The high farms of Chiriqui look Swiss in their greenness and husbandry. Homes and haciendas on the slopes yodel Swiss chalet architecture. Unsurprising perhaps, since a Swiss farming colony arrived there years before the first road. Following them were Yugoslav farmers.

It isn’t all mountains. The province has just about everything, from the casino at the comfortable Gran Hotel Nacional in the capital city of David to deep-sea fishing, and white sand beaches which stretch to infinity.

Birdwatchers will find almost 1,000 species. Distinguished residents include the Resplendant Quetzal who claims Chiriquí as his southernmost abode.

Several transport options are available for the 486 Km journey from Panama City. Domestic airlines fly from Marcos A. Gelabert airport, Panama City, to David international airport. The flight takes about an hour.

By road up the Pan American Highway the journey can take five or six hours. A rental car affords the opportunity to see something of the central provinces on the way, and there are frequent and comfortable buses from the national bus terminal at Albrook. Companies to call are Transporte Panamá-David (314-6228), Padafront (314-6264) or Cinco Estrellas (314-6285). Cars can of course be rented in David...

The Guaymi Indians are Panama’s best-known Indian tribe after the Kunas of San Blas. Chiriqui’s central cordillera is their homeland. The easiest place to meet the Guaymi is at Tolé, just off the Pan American Highway, where you’ll also find one of Panama’s favorite tourist souvenirs - the chaquira, a wide necklace woven with strings of fine beads.

The city of David is on the coastal plain. It is a market town and center for the thriving agriculture and cattle industry which is the mainstay of the province. It is not quite a frontier town, but the feeling is there. The famous island of Coiba is about 60 miles from the Chiriquí coastline. The former penal colony is now a wildlife refuge and fishermen’s haven. Speaking of fishing, boats can be chartered at the port of Pedregal, ten minutes down the road from the city’s main plaza.

For beaches, Las Olas Beach Resort at La Barqueta Beach to the west of the city welcomes visitor, and to the last, an hour down the Pan American Highway is the extensive Las Lajas beach.

If you are in David on a Sunday, you may find itfun to take in a rodeo at one of the clubs in the cattle country around David where visitors are treated as honored guests.