Montescristi Hat Statue

Did you know that Panama hats are actually made in Montecristi, Ecuador?

The misnomer came about when President Teddy Roosevelt cut the ribbon for the inauguration of the Panama Canal. His hosts had given him a straw hat that was made in Ecuador.

Photographs from this event led folks to assume the hat was from Panama, and the name stuck. Roosevelt loved that hat and wore it a lot. Al Capone had one, too.

As we drove to the town of Montecristi to watch artisans weave these iconic hats, we past a big statue of a hat weaver. I wasn’t on the best side of the bus to get photos, but I did the best I could.Read more