Hostels in South America

Benji Lanyado reviews 10 of the finest hostels in South America.

1. Mellow Yellow, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Alongside Milhouse in Buenos Aires (see below), Mellow Yellow is South America's most famous party hostel. The dorms are standard fare, including two huge "bunk-bed city" dorms with eight triple-decker bunks, but the emphasis here isn't on sleep — this is one- star accommodation, five-star atmosphere. The top floor bar descends into boozy bedlam on a nightly basis thanks to R$5 (£1.38) caipirinhas and mojitos, often followed by mass trips to the trendy zone, Lapa, where the party continues into the little hours. The hot tub on the veranda is a surprising added extra, and there's a rather large beach a few minutes walk away. Goes by the name of Copacabana. Heard of it?

2. Tucano House, Florianópolis, Brazil
Opened this November, Tucano House is a charming little number on a residential backstreet in Lagoa de Conceição, Florianópolis' second biggest town. The hostel is run by the lovely Caio and Marilia Capela, twenty-something siblings who have grown up on the island. Be sure to follow any of their tips, whether wandering along the banks of the lagoon, trekking through Atlantic forest to find secluded beaches on the southern coast of the island, or gorging on açaí (thick fruit smoothies) while watching the beautiful people on Praia Mole, the island's most famous beach and surfing spot.

3. Cabo Polonio Hostel, Cabo Polonio, Uruguay
Cabo Polonio Hostel, Cabo Polonio, Uruguay Photograph: Benji Lanyado A wooden shack with three stucco rooms for visitors, the Cabo Polonio hostel is something of a Robinson Crusoe experience. The community of hippies and fishermen isn't accessed by any roads, necessitating a half-an-hour truck ride from the coastal road to the peninsular, and be sure to take a torch - there isn't any electricity once you get there. By night, Alfredo, the hostel's Argentinean owner, cooks up dinner by candlelight, usually involving fresh-caught fish served on the wooden front porch. Once a trained chef, Alfredo's nosh is worth the journey alone.

4. Milhouse, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The ground floor bar at Milhouse usually gets going around midnight. By 2am, people will be talking about heading out for the evening, and by 3am they may or may not make it - few party hostels go as hard as Milhouse. But beyond the debauchery lies an architectural surprise. The hostel is in a three-storey colonial building in the heart of Buenos Aires' downtown, with each room set under high ceilings surrounding a gorgeous open-air atrium in the middle of the block. BA's political and religious centre, the Plaza de Mayo, is at the end of the road, and the restaurants and antique stores of San Telmo are a few minutes' walk away.

5. Che Legarto, Ilha Grande, Brazil
Che Legarto hostel, Ilha Grande, Brazil Photograph: Benji Lanyado The best budget option on Ilha Grande, two hours south of Rio, lies at the northern edge of the long cove at Abraão, the biggest town on the island. And the best seat in the house is on the balcony on the six-bed room above the wooden deck that reaches out over the water, where you can watch fishing boats zipping in and out of the bay, and see over to the mountains on the opposite shore. Che Lagarto is run by a gaggle of friendly young locals who cook up a mean barbecue every other night, and frequently invite their musical friends to play gigs in the hostel bar.

6. 41 Below, Bariloche, Argentina
41 Below is run by a bunch of friendly Kiwis who help guests arrange ski, board and clothing rental, lessons and transport to Cerro Catedral, one of South America's prime ski centres that looms over the town. Thousands of skiers and boarders descend on Bariloche, on the foothills of the Andes, over the winter months, but savvy backpackers turn up all year round … sunbathing and fishing on the banks of Huapi Lake during the summer, or trekking through the Lake District during the spring.

7. America del Sur Hostel, El Calafate, Patagonia
A hugely popular hostel in El Calafate, a small village on the banks of Lake Argentino in Patagonia. Frederico and his staff are famed for their hospitality and assistance in organising trips to the Perito Moreno Glacier and the surrounding towns and treks. The chillout area is the star of the show, with cosy sofas, a wood-burning fireplace and some of the finest views in Patagonia - taking in the town of Calafate (a seven-minute walk down the hill) and the lake beyond. The entire property has underfloor heating, and the newer doubles have their own private baths.

