Aguadulce lies 10km south of Nata and the best time to visit is at the end of the dry season as it comes to life with activity. Trucks of freshly harvested cane become a pretty sight and scatter dry leaves as they move on the highway towards Rio Santa Clara. Aguadulce means "sweet water". This town is a home to many refineries but it is famous for being the town where Panama's shrimp aquaculture started in 1974. Today the shrimp cultivation stands at delivering 6,100 tonnes annually. There was also a time when the salt works of Aguadulce were the largest in Panama. The festival of Aguadulce is called Carnaval and takes place around mid-October in honour of the founding of this town.

Sightseeing
The Santa Rosa Sugar Refinery is located 15km west of Aguadulce but it is worth a visit especially from January to March. The mill has a workforce of around 4000 and visitors can get to see the refinement process, the old machinery and even the house of the original mill owner.

Shrimp farms and salt flats are the place to be for wildlife lovers as the fertile wetlands attract various species of birds that flock here during feeding time. Sea lions are a common sight especially near the deep saline lakes surrounded by rocks and mangroves.

Getting there
Aguadulce is situated 185 km west of Panama City and can also be reached from David, which is 250km from here. Since it is located close to the Interamericana, it is well connected by buses and taxis from Panama City. If you fancy a long drive then you can always drive down.