The thin, winding country of Panama sits as the land bridge between North and South America, stretching between both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Sharing borders with Colombia in the East and Costa Rica to the West, the generally mountainous terrain is full of both natural and man-made beauty – not least of which the famous Panama Canal, which cuts through the country for nearly 50 miles. Panama finds itself pretty much ignored by the tourist market – an afterthought, never really the first choice. There are reasons for this, most of which end up being fallacies or exaggerations. Whatever the case, the fact remains that Panama is one of the best developed, most forward thinking and utterly beautiful countries in the Americas and is well worth investing both time and money in.

Whilst there were inhabitants of Panama for a long time before the Spanish arrived on the shores, recorded history doesn’t really kick in until the point when the Spaniards arrived in the 16^th Century. The country was seen as a wonderful strategic starting point for invasions of Peru, as well as an ideal point for transporting valuable cargo – needless to say, this invited attention from many pirate raiders and soon enough the Caribbean Sea region was too dangerous for merchants, who began to bypass Panama altogether in favour of longer, safer routes to their destinations. This lack of trade saw Panama fall into a state of decline, and by 1821 the country had become a province of the newly-independent Colombia. The key turning point for the country came when Colombia signed a treaty with the US, allowing a railway to be built through Panama – the idea for a railway soon developed into a canal, and Colombia’s disapproval of this idea provided a catalyst for the Panamanians, backed by the US, to declare independence in 1903 – though Colombia refused to acknowledge the existence of this newly created state until 1921, when America paid the Colombians $25 million in compensation. US interests in the Panama didn’t let up, however, and friction between the two countries was constant throughout the 20^th Century. Whilst the US relinquished its right to have troops stationed outside of the Canal Zone in 1936, it still maintained a grip on the country – though not as strong as before. The Canal was still an issue of contention and remained very much so until 1977, when a treaty was signed agreeing to cede control of the Canal at the end of the century. From 1984 Panama was under the control of the former head of intelligence, Manuel Noriega, who managed to stir back up the negative feelings from the US with activities such as money laundering, drug trafficking and murdering political opponents – and after Noriega lost the election of 1989, only to declare the vote null and void and have his opponent beaten to a pulp on television, as well as declaring war on the US – well, the US stepped in. After around a week of fighting and a siege around the Vatican Embassy, Noriega was arrested and brought to the US, where he was convicted of money laundering charges and sentenced to 40 years in prison – he is still serving time in a Florida prison to this day. Recent history in Panama has seen fair elections and programs of reform and privatisation implemented and the Panama Canal handed over to Panamanian control, which has all seen the country grow economically – there are even plans to expand the Canal, which is sure to create more jobs for the country and make it even more prosperous than it already is.

Panama is an interesting prospect for the potential off plan investor – the country itself is beautiful and whilst not undiscovered is certainly not heaving with tourists. The people are generally friendly and laid back and the standards of living in the country are exceptionally high when compared to other Central and South American countries. Cost is an issue, however, and the country does not come cheap – thanks in part to the Balboa enjoying parity with the US Dollar. Nevertheless, those who can afford it should certainly give Panama a look, at least before the crowds get there en masse.

The standards of healthcare in Panama are generally of a very good standard, though facilities in more rural areas are likely to be poorer. Healthcare is provided free to everyone, regardless of any reciprocal agreements, but private health insurance is still recommended.

Mobile phone coverage stretches across the country, though quality of connection cannot be guaranteed in rural areas. Landlines are widely available in towns and cities and lines are of a good standard. Internet cafes are available in most towns and cities.