Panama reminds us of a promising actress. There's no denying she has the potential to hit the big time: rain forest, mountains, historical sites, palm trees, beaches, coral reefs, deep-sea fishing, Spanish-colonial architecture and unusual Amerindian cultures. And she has the Panama Canal, a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction for cruise-ship passengers and those who opt for smaller boat tours. With a few breaks, Panama could be a star.

Panama is a narrow country of mountains and rain forests - it's only 50 mi/80 km across at the narrowest point (along the canal) and 120 mi/193 km at its widest. It forms a land bridge between the two American continents, but it does not lie north-south. It actually stretches east and west in an S shape. That is why, in Panama, it's possible to see the sun rise over the Pacific and set in the Caribbean. The country's shape also means that a boat moving from the Caribbean to the Pacific leaves the canal farther to the east than it enters.