Everyone knows the canal, but Panama, the diminutive land-bridge of a country, doesn’t seem to get the attention it’s due. Did you know Panama stretches east-west, and that the northern entrance to the canal from the Atlantic is actually farther west than where it meets the Pacific to the south? I lived there for a year, teaching English at a couple of universities, and found a boatload of natural sites to frequent, and the short driving distances meant I could see more in less time. Tourism there has come a long way since my time there—the secret is out of the bag—but that has only made travel there all the easier. Here are just a few of my personal favorite destinations and activities. Guna Yala (San Blas Islands) The custodian at my apartment complex was Guna (Kuna), an indigenous people of Panama, and I offered him English lessons in exchange …