Nicknamed the island of flowers for the hibiscus bougainvillea, jasmine, and Taboga roses that bloom in riotous abundance, this laid-back island is almost Mediterranean in flavour and understandably popular with day-trippers escaping the heat and bustle of Panama City.

Cooler and less rainy than Panama City, Isla Taboga was first settled by Spanish in 1524 and later served as a base for Francisco Pizarro’s conquest of the Inca Empire and for piratical predations on Spanish shipping.

The narrow main street leads along the waterfront and ascends through forest past abandoned World War II bunkers and the ruins of a Spanish cannon embrasure. The trail ends atop Cerro de la Cruz, where you can survey the isle and the gulf.