You can buy them on every street corner in Panama. They come in different colors and
qualities. The hats are especially popular among tourists and have been worn for centuries by locals in Panama and other South American countries. And they bear an interesting little story.
The hat is made from the leaves of the toquilla straw plant which is indigenous to a region in Ecuador, which means that the Panama hat should actualy be called Ecuador hats. So why the confusion? The hats themselves trace as far back as to the 16th century and their proper Spanish name is “sombreros de paja toquilla”. The Panamanians bought them from the Ecuadorians while working under unbearable sun condition, like working on the Panama canal. When foreigners travelled to and from the port of Panama, it was there they got acquainted with the hats and gave it the name of a Panama hat as this was the only place they were seen. Hence, after more then a century, the hat has got it’s official and deceiving name.
Panama 
