Panama
Discover Panama
Panama is a country at the southern end of Central America. The country is known as the "Crossroads of the Americas" due to its location between North and South America. Its name, given by Indigenous peoples, means "abundance of fish," reflecting the country's status as a paradise for water sports lovers and eco-tourists. The isthmus connects two major landmasses—South America with Central and North America—resulting in incredibly diverse flora and fauna. Panama is often cited as the country with the most bird species in the world, boasting close to 900. Several Indigenous tribes still thrive here, living much as their ancestors did, which contributes to the richness of the nation's cultural fabric.
What to Experience in Panama
Taste of Panama...
In the larger cities you can find all types of food ranging from the French haute cuisine to the freshest sushi. There are Arabic restaurants, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Mexican... whatever you're in the mood for. Outside of the cities, the selection is largely Panamanian with bountiful seafood and beef due to the abundance of cattle farms and the fantastic fishing in the area. Panamanian cuisine is a mix of several cultures. Reminiscent of the country's Afro-Caribbean, French and Spanish influences, the dishes take on a complete character of their own. If you get tired of eating beans or gallo pinto in the rest of Central America, you might want to head towards Panama. Since Panama has a little more Caribbean influence than other Central American countries, you'll see a lot more plaintain than beans here. Most dishes are served with coconut rice and a type of squash or other native vegetable. If Panamanian food has to be summed up in one word, that word would be culantro, which is a local plant that tastes like cilantro, except that it has a much stronger flavor. A typical plate in a humble, family restaurant can range from $1.25 to $5.00, including your choice of meat: mondongo (beef stomach), fried or baked chicken, pork, beef and sometimes fried fish; rice, beans, salad: cabbage, carrot & mayonnaise; beet salad; green salad; potato or macaroni salad; and patacones (fried green plantains).
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Panama into what it is today.
Panama was colonized mainly by the Spanish. Scotland, which was an independent country at the time, made a short-lived attempt to colonize it in the late 17th and early 18th century. It failed so spectacularly that it caused the bankruptcy of the Scottish treasury and - as a consequence of that - the union with England that continues to this day. For most of its colonial history, Panama was administered as part of Colombia. It gained independence from Spain as part of "Gran Colombia", which later broke apart into several smaller countries, most of them today flying blue red yellow flags. The last part to break away was Panama. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia on 3 November 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. The treaty became infamous as "the treaty no Panamanian ever signed". It was largely repealed by the Carter administration, which promised to return the Canal Zone by 1999 (which President Clinton did). Panama's domestic and especially foreign policies have historically been dependent on the opinion of the administration in Washington. No openly anti-US president of Panama has been able to cling to power for long....
Climate
Less than 9 degrees north of the equator, most of Panama enjoys temperatures that are fairly consistent year round, with daytime temperatures in the 30–33°C and nighttime around 21–23°C. Tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season, called winter or invierno (May to November); short dry season, called summer or verano (December to April). The most popular time to travel to Panama is December through March, when lack of humidity and nearly zero percent chance of rain make it ideal for travellers. During most of the rainy season, mornings and early afternoons are usually sunny while late afternoons and evenings have intermittent rainfall. Most areas are quite warm, but a few places, such as Boquete, Cerro Punta and El Valle can get a little chilly at night. You definitely want a heavy rain-proof jacket if you're going to the top of Barú since you will be above 3000 m for a little while. Natural hazards: Occasional severe storms and forest fires in the remote Darien area.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsCitizens from the following countries can enter Panama visa-free because their countries hold treaties with Panama that entitle their citizens to visit for up to 180 days without a visa, having a passport valid for at least 6 months upon entry: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Belarus, Belgium, Botswana, Bhutan, Brazil, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Egypt, Fiji, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Georgia, Gibraltar, Grenada, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, Nauru, ...
