Looking for a truly remote, off-the-grid adventure? Try Panama.
A new initiative links travelers with Indigenous and rural guides, opening access to regions that have been largely untouched by tourism.
By Stephanie Vermillion, National Geographic, October 6, 2023
Championing Ngäbe Culture Through Gastronomy: A Magical Evening
On March 30, 2025, cultural activist Felipe Baker and Grupo Maito’s Chef Mario Castrellón presented their project, Ari Ugüenrien @ariuguenrienproject, to the Bocas community for the first time.
By The Bocas Breeze, April 4, 2025
Flavors of Panama
Flavors of Panama Chapter 1 - Ngäbe Buglé Region. Thanks to Ari Uguenrien, follow them @ariuguerienproject, they are a group of Ngäbe women who are preserving ancestral recipes.
By Wallace Presenta, Instagram, April 2, 2025
In Panama, Ancestry and Preservation
Mario Castrellón, chef at the Maito restaurant, embraces the indigenous community in order to care for and polish the indigenous gastronomic culture in favor of sustainable tourism.
By Joana Munné, Versatille, November 2024 (Photos by Víctor Miller)
Calalú and Dashin: Delights in Río Caña
A group of Ngabe women from the Río Caña community received training with chef Maito Castrellón where the objective was to enhance local gastronomy.
By Team ELLAS, ELLAS Magazine, published October 15, 2021
Río Caña Surprises with its Native Gastronomy
Award-winning Panamanian chef Mario Castrellón, in his quest to promote native Panamanian cuisine, participated in the Ari Ugüenrien (Let's Cook Together) culinary exchange in the remote coastal community of Río Caña Abajo, Kusapín District, Ngäbe Buglé region, where women showed him their gastronomic treasures.
By Alexander Arosemena, La Prensa, published Sep 29, 2021