When you think Panama you think of panama hats. Did you know the style of the white straw hats we typically think of as Panama hats were made in Ecuador probably by the Incas in the 16th Century? These Ecuadorian Panama hats became popular in Panama during the construction of the canal. Many credit a picture of President Theodor Roosevelt wearing a panama hat when he visited the canal as popularizing these hats in Europe and the United States. There was a time when all well dressed men in the tropics wore a Panama hat. Light and airy these straw hats were perfect for keeping the hot sun off your head when working or visiting in the tropics.

The hats made in Panama are woven from plant fibers similar to the Ecuadorian version. The most famous of the Panamanian hand-woven straw hats are made in Coclé Panama and called a sombrero pintado or painted hat. These hats are made of junco or bellto plants and sewn with pita, and come in a variety of patterns and designs depending on the weaver. Most are white or cream with black borders or stripes around the hat.

The plants to make these hats grow close to streams and rivers and have to be harvested stripped, boiled and bleached or dyed. The fiber is then braided and the braids wound, sewn and shaped on a hat mold. The color of the fiber and the pattern and weave of the braid is unique to each weaver. The art of making these hats has been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years.

The coarser or more rustic hats are made with thicker braids and are the most hardy and least expensive. These "work hats" are often worn by farmers and stand up to extreme weather conditions. These hats will generally have seven or so braids while the "finer" straw hats will have as many as fifteen or twenty braids creating a much dressier smoother look.

The finer the braid and the more braids used in the hat the more elegant the look and expensive the hat. Finely braided sombrero pintado can cost up to $ 300 while the more rustic versions can be found for $ 15. All of the hats are unique and beautiful handcrafted works of art and the style you pick depends on personal taste and where and with what you intend to wear the hat.

Quite frankly it is easier to find an Ecuadorian Panama hat in Panama today than it is to find the native made sombrero pintado. If you are looking for a real sombrero pintado it is best to look in the Province of Coclé where the majority of these hats are made. Coclé is about an hour-and-a-half from Panama City on the Pacific coast of Panama. You will find a large selection of the sombrero pintados in the handicraft markets of La Pintada a small village twenty minutes from Penonome the regional capital of the Province