Regions
Explore AreasThe isthmus connects two major landmasses—South America with Central and North America—resulting in incredibly diverse flora and fauna. Panama is often cited as the country with the most bird species …...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
There are two kinds of buses in Panama: the ones you find on the highway, and "city buses" (Metrobuses, which replaced the Diablos Rojos (Red Devils). The highway buses are constantly making journeys from terminals in Panama city to different destinations along the Pan American Highway, and back to the terminal. They're pretty frequent, and the buses will pick you up or drop you off at any point along their route, and most of them are air conditioned. The roughly linear shape of the country makes it ideal for a bus system, so ideal in fact that you don't really need to rent a car to get around most areas. Take a bus to the intersection on the Pan American highway that you want. You can get on a bus any place on the Pan American highway going towards Panama City, but all trips originating from within the city require a ticket.
Where to Stay
Panama’s hotel accommodations are as diverse as its geography. Panama City has as much glamour and glitz as New York City, without the high price tag. You can find 5-star high rise hotels in the heart of downtown; or you can venture out to the smaller neighborhoods, where old Canal military barracks have been converted into B&Bs. In terms of an authentic Panama experience, the historic district of Casco Viejo provides the charm of yester-year with modern amenities of today. Because tourism is so new to the district, lodging accommodations are largely limited to the fleet of short term apartment rentals at Los Cuatro Tulipanes Bocas del Toro has typical island cabanas and small hotels, some literally right on the water (similar to the cabanas in Bali). The Chiriqui Province, in the western lowlands, has small hotels on some of the outer islands, and an Eco-Preserve in Chorcha where you can spend the night in Jungle Hammocks with the monkeys.
Money & Budget
Panama has used the US dollar ("$") as its only currency since 1904 although Panamanians often refer to it as balboa. 1 balboa consists of 100 centesimos. Panama has its own coins, made by the United States Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint, in the same weights, sizes and metallic compositions as US coinage, but with Panamanian stampings. The Panamanian coinage is completely interchangeable with standard US coinage in Panama. You may get a handful of change back with a conquistador on the quarter and an Indian on one of your pennies, but Lincoln on the other penny and Roosevelt on the dime. Panama also still mints half dollars. You may hear these half dollars called pesos, but don't think you've accidentally ended up in Mexico.
Language & Talk
By far the most commonly spoken language in Panama is Spanish. A small minority on the Caribbean Coast speaks an English derived Creole which is not all that dissimilar from Jamaican Patois. Even smaller minorities speak indigenous languages, but you'd have to deliberately search them out to hear, let alone have a use for those languages. If you have a firm grasp of Spanish, you should have no problems getting around. If you cross the border from Costa Rica into Panama, you will notice a large change in the dialect. True to its Caribbean orientation, Panamanian Spanish sounds much closer to Puerto Rican than Costa Rican or Nicaraguan Spanish. For students of Mexican or European Spanish, it may take a little getting used to.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Most of Panama is very safe. People in rural areas are generally extremely friendly and very helpful. If you want to visit Latin America, but are paranoid about security, Panama might be a good place to cut your teeth. One exception is the border region between Panama and Colombia, which is considered extraordinarily dangerous due to Colombian rebel groups and drug traffickers. Most of the city of Colon is considered dangerous, and some neighborhoods in Panama City are a bit sketchy, in particular El Chorrillo, Curundu and El Marañón, poor and crime-ridden areas. The old colonial quarter, Casco Viejo (also called San Felipe) has a lingering bad reputation among travelers and some Panamanians, but is gentrifying rapidly. During the daytime, San Felipe is perfectly safe for foreigners.
Glimpses of Panama
canoe on beach
Una hermosa captura área de la cinta costera en la ciudad de Panamá.
View of the Panama City with rain forest around Panama Canal
Panama City view from White tower at 21:00
a city with many buildings
palm trees on beach under blue sky during daytime
a large body of water next to a row of buildings
panama city.
Castaway on a tropical island
white red and blue flag
canoe on beach
Una hermosa captura área de la cinta costera en la ciudad de Panamá.
View of the Panama City with rain forest around Panama Canal