8. Hosteria Kamala, Montañita, Ecuador
In between the coastal villages of Montañita and Manglaralto on Ecuador's Pacific coast, the Kamala Hosteria is a collection of wooden cabañas on the beach. Passion fruit grows wild on the property, are mashed into smoothies and served up to local surfers at the beachfront bar and restaurant. The owners (who arrived in Montañita on holiday four years ago and never left) arrange dive and surf courses, and have a habit of getting guests hideously drunk. Nightly bonfires are lit on the beach, also the site of the Kamala's monthly full moon party.

9. La Nona B&B, Valparaiso, Chile
A small B&B on Cerro Alegre, the historic heart of the UNESCO-protected city of Valparaiso. The building is one of a number of corrugated tin houses doused in pastel shades on the street, walking distance from plenty of cosmopolitan restaurants and bars, most of which are owned by friends of La Nona's owner. The amiable Renee runs the property as a "home away from home", serving up fresh local coffee and a bumper breakfast each morning, lighting candles in the evening, and running a variety of tours of the city spliced with his own anecdotes.

10. The Adventure Brew Hostel, La Paz, Bolivia
A joint venture under Kiwi and Bolivian management, the Adventure Brew Hostel is the most popular hostel in La Paz. Which might have something to do with the microbrewery on the ground floor, and the noisy bar on the rooftop. And maybe something to do with the communal areas on each floor, glass walls letting the light shine through all five levels, unlimited free pancakes for breakfast and a barbecue every night. It's so popular they've had to build an overflow in a grand 1880s residence a few minutes up the road.

Yucatan - Mexico

Christine Delsol on Yucatán's Sacred Wells.

The Maya called them dzonots (sacred wells). The Spanish — mangling the Mayan name — called them cenotes. We call them unsurpassable swimming holes.

The Yucatán peninsula, where most of Mexico's cenotes are found, is a geological oddity: a flat limestone slab too porous to hold water on the surface. Rainwater seeps through the stone and carves subterranean channels in the peninsula's foundation. When sinkholes create breaches in the tunnel ceilings, subterranean waters are revealed to the world above.

Divers began surveying these wells and caves in the 1980s, bestowing names that range from the grandiose (Tajmajal) to the whimsical (Carwash, describing its popular use in past years). Thousands of cenotes have been discovered in the Caribbean coastal state of Quintana Roo alone, many linked to the world's three longest underground cave systems. Countless others remain hidden by jungle. Unearthed bones, precious stones and ancient ceramics suggest the ancient Maya used cenotes, regarded as gateways to the underworld, as ceremonial sites.

Some cenotes have become famous, most notably Cenote Segrado ("Sacred Well") at anointed world wonder Chichén Itzá. Popular parks have been created around them, such as Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park near Akumal, where the thriller "The Cave" and the IMAX movie "Amazing Caves" were filmed.

If visits to crowded Xcaret Hidden Worlds or Aktun Chen have ever made you wonder what it felt like to discover a secret cenote, here are a half-dozen where you won't fight throngs and you don't have to be a cave diver. All are accessible from the Riviera Maya's Highway 307. Most charge a few dollars' entrance fee and have bathrooms.

Cristalino: Though it's close to the hugely popular Cenote Azul, not many tourists find their way to this local favorite, which has a great jump-off point and a cave to explore. It overflows on Sundays with people beating the heat on their only day off, but the rest of the week you might have it to yourself. Take a cue from the locals: Bring a cooler and a blanket and while away the afternoon. Just south of Puerto Aventuras, east of the highway across from Barceló Maya Resort.

El Jardín del Edén (Ponderosa): "El Edén" looks like a big swimming pool in the middle of the jungle, tempting snorkelers with a wide variety of freshwater tropical fish and eels. In addition to a high jump-off point, a conveniently placed tree provides daredevils with a launch point. As a main entrance point into the underground cave system, it also attracts divers. Just south of Cenote Azul.

Xunaan Ha: Perhaps the least-known of the region's accessible cenotes, this one is reached by winding through a small Mayan village that is home to locals who work in and around Akumal. Signs point to the small cenote nearly hidden in the jungle, where you can swim, float or snorkel with schools of fish and the occasional freshwater turtle. Be prepared: no bathrooms here. Outside of Chemuyil, 7.5 miles south of Akumal.

Casa Cenote (Manatee): This large, open lagoon is the last cenote in one of the world's longest underwater cave systems before it empties into the sea. Fresh water bubbling up into ocean waters creates significant but not dangerous currents that make for a great variety of saltwater and freshwater fish. Swim upstream toward the caves, then wind your way back down through the mangroves toward the beach. Tankha, east of the highway and 6 miles north of Tulum.

