Page 143 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

Penonomé and eastern CoClé Central Panama 141
Río Zaratí & Balneario Las Mendozas (500m) Chiguirí Arriba (30km)
Catedral de PENONOMÉ
San Juan Bautista
PLAZA N ACCOMMODATION
BOLÍVAR CALLE VICTORIANO LORENZO Hotel Coclé 3
CALLE NICANOR ROSAS Market Hotel Dos Continentes 1 2
Pensión Los Piños
Buses to EATING
La Pintada (15km) Museo de Terminal C. EL ESTUDIANTE CALLE NICANOR ROSAS Gallo Pinto No. 1 2 4 3
CALLE SAN ANTONIO
Santa Clara
Bus
Hotel Dos Continentes
Historia y
El Mesón de Santa Cruz
Tradición
Penonomeña
AVENIDA CINCUENTENARIO Laundry El Paisa 0 250 1
CALLE DAMÍAN CARLES CALLE ALEJANDRO POSADA CALLE 2 CALLE 3 DE NOVIEMBRE CALLE DOMINGO DÍAZ CALLE DE LA DUP AVENIDA J.D. AROSEMENA V Í A HAC I A S O N A D O R A metres
CALLE RAFAEL EYSERIC
Bank & ATM
Iguana Mall (300m), (400m), Natá (30km), Santiago (97km) & David MIA office C AL LE SAN AGUSTÍN I N T E R A M E R I C A N A AVENIDA HECTOR CONTE BERMÚDEZ Panama City Chitré and Panama City (145km) 3
Westbound buses
Buses to
Buses to
Las Tablas
CALLE MANUEL ROBLES
I N T E R A M E R I C A N A
CALLE D E LA ESPERANZA

Centro. Topping the mist-swathed peaks to the northwest, Parque Nacional Omar
Torrijos is a treat for birdwatchers and hikers.

Plaza Bolívar and around
The town’s main drag, Avenida J.D. Arosemena (also known as Vía Central), runs a few
hundred metres from the Interamericana to the pleasant Plaza Bolívar (also known as
Plaza 8 de Diciembre). Featuring a statue of Simón Bolívar, the square is flanked by
government buildings and the Catedral de San Juan Bautista, where the early morning
or evening light projects dancing rainbows of colours through the new stained-glass
windows. East of the cathedral, a small plazuela features monuments to Penonomé’s
glitterati, including a bust of Victoriano Lorenzo, a local nationalist hero who was
eventually tricked into capture and executed by firing squad (see p.296).

Museo de Historia y Tradición Penonomeña
C San Antonio • Tues–Sun 9am–4pm • $1 • T997 8490
Located in quiet San Antonio, the oldest part of town, the Museo de Historia y
Tradición Penonomeña occupies a tiled blue-and-white quincha (wattle and daub)
building and contains a modest collection of pre-Columbian ceramics, colonial
religious art and period furniture.

Balneario Las Mendozas
If the heat gets too much, take a five-minute walk northeast out of town to the
Balneario Las Mendozas, a popular swimming area in the Río Zaratí – this is the
location of the aquatic parade at Carnaval, when the floats literally float down the river.
Though it’s a party place at weekends and during holidays, you can enjoy a quieter dip
here at other times, or upstream at Las Tres Peñas, a more attractive pool.

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