Panama Hats ... Made in Ecuador

Panama hats are a good case study in bad branding that stuck and can't be undone.

In the 19th century they were shipped from here to Panama and from there to the world. They became known as Panama hats and the brand stuck. But they are all-Ecuadorian, made from the toqillio straw that grows here, and woven here, mostly in the towns of Monticristi and Cuenca.

We have already seen a lot for sale. You can get a cheap one for under $20 and more expensive "finos" for hundreds of dollars. I haven't seen many people wearing them. They are more common on women than men. Daniel looks pretty good in a Panama. I'm not sure we will buy one. We will wait to get to Cuenca and see if they have some good deals there. BTW, the best book on Panama hats is still Tom Miller's Panama Hat Trail, a great travel book that tells you everything you'd ever want to know about Panama hats.