Santiago is One of the Most Important Cities in Panama

Santiago is the capital of the Veraguas province and one of the most important cities in Panama. It is located in western Panama, in the Pacific lowlands north of Puerto Mutis, its port on the Gulf of Montijo. Santiago is one of the oldest settlements and flourished in the colonial era, and many of its fine old buildings still remain.

Santiago Has a Great Marketing Center

Santiago, Panama originated as a rural community and in the last ten years it has quickly grown to a major center of the country. It is a market center for rice, coffee, corn, livestock, as well as other products from the hinterland. It has also been said that gold deposits occur in the vicinity.

Developing Tourism Infrastructure

The tourism infrastructure is developing and Santiago has all the potential to turn into an important destination due to its strategic location, which gives access to many must-see places of Panama.

For example, if you like surfing, Panama offers some of the best surfing in Latin America. One such place is Santa Catalina in the Province of Veraguas and another is Playa Vernado in Los Santos Province. However, in order to get there you need to go to Santiago de Veraguas first and from there you can then get a ride to the town of Sona, and then obtain a ride to the ocean. The trip can take up to a couple of hours, but the rewards are worth it.

The City’s Main Attractions

The main attractions in the Panamanian city of Santiago are the Juan Demostenes Arosemena Park, La Pena Craft Market and the Regional Museum 0f Veraguas, where the historical, cultural and archaeological heritage of the area is exhibited.

However, we recommend that from Santiago, you visit the beach of Santa Catalina, famous among surfers, the town of El Potrero and its hot springs with curative virtues, Coiba Island and its incredible biodiversity.

Another great attraction is its famous, ancient church, the Basilica Menor Santiago Apostol de Nata, which claims to be the oldest church along the entire Pacific littoral of the Americas. Its most notable features are its elaborate carved wooden altars.

The city’s patron saint is apostle Santiago, and it celebrates this saint on the 25th of July every year with catholic walks, parades, parties and other religious activities that take a turn to show off folkloric customs.

This Small Town Has a Vibrant Flow of Traffic

Although Santiago is the capital of Veraguas it is still a small town. However, it is vibrant in traffic, especially since the recent increase in banks like Banco General, Multi Credit Bank, BanIstmo, Caja de Ahorros, Banco Nacional de Panama and Credit Corp Bank, among others. Presently, the city has about 55 thousand inhabitants.

This Quaint, Rustic City Offers Great Adventures

Regardless what type of adventure you are looking for it is only a hop, skip and jump away from Santiago, because of its great location. So, come visit this quaint, rustic city and enjoy the best time of your life!