Panama
in North America

Very few people think of Panama and picture this: a national marine park protecting over 25,000 square kilometres of Pacific ocean, with 53 islands, deserted white sand beaches, and coral reefs in genuinely good condition. The Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí keeps most of the archipelago off-limits to development, which means the humpback whales calve here undisturbed between July and October, the snorkelling is exceptional, and the handful of small lodges that exist feel like a genuine privilege to reach. David is the nearest city and a useful base. After that, it is mostly water, jungle, and the particular silence of somewhere still finding its way onto the map.