Province
History
The southern Azuero Peninsula was occupied by pre-Hispanic societies devoted to agriculture and fishing, and during the colonial period the towns and productive areas that shaped the region's identity took form. La Villa de Los Santos played a central role in national history: on November 10, 1821, the First Cry of Independence took place there, contributing to the process that culminated on November 28 with the independence of the isthmus from Spain. The modern province was constituted in 1945, when Cabinet Decree No. 13 of January 8 restored the division of Azuero into two provinces, with Las Tablas as capital. Meanwhile, its communities developed an exceptional cultural life: the mejorana and décima singing found their great national festival in Guararé; the making of polleras, tembleques and bobbin lace was passed down through generations of artisans; and the Corpus Christi festivities of La Villa, with their dances and masks, were inscribed in 2021 on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. In recent decades, the coast transformed the province's visibility: Pedasí became established as a nature destination, Playa Venao as an international surfing center, and Isla Iguana, Isla Cañas and Playa La Marinera as key sites for marine conservation and sea turtle nesting.