Darién and the Pacific coast, where Emberá, Wounaan and African-Darienita cultures coexist. The region's issues are complex. Police checkpoints are frequent because of narcotrafficking. The greatest hazard in the Darién is the difficult environment. Trails, when they exist at all, are often poorly defined and are never marked. Many large rivers that form the backbone of the Darién transportation network create their own hazards. Any help at all, let alone medical help, is very far away. If you get lost, you are done for. To minimize these risks, it’s recommended that you explore the Darién either as part of an organized tour or with the help of a qualified guide. The Darién is not for everyone, but with careful planning and the right destinations, it offers opportunities for intrepid travellers to discover something truly wild.