Cast in a quintessential colonial time warp, the towns of northeast Azuero boast whitewashed churches and a miscellany of modest attractions. While the beaches have limited appeal, the shoreline wetlands teem with migratory and nesting birds.

The largest urban centre, Chitre is a whirlwind of modern commercialism surrounding a colonial core. Casting cool shadows over the square, the Catedral de San Juan Bautista has a fabulous gilt-and-mahogany altar, plus lovely stained-glass window adorning an otherwise simple interior. The building shows few hints of being a postcolonial creation.

Housed in a merchant’s mansion that later served as the town post office, the small Museo de Herrera traces the history of Azuero back to the antediluvian dawn. A mammoth fossil, pre-Columbian pottery and gold ornaments, and even a skeleton of a cacique buried with gold are among the highlights. The upstairs room displays polleras and devil costumes.