Aguadulce

Aguadulce is a small agricultural town, best known for its sugar cane fields and salt flats.   It is located aproximately 190 km from Panama City, and about 30 minutes drive from the town of Penonome, which is the capital city of the province of Cocle.

One of the largest celebrations in Aguaduce takes place in the month of October, and is held in honor of the foundation of Aguadulce, which is over 150 years old.  Older than the Republic of Panama itself.  During the celebrations one can expect to find a variety of local foods, such as Sancocho, a national chicken soup made from chicken, and white yam, as well as new corn fritters.  There are also a number of  sport events, folkloric presentations and parades that take place during the celebration of the foundation of Aguadulce.

While touring the city, visitors can try local dishes, traditional foods from the region, like the delicous sancocho de gallina and pastelitos de maiz nuevo, that are sold at many portable food stores along the way.

Aguadulce is located very near Panama's Sarigua National Park which consists of aproximately 8000 HA.  Sarigua National park is makes up the dryest region of Panama, with an average annual rainfall of 1,100 mm, and an average annual temperature of 27º C.   The park reached it current state because the coastal forests in the region were totally destroyed to make way for grazing land, leaving poor acid soils exposed to the erosion caused by strong winds, winter rains and the tide of the Pacific Ocean. The national park is also made up of mangrove swamps and coastal zones, and forms a very important migratory area for birds.