Special Report

Panama

Explore the history, culture and natural wonders of the Central American country

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Bocas del Toro, Panama Sergi Reboredo/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

About two to three million birds of prey fly through Panama each fall, in what amounts to the world’s third-largest raptor migration.

Watch Millions of Raptors Fly Across Panama This Fall

In Panama, sancocho is a national dish.

Panama's Sancocho Is a Soup That Can Cure It All

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Experience Panama’s Ancestral Indigenous Cultures

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A worker sorts coffee beans at the Lamastus Family Estate farm in Boquete, a region known the world over for its coffee varieties.

Experience Panama's Coffee Farming Tradition in the Chiriquí Highlands

Some of the returned artifacts

The Netherlands Repatriates 343 Ceramics to Panama

The pinta’o originated in the province of Coclé southwest of Panama City, where the hats are still made today.

The Real Panama Hat

The Guna, an Indigenous group residing in Panama and parts of neighboring Colombia, have been creating colorfully embroidered clothing for centuries.

The Colorful History Behind Panama's Mola

Panama’s National Authority for the Environment (Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente, ANAM) manages Coiba National Park, which is accessible via permit. Guests can book overnight lodgings in several air-conditioned cabins next to the ANAM ranger station.

How a Former Penal Colony in Panama Became a Biodiversity Hotspot

In Panama, sancocho is a national dish.

Panama's Sancocho Is a Soup That Can Cure It All

<p>After a year of strict Covid-19 lockdowns which brought a severe economic standstill, Panama is awaiting the return of visitors and the restart of the tourism industry.</p>

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

For Panama's Fall Whale-Watching Season, Scientists Offer Tips for Safeguarding These Magnificent Creatures of the Deep

Panamanian golden frogs—such as F1, seen here—are native to the rainforests and cloud forests of Panama but haven't been seen in the wild since 2009. Each creature's bright coloration warns predators of its deadly skin, which contains enough toxins to kill 1,200 mice.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

A Small Band of Panamanian Golden Frogs Is Saving Their Species From Oblivion

Bees from the nest structures: A) Head, side, top and bottom views of bees found inside the cells, B) drawing of <em>Eufriesea surinamensis</em> and photograph of the head of a modern bee taken by David Roubik

150-Year-Old Mummified Bee Nests Found in Panama City Cathedral

The bony growths found in pre-Hispanic skulls in Panama suggest communities were diving for oysters and pearls thousands of years ago.

Skulls With 'Surfer's Ear' Suggest Ancient Pearl Divers in Panama