Cenote Escondido (Mayan Blue): This beauty — a crisp, cool pool fringed with fan palms on a rocky bluff — requires a short jungle trek and draws fewer visitors than Cristal, its roadside neighbor. Swimmers can see hundreds of fish in the clear water; snorkelers will be better equipped to make out the stunning stone formations less than 20 feet below. 2.5 miles south of Tulum (highway signs mark the dirt road to the east).

Cenote Azul: Not to be confused with the well-known small cenote near Tulum, this is the world's deepest known cenote (nearly 300 feet) and well worth the drive. Though it's hardly a secret spot, not many tourists venture this far south. The cold, clear water is surrounded by dense forest at the southern end of the vast, multihued "Lagoon of Seven Colors." The site has changing rooms and a restaurant serving regional cuisine. South end of Laguna Bacalar, 9 miles north of Escárgega turnoff.

Top 10 Havana hotels

Charlie Thompson reviews 10 of the best Havana Hotels.

1. Santa Isabel

This grand 18th-century palace overlooks Havana's oldest and most beautiful colonial square, the Plaza de Armas. The pretty central courtyard has a fountain which is often filled with fresh tuberoses. Some of the beds are pretty squeaky so it's perhaps not the best place for nuits passionelles, but the cocktails are among the city's best and we defy you to get up from the mahogany and leather armchairs in the courtyard after more than two mojitos. Stay in the Santovenia Suite for a serious aesthetic treat.

2. Conde de Villanueva

Delightfully small and intimate establishment in what was once the mansion of Claudio Martínez de Pinillos, Count of Villanueva, the leader of Cuban Creole society in the 19th century. A favourite with cigar aficionados, it houses one of Old Havana's best cigar shops. The suite overlooking the junction of Lamparilla and Mercaderes Streets is probably the most inviting hotel room in Havana.

3. Saratoga

The Saratoga is the coolest hotel in Havana. Its elegant facade overlooks all the other 19th-century architectural splendours along the Paseo del Prado, including Havana's exquisite opera house. It's got a Mudejar-inspired restaurant, a Maugham-ish courtyard bar, the city's best rooftop pool and fabulous rooms, many of which have long cushioned window seats from which to watch the frenetic local street life. The mountain murals behind the bar with their multicoloured light display are the last word in urban kitsch.

4. Hotel Florida

A fabulous place with only 25 well furnished and spacious rooms flush with Italian marble. It was restored to its original 19th-century charm in 1999 and has bags of style. The entrance on to the bustling Calle Obispo is through a hugely impressive and imposing restored wooden door. The club downstairs (mostly salsa) can get quite lively but fortunately is well insulated so the sounds do not disturb and offer a good late night option. You are also very close to many Old Havana bars for an evening stroll or drink.

5. Hostal Valencia

Fantastic value, this beautiful place has only 12 rooms and often gets booked up early. Simple, yet very charming rooms set around a central courtyard garden with lush tropical plants make this a great option if you can get a reservation. The best rooms overlook the bay and are real Alice in Wonderland territory with low ceilings, beautiful furniture and no shortage of ambience. The Spanish restaurant is not bad either.

6. Mesón de la Flota

As close to a real Spanish tavern as you are likely to find, there are five rooms in this restored 19th-century inn. Comfortable clean rooms make this a good option as long as you like flamenco which plays nightly until 11pm and is extremely loud, but well done and well worth staying up for over a sangria. Food is mixed with good tapas but uninspiring main courses.

7. Hotel St John's

One of the relatively few budget hotels in Havana, St John's is clean, if a little threadbare. The seventh- floor swimming pool is tiny but after a few drinks offers the perfect place to cool off. The café-bar, becomes the Pico Blanco nightclub at 10.30pm, which is extremely popular with locals. It's also in a good location, at the bottom of La Rampa is the hub of Vedado.

8. Hotel Nacional

The Nacional is a magnificent hotel, fully deserving its ranking among the world's best, having hosted the likes of Churchill, Hemingway and Sinatra down the years. Unfortunately, the shabby rooms, patchy service and unexceptional food do not do justice to the general ambience. Savour the beautiful gardens, enjoy the history and relax by the pool, but don't try and get a dry martini with a rocket and walnut salad delivered to your room in the early hours of the morning.

