Panama is made up of ten provinces, each one with unique characteristics that make this country special, but only one of them is considered the heart of Panama, this is Colón, it has a little more than 241,928 inhabitants and was founded in the year 1855, This province has dedicated itself to the care and protection of the flora and fauna that make life in it, keeping the Chagres National Park in its spaces, an environment that is ideal for the growth of orchids, bromeliads and ferns.
The park conserves a variety of tropical, pluvial and humid forests that allow the life of countless species of fish, birds and also felines such as the jaguar, as well as its care for nature in the province of Colón, the traditions they are also important, they give shape to their name and life, creativity is the first step and they demonstrate it by making works of great beauty, starting from natural materials collected by them, such as shells, snails, coconut tow and wood to create figures and household utensils.
The heart of Panama owes its name to the arrival of Christopher Columbus to its lands during his fourth voyage and the culture known to date begins to be written when the construction of the Panama Canal begins, the heavy work was carried out by the construction work of Antillean blacks who arrived in the country at the hands of the North Americans, the mixture between the Antillean traditions and the one already existing in the province created the bases of their traditions.
Just like the dance known as Congos, where its participants make costumes starting from pieces of cloth, this to commemorate their ancestors, who made dresses with the leftovers left by their masters, the energy of this dance focuses on the seduction of man towards the woman, while she is still dancing, he must prevent a possible kiss.
The gastronomy from the province of Colón is recognized throughout Panama, as it has Caribbean flavors in essential dishes, which you cannot stop tasting, one of its most requested dishes is the so-called sao, where the secret ingredient is the leg pig
While seafood is its star protein, shrimp, crabs and snails, among some others, followed by some patacones, accompanied by rice with coconut, «patties», bon bread or «dumplings», special food full of flavors, smells and colors that are part of the essence of Columbus.
These are just some of the reasons why the province of Colón is considered the heart of Panama, despite the fact that for some years it was known as an insecure place, its inhabitants have made an effort to recover that spirit of its beginnings, when it was compared and called as little New Orleans.
That desire to be the best version of oneself, always seeking and fighting to rescue the positive of its spaces and always being ready to receive its visitors with great attention, make it a special place.