Costa Arriba de Colon COLON-CULTURE AND TRADITIONS The culture of Costa Arriba de Colon is derived from its geographical and historical circumstances. During the Spanish colonial period African slaves were imported for hard labor. Many of these slaves escaped and hid in the Panamanian jungles. These escaped slaves became known as cimarrones. Descendants of the cimarrones are found in the coastal towns of Costa Arriba today. The descendants of the cimarrones developed traditions influenced by their African heritage. These traditions often mixed Roman Catholic and ancestral African practices. The congos and the diablo activities which take place during Carnaval offer some of the best examples of this fusion of religion and tradition. The congo dancers of Costa Arriba appear on the scene each year on around the 20th of January. Each town has its own congo groups. The congo dancers wear feathered head dresses and costumes representing African animals and motifs. Their unique and exotic dancing is accompanied by beating drums and represents stories of the past. The diablos, chosen by each community, are wonderfully costumed with elaborate outfits and masks. They "play" during carnaval . On Ash Wednesday the diablos reign comes to an end--they are captured and "baptized" by a member of the community who plays the part of a priest.. It is a spectacle not to be missed. Carnaval is over and the diablos will not reappear until the next year. Devil masks are on display on the second floor of the Aduana building in Portobelo. They are well worth the visit.