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| Penonomé | ||
| province | Coclé | |
|---|---|---|
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Penonomé is a city in Panama, in the province Coclé.
background
Penonomé is on the Panamericana, approx. 150 km from Panama City away. It is the capital of the province of Coclé, is 40 - 80 km from the famous beaches at Playa Blanca to Playa Coronado and was founded in 1581.
getting there
By bus from Panama City (Terminal de Transporte Albrook) for $ 5.25. Buses run every 20-30 minutes and Penonomé is a hub. Buses from:
- East direction: Anton, Rio Hato, El Valle de Antón, Panama City
- West direction: Natá de los Caballeros, Aguadulce, Santiago de Veraguas
- South direction: Chitré
By plane
The nearest airport is in Panama City (Tocumen), airport code PTY. Distance about 180 km. The nearest airport is in Rio Hato. Currently only international flights from Canada. Should a European airline buy in, then the closest airport to Europe would be only 35 km away.
By bus
As described under Arrival, approx. 2.5 hours by bus for 5.25 $ from Panama City (as of 2015), approx. Every 20-30 minutes, from 4:30 in the morning to 10:45 pm. There is a central one in Penonomé 1 UTRAPEP bus station. Long-distance buses to the west and south, Chitré, David, Las Tablas and Santiago leave from the PUMA petrol station on the Panamericana. The buses going east, Anton, Coronado, Bejuco, La Chorrera, Panamá City, leave from the hospital on the other side of the Interamericana. Buses for surrounding towns leave from the city center Av. Cincuentenario / Calle Rafael Eyseric / Calle Alejandro Posada. You can get on and off all along the route. Hand signals are used to get on and the driver is informed when getting off. There are no official departure times. The buses run at regular intervals.
In the street
Since Penonomé is located directly on the "Carretera Panamericana", it is very easy to reach from Panama City or from Costa Rica (via David). The road is well developed and passable by Central American standards.
By boat
Penonomé is not at any port. The nearest port is in Aguadulce, approx. 45 km away.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
Churches: Penonomé has a central church in the city center as well as several smaller churches in the immediate vicinity and the city districts. The population consists largely of Catholics.
Parks: The park of Penonomé is centrally located between the church and the police station. Nicely designed, several park benches invite you to linger. Everything is wonderfully lit, especially around Christmas.
Museums: There is a smaller museum in the city center. Please inquire about opening times on site.
various
Penonomé is a quiet, tranquil rural town. Except for a few bars and discos, there was no nighttime action, no riots or riots. The majority of the inhabitants live from agriculture and trade. The area is flat, the mountains and the sea can be reached within 1/2 hour by car. Because Penonomé is the district capital, there is a lot of business going on during the day. Goods are traded, the farmers put their products on the market. There are regular fairs in Penonomé and the surrounding area (ferias), in particular the Feria de Naranjas in Churiquita Grande in January and the horse festival in Penonomé in December. Throughout the year there are fiestas, patronales, some with cockfights and bull rides all over the area.
activities
shop
There are 2 areas for shopping: 1. Directly on the Panamericana there is a shopping center with Super99, McDonald's and many small shops (clothing, pet shop, etc.) 2. On the two largest main streets in the city center there are a large number of smaller and larger shops for clothing, electronics, and much more. Currently (2015) various malls are being built. The range of shops will expand significantly in the near future.
kitchen
Typically Panamanian. Rice, potatoes, beans, carrots, chicken and beef. Here you will find a variety of restaurants and canteens. From $ 2.5 in simple restaurants to $ 20 in upscale restaurants, you'll find a variety of foods. There are also a number of Chinese, Italian and other foreign restaurants on site. There is a pizzeria, which is run by a Persian-Panamanian couple, both speak German.
Cheap
The typical fondas cost between 1.50 - 5.00 $ per meal, like all fondas / quick kitchens they are distributed throughout the city
medium
There are various restaurants (no fondas) from $ 8-12 per meal
Upscale
There are a number of upscale restaurants, mostly near the malls, city center or on the Interamericana. Prices from $ 12 up to no limits.
nightlife
There is little night life, mostly only at festivals in the city. There have been 3 discos since 2014, they are all on the Interamericana.
accommodation
There are some hotels in and around town. There are no luxury hotels. Penonomé is not a typical holiday destination, mostly travelers or business people.
Cheap
from $ 20 per night without breakfast
medium
from $ 35 per night without breakfast
Upscale
from $ 76 per night and room, breakfast with surcharge
Learn
As usual in Panama, there are state schools. The children go to school from the age of 5. There are 6 years of compulsory schooling. There are some private schools in Penonomé. If you want to study, you have to attend school up to the 12th grade. In Penonomé there is the Universidad de Coclé with an attached observatory, while the nearest larger colleges / universities are in Santiago (100 km) or Panama City (150 km).
Work
There are few unemployed people in Penonomé. Average earnings are around $ 500 / month for a 6-day week and a 10-hour day. In agriculture, a day laborer earns around $ 12-20 / day (as of 2015).
security
In Penonomé, you can also be out and about at night without any problems. As in all countries on earth, the following applies: Do not display the noble jewelery in public or wave money.
health
Hospital and doctor's offices available.
Practical advice
The population is friendly and helpful. You are barely understood in English. Communication in German is not possible. Basic language skills in Spanish are recommended.
In Penonomé (as in the rest of Panama) there are hardly any street details and no house numbers. There is mail, but no postman. Letters and parcels must be handed in to the post office. The post office is near the church.
trips
There are many excursions you can take from Penonomé. Among other things, it would be recommended El Valle de Antón (approx. 45 km, the bus just says Penonomé - El Valle). You can drive to the beaches or into the picturesque hinterland. Natá de los Caballeros with the oldest church in Panama is 25 km away (by bus towards Aguadulce). The closest national park is: Parque National Altos de Campana, to be reached via El Limón.
