To top it off, Tonosí has beautiful mountains that tower above the fertile valley.
As I mentioned, the land in Tonosí is very fertile, and for that reason, most residents work as farmers to earn money and support their families. Also, because of the many beaches, many locals earn money in tourism and fishing. Although Tonosí is a small area in the countryside of Panama, there are grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, hotels and restaurants in the town center. Residents do not need to leave the area to access living necessities.
There is a large river that runs through Tonosí. Many locals and tourists visit this river for swimming, especially in the hot dry season. However, in the rainy season, this river can overflow and flood fields and homes that are close to the river. Remember that I said that many farmers produce rice in Panama to earn money? When the fields flood, they can lose some or all of their crops. Last year in Tonosí during the rainy season, about 300 houses were flooded, and residents had to seek shelter in churches or with friends. Sometimes, the opposite problem is true. Droughts (very dry periods with little rain) make it hard for some crops to grow. For farmers, whether or not they make money relies a lot on the changing weather patterns. As the years go on, climate change will affect this region even more.
Also, the rice and corn fields are home to a species of mouse called the Pygmy Rice Mouse. Many refer to this mouse as el ratón de cola larga (long-tailed mouse) because it has a tail just as long as its body.
