It was early in 2007, that I made some very important decisions. I decided to quit my job as a teacher of Engineering at a Magnet High School in Tampa, Florida. My second decision was to re-locate to Panama. That, subsequently led to another very important decision, i.e. settling in the city of Chitre, located on the Azuero Peninsula.
I had researched information about the Peninsula, on the internet and had also visited Chitre on two occasions in 2006. The decision to locate to Chitre presented some problems. First, I did not speak any Spanish, and secondly, the Azuero Peninsula has been discovered by very few Americans or Canadians. It represents an area, referred to by Panamanians as "el interior" or, the interior.
To generally locate the peninsula, it might work, to stand, and extend both arms to the side, at shoulder height. Then, the head could be considered to be the Canal, the right hand would be touching the Columbian border and the left hand the border of Costa Rica. At the left elbow, the peninsula projects down (south) into the Pacific Ocean and is about 60 miles wide (100 km) from east to west and 80 miles long (130 km) north to south. The Azuero Peninsula is located about 150 miles (250 km) southwest of Panama City.
The peninsula is almost totally comprised of two Provinces, i.e., Herrera and Los Santos. It encompasses an area of 2374 square miles. This compares well with the size of Delaware, i.e., 2000 square miles. The population according to the 2000 Census is 185,140. As a comparison, Delaware has a population of 843,500. All of Panama is comprised of 9 provinces.
Shown is a map of Panama, with the borders of Columbia and Costa Rica indicated on the map. The map that follows is focused on the Azuero Peninsula.
There are no large cities on the peninsula. Chitre is the largest city with a population of about 100,000, and it is the capital of the Herrera Province. It serves as the transportation hub of the peninsula.
Herrera Province is centered on the Peninsula de Azuero, a semi-arid landmass that more closely resembles rural USA than the American tropics. Looked upon by Panamanians as their country's heart and soul, the Peninsula de Azuero is one of the country's major farming and ranching centers. It is also the strongest bastion of Spanish culture left in Panama, especially considering that many residents of Azuero can trace lineage directly back to Spain. The Azuero Peninsula is considered the cradle of Panamanian culture and folklore, and in this beautiful but less visited region one finds some of Panama's friendliest local people. Herrera (particularly Azuero) proudly upholds its Spanish legacy, which is best evidenced by the province's famous festivals. Although Herrera is lacking in terms of traditional tourist sights, partying in the streets with fiercely proud locals is a wonderful cultural experience that complements time spent exploring Panama's more scenic attractions
I rent a 3 bedroom, 3-bath house in Chitre. It is easy to move about the city, and at this time, Chitre has only just installed its first set of traffic lights.
What attracted me the most to Chitre is the slow pace of life. People still walk around town, though local buses (25 cents) are well utilized. Since there are very few Americans or Canadians in this city, for a while I served as a curiosity beacon. People are very friendly and smile readily. At this point, I find that the locals are very appreciative of my simple attempts at conversing in Spanish. This certainly is an area where it appears that "time has stood still". Here is a picture taken in front of my rented house, looking down the street.
The word that best describes life in Chitre is the Spanish word, "tranquilo". While walking about the city it is normal to see the area farmers and workers in the city, dressed in the unofficial Azuero uniform. This consists of long dark pants, a white shirt, sandals and the ever-present "white Azuero hat". The women dress fairly neat and casual, and on occasions will wear the national dress, the "pollera".
My intent is to write a series of articles about the peninsula, focusing on many of the things I have personally experienced, e.g., beaches, cathedrals, parks, stores and shopping, wildlife refuges, festivals and towns. I will focus one article on the housing situation on the Peninsula, and it will be evident that there exist great opportunities for investment.
I want to end this first article with a few scenes in Chitre. These scenes are repeated daily in my walks around this city. Note the unique "Azuero hat".
Many suggest that the Azuero Peninsula will develop rapidly and that this is Panama's new hotspot for real estate - it's easy to see why. Hotels and holiday homes / retirement homes are starting to spring up at places such as Los Destiladores. There are even rumors of a mega resort - the Decameron Azuero resort. Real Estate remains cheap, but the cost of land was a fifth the price just a few years ago. Expect big changes in the Azuero Peninsula over the next 10 years - let's hope it doesn't loose any of it's unique charm.
If this article raises any questions , please do not hesitate to contact me at Chenschel@aol.com
