Panama

For those of you who don't know I spent two years living in Panama while working for the Peace Corps. If you think that Panama is only the country with the canal you are missing out. Panama is an adventurous travelers paradise.

Panama City's closest cousin is Miami without the beach. Safe. Sultry. And with an diverse mix of old architecture, high-rise condos, interesting shopping, and uniquely painted public transit. Outside of Panama City one can find beautiful beaches, great surfing, three distinct indigenous groups, amazing wildlife, historical artifacts, not to mention the canal. Don't get me wrong - Panama is not Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a better destination for the average American. It has better tourist infrastructure making most of the attractions that tourists want to see more easily accessible. One of the things that Panama has that Costa Rica doesn't have is the chance to get a more authentic experience. Experiencing the real Panama takes some guts and some luck - but in a country as safe as Panama (outside of the City of course) taking those risks aren't nearly as scary as they might be in other parts of the world.