9. Hotel Beltrán de Santa Cruz

The restored 19th-century building, which was converted into Hotel Beltrán in 2002, simply oozes charm. This is a small boutique place on the corner of Plaza Vieja, a few metres away from the popular Austrian brewery. The rooms are light and airy and are set around a lovely courtyard. The neighbouring buildings are somewhat run down but this should not put you off.

10. Bellavista

This is a marvellous casa partcicular offering a large master-bedroom, and one of the best private terraces in Havana, looking out across Havana Bay, which makes up for being out of Old Havana. The owner Mauricio speaks great English and is a charming "hablador" (talker) who will give you some interesting insights into Cuba.

South America

Terry Ward has some tropical suggestions.

South America
For a beach experience so stylish and sexy it puts South Beach to shame, set your sights on Uruguay. Punta del Este (less than an hour by plane from Buenos Aires in nearby Argentina) has been called many things: the St. Tropez, the Hamptons and the Monte Carlo of South America. There are Brazilian and Argentinean supermodels galore during the peak summer months (December to February).

And from this place, the money does ooze—not only in the flashy casino at the uber-luxe Conrad Hotel, but in the beautiful harbor, too, where you can tap your toes to the rhythm of bobbing yachts while enjoying fresh seafood washed down with medio y medio, Uruguay’s national drink.

“Punta is very seasonal. In the summer you have three times the people than in the off season, it’s like everything explodes,” said Montevideo resident Franco Vidiella. “Everything you see here is over-produced—from the women, with their beautiful clothes and tans, to the cars and the clubs.”

For more beauty on the beach, head a few hundred miles north of Punta del Este to the beaches of Florianopolis on the island of Santa Catarina in Southern Brazil.

Floripa, as Brazilians call this California-esque coastal enclave, is as renowned throughout Latin America for its golden beaches as it is for the golden-haired bombshells that abound—Germans, Polish and Italians colonized the South of Brazil, explaining the Giselle Bündchen look-a-like phenomenon that’s unmissable on the beaches here.

“Floripa is recognized as a top-end beach place in Brazil,” says Sao Paolo tourism executive Francisco Costa Neto. “They have some great seafood there, too, so it’s really the best of both worlds.”

The eastern beaches, particularly Praia Mole, draw international surfers and gorgeous groupies for good waves in a strut-your-stuff atmosphere, while the southern beaches, popular with Santa Catarina locals, are emptier due to the colder water, rocky shoreline and more remote access (many require hiking in).

Ponta dos Ganchos, an hour north of Santa Catarina, features 20 oceanfront bungalows on an isolated peninsula. With private saunas and plunge pools, it's Floripa’s most indulgent place to stay.

For a Brazilian island experience even farther removed from the mainland masses, set your sights on otherworldly Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago of 21 volcanic islands located roughly 215 miles off the northeast coast of Brazil and accessed by flights from Recife.

“It’s very Turks and Caicos. It’s unbelievable,” said Costa Neto about the area, “It’s probably one of the most amazing places in Brazil.”

Some 70 percent of the archipelago is designated national marine park, and the diving in Fernando de Noronha is considered the best in Brazil. Eight luxury bungalows at Pousada Maravilha were built to blend with the natural surroundings, but submerged mountain ridges jutting from the cerulean sea make this place seem from another planet.

Back on the South American mainland in Chile, the famed Lakes District has serpentine rivers, hauntingly beautiful waterfalls and twelve major lakes, all bound by snowy peaks and dormant volcanoes. Fairy-tale villages conjure Switzerland in South America, and the dry season—November to April—is an idyllic time to visit. Surrounded by acres of gardens, the sublime Hotel Atumalal near the town of Pucón overlooks LagoVillarica and claims to be a ‘Bauhaus Palace in the wilderness’ designed by famed Chilean architect Jorge Elton.

If anything can match the thrill of watching millions of gallons of water cascade from a precipice that looms 300 feet high on the border of two far-flung African countries, it would be partaking in the myriad activities around Victoria Falls. Bungee jumping and body boarding along the Zambezi River are a few of the intrepid offerings, as well as wildlife safaris.
And the last stop in South America is Los Llanos, the rugged prairie lands of Venezuela’s wild west. Dubbed one of the world’s richest tropical grasslands by the Nature Conservancy, the Llanos’ ecosystem revolves around the mighty Orinoco River, which nurtures abundant bird, fish, reptile and mammal life, including crocodiles, pythons, pumas and capybaras (semi-aquatic mammals that look like overgrown guinea pigs). This region is veritable cowboy country, and whether you’re making a river crossing or bumping down the road in a 4x4, your path is likely to be interrupted by herding cattle.

