CARNAVAL

It's the most eagerly awaited event in Panama! Four days before Ash Wednesday, it is celebrated throughout the country, and has been since colonial times. In those days, the locals dressed up like the Spanish king and queen and staged mock battles with the natives and black slaves. In the early ^20th century, a more festive touch was added with colorful parades, brass bands and fireworks.

Today, it's in the small town of Las Tablas, on the Azuero peninsula, that carnival is at its most spectacular. Two streets, Calle arriba and Calle abajo, compete to elect the most beautiful queen. Parades go on day and night for four days, and the alcohol flows freely... Carnival begins on Friday evening. Saturday is traditionally known as "international" day, with parades in traditional costumes, to the sound of salsa and típico. Women dress in their finest pollera, and local dress is in the spotlight on Sunday. Monday is "costume day", while the election of the queen takes place on Mardi Gras. On the last day, the symbolic burial of the sardine marks the start of Lent: the fish symbolizes fasting.
Throughout the festivities, the public is hosed down with water straight from the tankers. Expect to get drenched in the mojadera, which is not unpleasant in the February heat. The devil's dances feature a specific local color: diablicos sucios. Craftsmen in the province of Herrera make papier-mâché masks. These figures were widely used during the evangelization of the country. Every year, the battle of Good and Evil is re-enacted for spectators.

Note that, although Carnival is not a public holiday in Panama, most businesses draw their curtains and the country moves in slow motion. Remember to book your accommodation well in advance, as prices soar at this time of year. Public transport is also busy. It's best to arrive early in the afternoon to admire the first day's parades.

Outside Las Tablas, Carnival has its own local flavour: in the capital, there's general jubilation on the main thoroughfares, which are pedestrianized for the occasion. Two queens are elected, in the northern and southern districts. In Penonomé, the mojadera phenomenon is accentuated, and we can even talk of an aquatic carnival! The floats move into the river, and all participants swim in their wake. In Portobelo, the carnival is an opportunity to discover the Congos traditions and their theatrical dances inherited from the black slaves to ridicule the Spanish colonists. Festivities are also renowned in Bocas, Pedasi and Aguadulce. In the village of La Pintada, a small carnival is celebrated a week after everyone else... Finally, returning to the Azuero peninsula, the carnivals of La Villa de los Santos, Chitré and Guarare are also very folkloric and attract large crowds, but Las Tablas remains the craziest!