Page 146 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

144 Central Panama Penonomé and eastern CoClé
Another place of potential interest is the local cigar factory, Cigarros Joyas de Panamá
(Mon–Sat 7am–5pm; T6660 8935, Wfacebook.com/joyasde.panama), garnering an
international reputation for its hand-rolled organic Cuban-seed-tobacco cigars. Drop
by and witness the dexterity with which workers roll up to six hundred cigars a day.
Single or boxed cigars can be bought on the spot.

arrIVal anD DePartUre la PIntaDa
By minibus Minibuses leave Penonomé for La Pintada market. Return buses run to a similar timetable.
(6am–8pm; every 10–15min; 20min) from behind the
aCCOmmODatIOn anD eatInG
★ La Pintada River Inn 4km north of La Pintada sparkling pool and pleasant woodland walk down to a river,
T6519 7848, Wlapintadainn.com. If you’d like a base up where you can bathe; you could also cross the river and hike
in the hills, head for this new eight-room B&B in a lovely further into the forest. With advance notice you can order
location beyond La Pintada and accessible by bus. It has a the cena del día ($12.50) to enjoy in the lovely bohío. $75
3

Chiguirí Arriba and Churuquita Grande
From the market area in Penonomé, chivas head off through the surrounding
cultivated fields to villages scattered in the folds of the cool, forested mountains that
rise to the north. CHIGUIRÍ ARRIBA, 30km to the northeast, makes an easy day-trip,
with plenty of good hiking trails, spectacular views across forested limestone
hummocks and a 30m waterfall, Cascada Tavida ($5 entry) within Villa Tavida’s
private reserve (see opposite). More adventurous trips can be organized across the
mountains to El Valle, or over to the Caribbean rainforests; contact Villa Tavida for
the name of a reliable local guide.
If you’re in the area in late January, it’s worth dropping by the village of CHURUQUITA
GRANDE, halfway between Penonomé and Chiguirí Arriba, for the citrus-filled Festival
de la Naranja, to marvel at the elaborate and inventive wood-and-thatch displays
overflowing with local produce, all vying for the prize of best stall.

LOS CUCUÁS DE SAN MIGUEL CENTRO
san miguel Centro, 35km northeast of Penonomé, is home to the Cucuá community, who are
famed for their devil dance conducted in elaborate, cream-coloured, pyjama-like costumes
made from cucuá bark, painted with geometric shapes using natural dyes and topped with a
fanciful deer mask complete with real antlers and a peccary’s jawbone. as with other devil
dances, it was originally associated with Corpus Christi celebrations; at one time in danger of
dying out, it is now regularly performed at folk festivals across Panama. the dance is the central
attraction of the annual Festival de los Cucuás, which takes place in march in san miguel
Centro. the bark “material” used for the costumes is beaten against a tree until smooth, then
washed in soap and hot water before being laid out to dry. such has been the demand for the
costumes in recent years (they can sell for around $500) that the cucuá tree has become
endangered, prompting a recent reforestation programme.
descended from the Guaymí, like the ngäbe and Buglé, and originally from Veraguas, the
Cucuás fled the spanish colonizers centuries ago to settle in the mountains of Coclé. these
days they make a living primarily from coffee cultivation and the sale of artesanías; the latter,
along with the devil dance, forms a major part of a community-based ecotourism project
aimed at preserving and promoting Cucuá culture.
ARRIVAL AND ACCOMMODATION
By bus Chivas for San Miguel Centro (1hr 30min) leave modest fee; extra is charged for a performance by the
infrequently from Penonomé bus terminal (see p.142). dance troupe. To organize a visit, ask around the market
San Miguel Centro homestays Simple homestay in Penonomé (see p.142), where members of the Cucuá
lodging is offered by the eco-community project for a community often sell their crafts.

126-149_Panama_3_Ch3.indd 144 30/06/17 11:50 am