Panama is the most southern Central American country and travelers may be surprised to find the capital, Panama City, to be quite comparable to Miami. In the last couple of years Panama has experienced a big increase in the number of hotels and resorts in the city and in its main tourist destinations. And, if water sports is your forte, you'll be pleased to hear that Panama has 5,637 kilometers of coastline and more than 1,518 islands. In addition, over a third of the country's land is protected. Bisecting it all is the Panama Canal, the world's most concentrated highway of commerce and one of the engineering marvels of the modern world. see moresee less