Enrique Sanchez, a marketing manager for Panama's Tourism Authority, gives us a plethora of ideas about what to do when visiting this vibrant country, which combines and contrasts tradition with modernity.

Panamanian Carnival Queen, Nohelys Gonzalez, shares with us a bit about this much anticipated celebration as well as her beautiful nation.

Cienfue is an alternative folk guitarist and singer who mixes Panama's peculiar folklore with alternative rock and social lyrical content. Here is the official video of "La décima tercera", a song that is part of his 2010 album La calma y la tormenta (The Calm and the Storm).

There’s a lot to love about Panama’s Cienfue. Take this great song and its even better video. It makes you want to walk right into the ocean to play guitar underwater on a sunny day, doesn’t it?

Cienfue is a charismatic Panamanian singer. He manages to have a rock star attitude and still be a nice guy. We know: we had a chance to meet him. Make sure to visit his webpage.

Meet Rubén Blades, a Salsa superstar. He helped mix Cuban and Caribbean rhythms with Jazz in New York City. Rubén Blades (or, Rubencito here among friends) composed some salsa classics while also excelling as a singer. But that’s not all. Moviegoers may recognize him as one of the victims in Predator 2. He also has a law degree and ran for president of Panama. When this video with Calle 13 was filmed, he was Panama’s Tourism Minister.

Cholito prefers the gentle beauty of nature to any colossal modern hotels. There are some plans to develop Cholito’s favorite Panamanian beaches, but he (and many other locals) love the way things are. After our boat ride around the islands, we understand why!

Beautiful Panama has been promoted to tourists with the slogan “Se queda en tí” (“It stays with you”). Panamanian waters are great for surfing, for fishing and for floating around and chatting. Let’s meet Cholito, one of the locals, who will show us around in his boat!

With the right guide atop Cerro Ancón, you can learn about the most important spots in Panama City without fighting traffic. We were lucky enough to find a great guide to show us this beautiful city from on high.

Our Panamanian friend is proud of historic Cerro Ancón. He even knows some poetry about its lush history. Let’s listen in to learn more about el corazón del universo.