Among Panama's allures are sweeping rain forests teeming with exotic animals and birds; cloud forests cloaking the summits of rugged mountains; vibrant indigenous cultures that predate the conquistadores; and a cornucopia of wildlife wonders that is also brimful of castles and sleepy colonial villages where life revolves on a yesteryear hub.Esteemed travel writer Christopher Baker takes the reader on a journey of this fascinating place in seven fact-filled chapters, beginning in the cosmopolitan, steamy capital of Panama City, the most cosmopolitan metropolis between Miami and Maracaibo. Then the Canal Zone and the central Caribbean, effusely forested and offering world-class birding, hiking, and white-water rafting; Kuna Yala, an island chain and narrow mainland strip administrated anonomously by indigenous Kuna people; the Darien, a biological Eden protecting the largest pristine wilderness habitat in Central America; and Central Panama, a region blessed with tourist attractions of every sort, from fine beaches and magnificent mountain scenery to pre-Columbia sites and important colonial architecture.The Azuero Peninsula evokes a different feel, home to cowboy towns simmering with sentimental allure, the heartland of folkloric tradition beckoning visitors to its festivals and pockets of colonial charm; while Khiriqui spans remote, surf-washed beaches and mist-shrouded volcanic heights; and Bocas del Toro remains the most popular tourist destination beyond Panama City, synonymous with a funky, laid-back lifestyle. "National Geographic Traveler: Panama" includes many detailed close-ups on subjects particular to the destination, in this case including wildcats that range the area; parrots and macaws; and whales that roam Panama's offshore waters; and poison-dart frogs, breataking in their beautiful coloration.