Guararé
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| Festival Nacional de Guararé |
Guararé is a county of Los Santos Province in Panama. There is about 10,000 inhabitants.The capital lies at the city of Guararé, but there are more towns. Now, let's find out what we should know about this beautiful place.
Background
Guararé was founded on January 21, 1864. This town was originated when, after the pirate Henry Morgan's attack on Panama’s City, a group of colonizers moved to the lower part of Azuero, and settled on the banks of a river in the dominions of the cacique Guararí or Guarase. There Spardians disputed the land with the Indigenous people and brought their customs. Gaspar de Espinosa relates in his chronicles that after the port was built, barges, in which Diego de Hurtado visited the coasts of Montijo and Chiriquí, were built.
Toponymy
The name of Guararé is undoubtedly of Ngöbe origin and with it the fish is named "ray" or "manta ray". It probably comes from two ngöbe terms: "gwa", which means "fish", and "arare" which means "ray". This was the name of the cacique found by the Spaniards under the command of Gaspar de Espinoza, in 1516 in the Azuero region that today comprises the Guararé county. The Spaniards also used to assign to the region or chiefdoms the same name of the cacique who dominated there. Occasionally, the Spanish, instead of Guararé, wrote down "Guararí '. The suffix" ri ", according to the Ngöbe language, indicates the existence of a river or stream. For this reason," Guarari "means" River of the Ray Fish ".
Culture
When mentioning Guararé we also talk about folklore, the Virgin of Las Mercedes, the Mejorana’s National Festival, the beauty of its landscapes and the attachment to our traditions that the inhabitants of Guararé demonstrate.
The Mejorana’s National Festival is better known as the largest Folkloric exhibition in our country. It dates back to 1949 when Dr. Manuel Fernando Zárate, studying in Europe, witnessed as in those festivities, a tribute was paid to a specific instrument. Upon his return to Panama, he thought of having a Festival that would enhance the indigenousness of the town and the pride of Guararé "La Mejorana".It was then when he met on July 24, 1949 with a group from the community to present his idea and together give shape to that motivation of highlighting his people in parties that would later become the most important festival in our country.
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| Manuel and Dora Zárate |
Nowadays, the town of Guararé has been host of this Festival for more than 50 years and it is a place where special love is kept for the Virgin of Las Mercedes, patron saint of the people of Guararé.
The festivities of the patron saint Virgin de Las Mercedes and La Mejorana are celebrated every year from September 23 to 27 in the Guararé district. The virgin was taking great importance, due to the quantity and quality of the miracles that she achieved for her devotees.
Professor Manuel Fernando Zárate and his wife, Dora Pérez de Zárate were faithful witnesses to the miracles of the Virgin and joined the thousands of people in the province and throughout the country who venerated and thanked the Blessed Virgin for the favors granted. This unquestionable faith of the Zárate couple was due to the healing miracle of one of the daughters.
Traditional Food
The people of Guararé eat well, especially their typical dishes that are made with all the love and care of culinary art. Its special food recipes are those where the aroma and flavor put you in front of the stove to savor the exquisite Sancocho de Gallina. The style of this dish is with various ingredients but the main one is yam. it is said that the sancocho is the richest to taste. It is generally served with white rice and sometimes with bread.
Here I will mention other delicious plates and drinks:
- Puff pastry with suckling pig: This is a flour-based fry that is very popular and is known as puff pastry and torrejas. It is very appropriate to serve with a good cup of coffee . It is easy to make and has an incredible flavor.
- Fried suckling pig: a good pork shoulder is very exquisite, it is prepared by seasoning the meat with ingredients such as coriander, achiote and salt giving it a tasty flavor.
- Beans and fried meat: This is the most popular accompaniment to a typical lunch in this county. Generally, white rice and beans with fried sunnied meat is very special and common at the table of the man from Guararé.
- Pork sausages: In almost all townships there are families that make pork sausages. This product is prepared by mixing pork meat with small pieces of stews. Later, making small units of approximately 4 inches to sell and for self-consumption. The particularity of the flavor is partly due to the fact that its wrapping is properly selected and prepared pork casings.
- Drinks: A good lemonade is always required to accompany meals, especially when it is sweetened with cane honey. Among the fruit juice drinks ,according to the season, the 'chichas' of orange, nance, cashew, tamarind and pineapple stand out. On the other hand, an exquisite chicheme made from white or yellow corn is tasteful for the whole families.
