Following the map of America here is an unforgettable journey on the legendary Pan-American route that will take you from Lima to Panama.
Our journey along the map of America and the legendary one continues Panamericana, and after having traveled 7.000 kilometers from Tierra del Fuego to Peru, the time has come to cross the last strip of South America and then move to Central America up to Panama. This route crosses 5 states for a length of almost 4.000 kilometres, also entering the foothills of the great Amazon forest and the Darien swamps between Colombia and Panama.
Obviously, before you travel, remember that excellent physical preparation and a good level of training are essential, as well as direct and constant contact with all the local tourist administrations in order to travel safely.
We start from the capital of Peru, Lima, after spending a few days exploring its historic center which houses some of the most important museums in all of South America, such as the National Museum of Archeology with its collection of pre-Columbian art, and having spent an evening in the characteristic neighborhoods of Barranco and Miraflores. To get back on the Pan-American Highway you will have to take the Carretera Panamerica Norte which runs along the entire Peru towards Ecuador.
Going up the northern coast of Peru you can stop to admire the majestic Inca and Chimu archaeological sites, such as the cities of Sechin, Sipán, Cahuachi and Chan Chan, perhaps less known than the famous Machu Picchu but equally interesting and evocative. Continue along your map of America in a northerly direction to encounter the city of Trujillo, a fascinating destination to make a short stop and visit the Piramidi de Moche, a few kilometers from the historic center.
The Peruvian coast in this region is full of seaside resorts and beaches of great beauty, so it is worth stopping along the way north to take a swim or even just admire the sunrise by the ocean. Continuing the journey, which continues along the coast, we arrive at Chiclayo, an important city in northern Peru, where you can visit one of the most important archaeological sites in South America: the Museum of the Tombs of Sipan, also called the Tutankhamuns of America due to the wealth of funerary objects found.
The last Peruvian stage of the Pan American is green waters, a quaint seaside town on the border between Peru and Ecuador where you can visit the extraordinary alluvial formations in the Santuario nacional Manglares de Tumbes.
Once in Ecuador the Pan-American Highway follows the route of the Ecuador Highway 35, also called Troncal de la Sierra, which crosses many mountain areas and which in some sections is in less than optimal conditions. The first Ecuadorian stop on our trip is the city of Cuenca, an important commercial location and a UNESCO site due to the importance of its cultural heritage, as its large cathedrals and the museum of aboriginal cultures clearly demonstrate.
Continuing north you skirt the great volcano of Chimborazo, whose summit is the point on earth furthest from the center of the planet, and then arrive at the capital of the state, Quito, the first city together with Krakow to enter the UNESCO world heritage site in 1978 due to its wonderful historic centre. It is worth giving yourself a few days to visit the wonders found in this city, such as the majestic churches, the presidential palace and the important art and archeology museums and don't forget that just 25 kilometers from the center of Quito is the Half of the world, the monument and museum dedicated to the Equator, which passes exactly above this point.
Continuing further north along the map of America you first arrive at Tulcán, where you can take a final break in Ecuador before entering Colombia crossing the Rumichahca Bridge, and then arriving in Pasto. The Colombian stretch of the Pan-American Highway is one of the most complex to follow because, unlike the other states you will find yourself crossing, in this region the route follows different motorway branches: Highway 25 from Pasto to Murillo and, subsequently, Highway 72 to in Bogota. From Bogota take Highway 54 to Medellin and then continue on Highway 62 to Turbo.
The most interesting destinations along the route are the state capital, Bogota, which in recent years has undergone a major redevelopment process which has made it regain the title of South American Athena for the large number of cultural institutions it hosts, such as the Gold Museum and the Botero Foundation, and Medellin, the city of spring, also profoundly redeveloped after the period of the war against drug traffickers and today home to interesting museums and an ideal place to take a walk in the wonderful city public parks.
In Colombia, on the northern border of the state, the traced route of the Pan-American Highway is interrupted when Highway 62 reaches Turbo, in the region of Darien where there is an endless uninhabited marshy area. Although crossing this large area, which connects Colombia with Panama, is possible on board off-road vehicles or amphibious vehicles, it is strongly discouraged due to the presence of smugglers and rebels hiding among the foggy swamps. Given the danger of this 100 kilometer stretch, the best and safest choice is to take a ferry in the seaside town of Turbo and thus avoid any possible problems, arriving directly in Yaviza in Panama.
From Yaviza it is possible to resume the Pan-American route by entering Highway 1 up to the capital Panama City, where you can visit the beautiful old city with the remains of the structures founded by the first Spanish colonization and take a long walk on Las Bóvedas, the suggestive promenade that directly overlooks the Pacific. Having reached this point, it is time to give yourself a few days' rest to rest before leaving South America, continuing to follow the Pan-American map of America.
