A group of journalists, including representatives of The Visitor, recently visited the province of Veraguas and Coiba National Park, two regions "off the beaten path" with incredible tourist potential. The trip was organized by the National Marketing Director of the Panama Government Tourist Bureau (IPAT), with the aid IPAT's Regional Director in Veraguas, Lourdes S. López, and the Regional Director of Panama's National Environmen-tal Authority (ANAM), Frank Carrizo.
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An agricultural region in the heart of the country, the province of Veraguas offers hundreds of kilometers of pristine beaches on both coasts (it is the only Panamanian province with coasts on the Caribbean and the Pacific.) Its cool-weather mountain ranges to the north also beckon the eco and adventure tourist.
The province's largest island, Coiba, the heart of Coiba National Park, is a natural refuge for hundreds of species (many of which are endemic) which, according to scientists, can be considered at par with the Galapagos. Until recently, Coiba was the site of a penal colony which has kept it safe from developers and other "human predators." It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005.