“The sunsets and sunrises in the Llanos are absolutely gorgeous because there are no mountains,” said Zulay Stempel, owner of Tiempo Libre Tours in Caracas, “The skies are all bright oranges and pinks. You feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“Especially when you come from a big city with so many problems and congestion ... you think ‘how did anyone ever get here?’” said Stempel. (These days, the answer to this logistics question is frequent flights and buses from Caracas to the main Llanos villages of Apure and Barinas.)

In keeping with the region’s rugged allure, most lodging in the Llanos is rustic, with several family-run pousadas along the Orinoco. Hato el Cedral has air-conditioned cabins on a working cattle ranch, and runs excursions into the grasslands.

San Juan - Puerto Rico

Travel Channel has a new Destination Guide to San Juan.

Top 10 hotels in Buenos Aires

Vicky Baker reviews 10 of the best hotels in Buenos Aires.

1. The Cocker

The Cocker has to be one of the best deals in town. Back in 1994, this place was barely a shell, with death-trap gas lighting and crumbling ceilings. The ambitious transformation, by British owners Aidan and Ian, is nothing less than stunning. Features such as the grand piano and antique cash register will have you drooling, while the manicured garden terrace – where they project films on hot evenings — offers views over the ramshackle neighbourhood of San Telmo. In case you´re wondering, the place is named after their beloved spaniel, Rocco.

2. Posada de la Luna

When you open the heavy wooden door on to a twisting colonial staircase with marble steps and elegant iron banisters, there's no doubting that you´ve stumbled on yet another prize conversion. Formerly home to a prominent 19th-century family, the Saavedras, the property had fallen into disrepair until two Franco Argentinians came to the rescue, retaining its character, and even some of the original furniture. Expect high ceilings, terracotta-tiled floors and refreshing splashes of greenery throughout, with quadruple rooms that are great value for families or groups of friends.

3. Che Lulu

Hidden on a side street in Palermo Viejo, Che Lulu is distinguishable by its scarlet exterior — a nod to its early years, when it was in the heart of the red-light district. That was back in 2003, when it was only the third B&B in the area. Since then, the prostitutes and transvestites have been moved on and the chi-chi boutiques and hip bars have moved in. Part hotel, part hostel, Che Lulu was established by an ex-flight attendant who called on various local artists to give each room an individual twist. Admittedly some are now looking a little tired, but this is still a great place for those on a budget, with a friendly ambience and welcoming communal areas (lounge, bar and patio). In the attic, there´s also a five-bed, brightly coloured dorm room, complete with air con.

4. La Otra Orilla

After the country´s economic crisis in 2001, mother and daughter team, Cecilia and Agustina, decided to trust in bricks and mortar. They invested in refurbishing their own home as a B&B, and haven´t looked back. Even though the pair have now moved out, it still retains the feel of a family home. The six rooms and one suite are simple but stylish, while outside there´s a back garden encased with pot plants and scented candles.

5. 1555 Malabia House

If there was such a thing a grand dame of Argentinian design hotels, this would be it. Racking up 10 years of business, and a string of devotees, Malabia House was the first on the scene, defining a new era of tourism in the capital. Housed in a former convent, with little pockets of garden dotted between the spacious rooms, its classic style means it hasn't dated (think queen-sized beds, air-conditioning, huge shutters on the windows ... ). Aiming to treat guests like family, the homely breakfast room has just one shared table and no cut-off time. There´s also an incredibly cosy lounge, where you´d be tempted to curl up all day. If there wasn't so much going on right outside ...

6. Bo Bo

Housed in a converted 1920s mansion, this super-stylish hotel offers just seven rooms, with a beautifully restored caged lift running between its two storeys. Bo Bo stands for bohemian bourgeois, and the rooms are themed on art movements (pop, minimalist, art deco etc). The Argentina suite is the one to splash out on — and in, as it contains its own Jacuzzi. The in-house restaurant is also popular with chic locals and is currently embracing two new Buenos Aires trends: pre-dinner drinks and afternoon cream teas.

