Rick sporting his Panama Hat from the artisan in Montecristi

Panama Hats are Really Made in Ecuador

I pride myself on finding the authentic and the unusual. So when we were headed to Manta, Ecuador on our Holland Cruise, I researched the area and found an amazing discovery.

Panama Hats originated in the small village of Montecristi, just minutes from the port town of Manta. Thread with toquilla palms, a hat is lovingly and slowly crafted by artisans in this tiny town. And one of the oldest in Montecristi is the artist Jose Chavez Franco. The story goes that when President Theodore Roosevelt was photographed at the Panama Canal construction in 1906, he wore an elegant, tight-weave, white-straw chapeau. The caption under this photo which ran in all of the U.S. newspapers, read “The President and his Panama hat”. And the name stuck.

When we disembarked from our stop in Manta, Rick and I and Ken and Rosealie hailed a taxi to take us to this tiny home of Jose Chavez Franco in Montecristi. Turning off of the main street in town, the taxi dropped us at a small entry. Stepping inside, we realized that the owners worked and lived here. Hats lined one wall and a bed and sink were situated on the other. We received a lesson in crafting these soft hats and were amazed at their expertise and quick fingers. Rick and Ken had to buy a hat and pose for a photo from this delightful discovery.

Returning to the ship, numerous visitors sported their jaunty hats. When they told us about their “tour market” experience and how much they paid for their hats at a “tourist” location, we just grinned. We knew that we had paid a lot less and we practically doubled what the owners wanted for their handmade design. AND, we met and visited with the original artisans. Fabulous discovery!