Activities in Mejorana's National Festival
The Guararé festivals have been famous for so many years until present. Every year it is common to see how the people of the community prepare to "not miss" the festivities of the Virgen de las Mercedes; preparing their best "clothes" to attend these wonderful parties, which for Tableños, is one of the most important in the province. It is part of the traditions, 'to take care of the horses' to go show them off in the Guararé square, along with other grooms from the surroundings. The party is organize by a committee that selected the standard bearers for the three days on which the won "gamble" was made; appointed a butler who in turn was in charge of selecting the bravest cattle in the surroundings, hiring the bullfighters, the pitero and the cashier, preparing the 'cut' of the cañazas, mangroves or strawberry trees and vines for making the barrier.
During this National Festival of the Mejorana, different traditional folk events take place, for example, singing contests of the Mejorana, of interpreters of the Mejorana, drum, violin and accordion; of compositions, song of the tenths and many others. Perhaps the most attractive part of the festival is the parade, which occupies a large number of carts in the region adorned with the most unexpected elements of the interior countryside, adorned with beautiful women wearing the typical national costume, regional dresses, in a true conjunction of cultures from this country; chaired by the Queen of the Festival, who is chosen by means of a contest; Applicants must be from the Guararé district or have family roots in this district.
Attractions & Accomodation
This is a picturesque town on the banks of the Guararé River. It is characterized by its customs and folk traditions where music and the skirt are very important symbols of this region.
During your stay in Guararé, you will be able to visit places like La Playa El Puerto, which is located right at the mouth of the Guararé River. Here meals are offered at a good price, with seafood being the specialty. There you can find seafood such as shrimp, prawns, squid, lobsters, etc. You can also visit La Playa Bella Vista, which is an almost virgin beach waiting for visitors.
Among other places to visit we have the Manuel F. Zarate Museum.The Manuel F. Zárate House Museum was the residence that housed Don Manuel Fernando Zárate and Doña Dora Pérez de Zárate, both considered the fathers of our folklore.This house was built by an embarra board, in which the Guarana community participated, on May 11, 1959. Currently, it is a museum directed by the National Institute of Culture. where you can see old skirts, masks and musical instruments. Visiting hours are from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. at 4:00 p.m. To contact them, call 507-994-5644.
The Salto el Pilón tourist center is located in the community of Perales, district of Guararé, Los Santos Province; 45 minutes from the entrance of the Cruce de Montero, inland as if you were going to reach the foothills of Canajagua.
The Tourist Center and El Encanto Spa, in addition to providing moments of relaxation, stress-free fun and with your loved ones, breathing air of healthy nature, appreciating the flora and fauna of our region, also cares about pleasing each once again to its customers and users, allowing them to enjoy the new innovations within the center.
The City of Guararé has hotels like the Hotel la Mejorana with spacious rooms. Visitors can also stay in the City of Las Tablas, which is about 5 kilometers away. In this city the hotels also offer a high quality service. In addition, in this city you can find good restaurants such as the Residencial La Mejorana Restaurant, Ave. Nacional, and the Rompe Olas Restaurant on El Puerto Beach.
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| La Mejorana Hotel |
Telecommunication
You will find modern communication systems where by means of cards or "Calling cards", you can communicate with your loved ones anywhere in the world using public telephones located in pharmacies, parks, hospitals, etc.
Transportation
The best way to get from Panama City to Guararé is to bus which takes 5h 5m and costs $11 - $13. Alternatively, you can fly, which costs $17 - $220 and takes 2h 12m. On the other hand, the driving distance between Panama City to Guararé is 277 km. It takes approximately 3h 54m to drive from Panama City to Guararé.
The Weather
The main climate is the Tropical climate. This type of climate is characterized by the presence of two seasons: the wet season and the dry season. There are areas with a temperate climate in the higher elevations. The average temperature is 27 degrees centigrade.
There are only two climatological seasons in the year, the dry season (Summer) and the rainy season (Winter).
Famous Characters
One of the greatest boxers of all time Roberto "Mano de Piedras" Durán, was born in Guararé on June 16, 1951. Biography.
Location
The City of Guararé is located in the Province of Los Santos, which is located on the Azuero Peninsula about 4.5 hours from Panama City.
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