The province of Cocle lies about an hour's drive along the Panamerican Highway to the west of Panama City. It's southern border is the Pacific beachfront and in the north lie the forested mountains of the Central Cordillera.
It has tourist attractions galore: ecoadventures, agrotourism, beach hotels, mountain retreats, exclusive condominiums, watersports, spas and restaurants.
Sun And Sea
For those who enjoy waking up to the sounds of waves and observing sunsets by the ocean, Coclé offers excellent choices in hotels and beach front houses and condominiums for residents and foreigners alike. Panama Realty Consultants offers residential projects like Playa Blanca, which contemplates 1500 units surrounded by beautiful lakes and all the comforts a beach resort offers; Costa Blanca, with its villas built around the Mantaray Golf Course; Bijao Resort with condominiums, houses and golf course; and Buenaventura, an exclusive community with homes and condominiums, where the Bristol Hotel will soon open.
The beach hotels also host important events throughout the year. Farrallon has restaurants specializing in seafood, like Rancho Rio and Pipa's Bar, and multiple marine tours offered by the interactive shrimp boat, Bubba Gump, which offers fishing tours along the coast of Coclé.
Agrotourism
Agrotourism, in which the visitor participates in the productive life of the communities, is becoming fashionable and there are many opportunities in El Valle de Antón, Altos de la Estancia, Vaquilla, Aguadulce and Natá, among others, where tourists can actively participate in the tasks of sowing and harvesting of fruits, vegetables and coffee, and in the work on dairy farms. A fascinating experience can be had at the ranch of Hermann Gnaegi in the district of Natá where one of the activities is growing and processing cashew nuts.
Ecoadventure
The province of Coclé offers interpretive forest trails, waterfalls, river rapids, canopy tours, exotic fauna and flora in El Valle de Antón, Cerro La Vieja, La Pintada, Ola and Copé. Comfortable cabins and a camping area, where tropical nature can be enjoyed to the full, is operated by Discover Panamá and Tropic Tours in El Barrero, Penonomé. To the north of El Cope, with an area of 25,275 hectares, is the Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos, on the Central Mountain range, divider of the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The park protects the area of the most important springs and rivers of the region, where you can explore humid forests with rich vegetation and a great number of species of birds and mammals, some in danger of extinction.
Refined Comfort And Wellness
The mountains of Coclé are the setting for elegant and welcoming retreats where guests are pampered and their senses awakened in the serenity of the splendid surroundings. The community of El Valle de Antón nestles in a 14 sq. mile crater, the world's third largest. Here are real jewels of gastronomy and hospitality such as Los Mandarinos Boutique-Spa & Hotel, re-creating a Tuscan villa with magnificent views of the green valley and the surrounding mountains. Its ample rooms, fine restaurant and anti-aging spa provide an atmosphere of hedonism and good taste.
Another jewel is the charming old Hotel Campestre & Spa Resort, built in the 1920's and remodelled now, retaining all the grace of former years. Both hotels offer a view of the Gaital Hill Natural Monument.
History And Culture
The province of Coclé has great cultural and historical wealth. Well worth visiting is the important, attractive archaeological pre-Columbian site, Sitio Conte, the Museum of Penonomé, capital of the province, and the Archaeological Park El Caño, with its indigenous cemetery, in the District of Nata. The province also has important monuments of Colonial times such as the Church of Nata de los Caballeros, said to be the oldest colonial city in the republic. The region was also the scene of much activity at the beginning of the republican era, with "cholo" fighter Victoriano Lorenzo as one of the main protagonists.
The province of Coclé is also recognized for its rich folklore and handicraft especially of the famous painted hats, handmade by the Coclesanos.
Tourism Cluster
Tour companies, like Tropic Tours, companies representing the hospitality industry, agro-tourism, real estate, and related fields have formed a group to identify, formulate and develop projects to promote Coclé as a destination and improve its competitiveness for the benefit of all the productive sectors of the province.
Entrepreneurs in Coclé have formed a group - the fashionable word is "Cluster"- to promote their province. First, they want you to be able to say "Coclé": the emphasis is on the e (ko-klay). Look on the map, and discover for yourself that:
- Coclé is easily accessible from Panama City along the Pan American Highway.
- It's southern border is the Pacific beachfront.
- To the north you see the forested mountains of the Central Cordillera.
That is just the beginning. The members of the Coclé Cluster want to tell you, on these pages, the rest of the story of their province which has great natural and historical wealth, along with white sand beaches, extensive cattle plains, salt flats, rice and sugar fields.
Page 1