7. Krista

If you find many of the new breed of Buenos Aires hotels intimidatingly showy, this is a more down-to-earth option. The early 1900s house was transformed into a B&B just last year and retains period features, including original wood panels and stain-glass windows. There´s an indoor and outdoor patio, plus a quiet ambience that contrasts nicely with the lively restaurant and café culture lying on its doorstep in Palermo Hollywood. After a busy day pounding the surrounding cobbled streets, you´d be wise to upgrade to one of the superior rooms with a claw-foot bath.

8. Axel Hotel

Buenos Aires´ first luxury gay hotel has been much hyped since it opened in October. In a city that this year has hosted the first Gay World Cup soccer tournament and the first gay tango festival, there´s certainly a market for it. Costing £3.5m, it bills itself as heterofriendly and, like its sister property in Barcelona, rooms are as style conscious as the clientele. If you can take your eyes off the beautiful people while waiting in the lobby, look up. The ripples of water on the ceiling belong to the impressive, glass-bottomed swimming pool upstairs.

9. Panamericano

Smartly dressed doormen? Check. Marble-floored lobby? Check. Five-star service? Check. The Panamericano is in every respect a stereotypical luxury hotel. To find out what makes it special, and roots you firmly in Buenos Aires, you need to head to the 23rd floor. Here, within a glass conservatory surrounded by muslin drapes, lies what could be the best pool in the city. You swim above the insanity of the world´s widest street, Avenida 9 de Julio, right in front of the majestic Teatro Colon, and with the tip of the Obelisco at eyelevel. If that isn´t enough, the hotel is also home to one of the Buenos Aires´ most highly-regarded restaurants, Tomo 1.

10. Faena Hotel and Universe

This is a place that not only thinks that the whole world revolves around it, but the entirety of time and space as well. Pretensions abound at this self-defined "hotel and universe" situated in a converted silo in the city's revamped docklands. For those who are flash with their cash, looking for the ultimate BA blow-out, this is a place to be seen. There´s nothing subtle about Philippe Starck´s interior design: the dramatic red drapes, the infinity pool, the silver faucets designed to look like swan heads, the restaurant decorated with the heads of white unicorns … The hall-of-fame portraits tell you all you need to know: almost every A-lister who has been to town in recent years has stayed here.

Panama City - Panama

Rory Carroll on Panama City.

Even if you have not faked your own death, there is reason to consider a visit to Panama City. It has charms to which a week of publicity about the Darwins' escapades has not done justice.

There is the nightlife of bars, restaurants and clubs, which is probably the most vibrant in central America. There is the restored old quarter redolent of Havana. There is the canal, a feat of engineering still gawk-worthy after all these decades. And not too far away, there are the beaches.

Add that up and it still falls short of a must-see destination. Panama City lacks the glamour of Buenos Aires, the exoticness of La Paz and the rediscovered brio of Bogota.

Foreigners may continue to view it principally as a discrete place to park money away from the gaze of tax authorities. But park yourself here for a week and you would not be bored.

The city curves along the Pacific ocean for 20km and sweeps into a brash skyline of new skyscrapers and cranes, a tropical Manhatten in the midst of a building boom.

It is invariably hot, often a clammy, sticky hot. Except when the clouds blacken and empty themselves over you with impressively short notice. Then it's clammy and sticky again.

The traffic is clogged, belchy and horn-happy, as is obligatory for Latin American capitals. When not behind the wheel of a vehicle people light up with dazzling smiles.

This is Latin America-light. A smattering of "dos-cervezas-por-favor" type Spanish goes a long way in a city that speaks more English than most in the region. Billboards and menus are often bilingual and dollars are accepted.

Hundreds of restaurants offer everything from the ubiquitous beans and rice to fancy Latin, European and Asian dishes. This is cocktail heaven. Pina Coladas, Mojitos and Cuba Libres the way God intended.

Stroll past the bars with young, busty Colombian women and you realise it's also a sex tourism destination. The industry operates with a brazenness which belies the fact that much of it is illegal.

The colonial quarter, Casco Antiguo, mixes dilapidated decay with gleaming restorations. Walking tours will evoke the Spanish hedyay but watch out for those parts that are as dodgy now as when pirates rollicked into town.

The canal museum is so-so but the waterway itself is a sight to behold when a monster tanker passes from lock to lock, dwarfing everything.

Spivs and charlatans with things to hide will continue flocking here but that is no reason for Panama City's modest but real charms to remain a secret.