Ecuador, not Panama, is the origin and production center to what is well-known around the world as the “Panama Hat.” The reason for this confusing name is because these Ecuadorian hats were being exported to Panama while the Panama Canal was being built in the early 1900s. Then US President Roosevelt visited the construction site and was photographed wearing the hat in Panama. Hence the name “Panama Hat” has stuck ever since.

But make no mistake, this is purely an Ecuadorian product. The town of Montecristi lays claim to the birthplace of Panama hats. Yet it is Cuenca and the surrounding area that has become the largest producer of these hats, which are also known locally as sombreros de paja toquilla.

A visit to the Panama Hat Factory ¨Homero Ortega Museum¨ shows the delicate process it takes to produce these hats. You’ll see just how the hats are weaved with painstaking detail, entirely by hand. You will learn about the history of this Ecuadorian tradition while taking a look directly into the hat-making process. This fifth-generation company is the oldest and most experienced Panama hat producer in Ecuador.