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Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean like the head of an axe (or adze, which is what azuero means), the largely deforested Peninsula de Azuero was one of the earliest regions of Panama to be settled by Spanish colonists and is considered the cradle of Panamanian rural tradition and folklore. Predominantly agricultural, the landscape here is dry and scrubby, dotted with small villages little changed from colonial times, its narrow roads often blocked by herds of cattle being led to market by cowboys on horseback or the occasional ox-drawn cart. In many ways visiting the Azuero is like going back to seventeenth-century rural Spain - the peninsula's Spanish heritage is clearly evident in the traditional handicrafts and folkloric costumes, and above all in the vibrant religious fiestas . Between fiestas, the principal towns of Chitre and Las Tablas are sleepy market centres where little happens, but the historic town of Los Santos and the eerie desert landscape of Parque Nacional Sarigua , both near Chitre, make interesting excursions. Further south, meanwhile, the peninsula's rich coastal ecology is well preserved. The small town of Pedasi is surrounded by deserted white-sand beaches, while the nearby Isla Iguana Wildlife Reserve , an offshore island surrounded by coral reefs, is one of the best places for snorkelling or scuba diving on the Pacific coast of Panama. The rarely visited Isla Canas Wildlife Reserve , further west, is an excellent place to observe nesting sea turtles. The mountainous western half of the peninsula, scarcely penetrated by roads, is home to the Parque Nacional Cerro Hoya , among the most beautiful and remote national parks in Panama, accessible only by boat or by a long, unpaved road from Santiago.
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