Page 160 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

158 The Azuero PeninsulA Chitré and around
Slightly faded furnishings, and a sullen front desk, but of regal French splendour; that said, rooms in this
pleasant wooden panelling and comfy beds make it a functional business hotel on the main approach road are
reasonable option if you’re not too fussy. $55 comfortable and well equipped (a/c, phone, cable TV, room
Hotel Santa Rita C Manuel María Correa, at Av Herrera service and hot water), if lacking in character. Small pool
T996 4610. Offering good value in a prime location, this and bar-restaurant. $76
ageing but well-maintained hotel has dark, simple en-suite Miami Mike’s Av Herrera, at C Manuel María Correa
rooms (fan or a/c, cable TV, good bed and hot water) off long T6603 9711, Wmiamimikeshostel.com. Small, cheerily
corridors. Mattresses are variable so check out several decorated, fan-ventilated hostel offering little more than a
rooms. Weekdays are cheaper. Wi-fi only at reception. $33 bunk, a kitchen-cum-living area and a fantastic rooftop
Hotel Versalles Paseo Enrique Geenzier T996 4422, view. It’s run by an affable American, with rock-bottom
Whotelversalles.com. Don’t delude yourself with visions rates. Dorms $11, doubles $22
eATinG
El Mirador Up the hill off the Carretera Nacional Restaurante El Mesón Downstairs at Hotel Rex,
between Chitré and La Arena T974 4647. Atmospheric Parque Unión T996 2408. Eschew the a/c dining room
open-air hilltop spot (well signposted) to enjoy a cheap beer for the much nicer open-air café overlooking the park.
while admiring the sunset or the twinkling night lights of Breakfasts are just over $5; well-prepared snacks (toasted
Chitré. Specializes in whole fish and seafood (mains from $9). sandwiches, burritos) cost slightly more. Lunch and dinner
Mon 4–10pm, Tues–Sat 10am–10pm, Sun noon–5pm. items ($9–12) include the usual Panamanian and
Pizzería Ebenezer & Café Raquel C Julio Botello, international staples and Spanish specialities such as
opposite the water tower T996 8831. Ebenezer serves the paella, chorizo and tongue. Free wi-fi. Daily 6am–11pm.
town’s best pizzas (mid-sized from $10), with a wide selection Restaurante y Refresquería El Aire Libre Parque
4 of toppings, but also Greek specialities, tacos, burritos and other Unión, Av Obaldía T996 3639. Pleasant open-sided
comfort food. Adjacent Café Raquel is a top spot for a healthy
restaurant overlooking the park. It’s packed at breakfast
fruit juice or a strong coffee to start the day. Pizzería Ebenezer: and lunchtime, when they serve a cheap menú del día ($4)
Mon–Fri 10am–10pm, Sat 8am–10pm, Sun 4–10pm; Café – the customary plateful of rice, beans and chicken or fish.
Raquel: Mon–Sat 7am–10pm, Sun 4–10pm. Mains $6–8. Daily 6am–10pm.
DrinKinG
Barbudo C Aminta Burgos de Amado, at Av Obaldía seating, beers galore and a bar menu (chicken wings,
T6399 5027, Wfacebook.com/chitrebarbudo. A burgers and the like) accompanied by a rock soundtrack.
welcome interruption to the otherwise staid ambiance of Local bands occasionally let rip at weekends. Daily
central Chitré, this new rock-bar offers indoor and outdoor 10am–11pm.

Parita
11km northwest of Chitré, a few hundred metres off the Carretera Nacional; take any bus bound for Santiago or Aguadulce from Chitré
(6am–8pm; approx every 30min; 15min)
Founded in 1556, PARITA is one of the oldest, best-preserved and most picturesque
villages on the peninsula. Particularly attractive is the sparkling white eighteenth-
century Iglesia Santo Domingo de Guzmán, with its attractive clay-tiled roof; peek
inside and you’ll see some ornately carved wooden altarpieces and an elaborate pulpit.
Surrounding the plaza, terraces of pastel-coloured traditional adobe (quincha) cottages
with tiled roofs take you back in time, though a line of telegraph poles remind you that
the village was not totally bypassed by the twentieth century. The days leading up to
August 8, the anniversary of the village’s foundation, mark a big fiesta in Parita.

Playa El Agallito
5km northeast of Chitré • Buses run from Chitré, via Av Herrera (6am–6pm; every 30min; 15–20min); a taxi should cost $4–5
Despite the continued clearing of mangroves to make way for shrimp farms, the silty mud
and salt flats of Playa El Agallito still provide sustenance for thousands of shore birds and
waders, many migratory, who return to the same spot to feed each year. It’s one of the
country’s top spots for sighting the splendid roseate spoonbill as well as American

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