trip to panama book

25 Books on Panama That’ll Give You Serious Wanderlust

by Julie | Oct 29, 2023 | Books , Panama

Are you planning a trip to Panama?

Or are you about to move there?

Perhaps you’re already in Panama and you want to understand the country better.

This list of 25 books on Panama will hopefully give you some ideas on what to read for your Panamanian adventure. You’ll find books on the culture and history of Panama, travel guides, and loads of novels that I hope will spark your wanderlust.

I’ve read nearly all the books in this post, and I’ll give you my honest review. You’ll learn which ones to pick up and read and which ones not to waste your time and money on.

So grab a cup of tea or coffee (especially Panamanian coffee – the BEST) and let’s begin!

Disclosure:  This post may contain affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate and a Bookshop.org Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  Please see this website’s  Disclosure  for more info.

In This Post, You’ll Find…

• Books on the Panama Canal – both nonfiction and fiction
• Nonfiction Books on Panama – history, politics, and economics
• Fiction Books Set in Panama – spy thrillers, historical fiction, romance, and more!

Books on the Panama Canal

Where to start when reading about Panama?

Of course, the Panama Canal .

The Canal is what defines Panama for most speakers of English. This is at least true for those from the United States, as it was part of its history.

The good thing is that the history of the Panama Canal is NOT boring at all . It’s full of stories of tragedy and triumph; incompetence and ingenuity; death and medical innovation; racism and corruption as well as heroism and perseverance.

The Canal also involves a cast of unforgettable characters : the French, Colombians, Americans, Jamaicans, Barbadians, and Panamanians.

The following non-fiction books on the Panama Canal are the most popular ones on the market today .

I would start with one of these books:

• Path Between the Seas (1977)
• Panama Fever (2007)

Both recount the same period of history with a slight difference in perspective.

After that, you can read about the Canal in more depth with Julie Greene’s The Canal Builders . She looks at the social problems created by the Canal and the unsung heroes of the project: the West Indian workers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work of building it.

Finally, to get a real sense of what it was like in Panama a hundred years ago, there are just 2 books of historical fiction set during the Panama Canal construction:

• Clara’s Way
• The Great Divide

A Fling in Panama will give you some inspiration and ideas on hitching a ride on a sailboat through the Canal .

For those traveling to Panama, check out this AMAZING guide to visiting the Panama Canal –it’ll give you tips on the BEST ways to see the Canal, the cheapest ways, and the most popular.

1.      The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal (1870 – 1914)

By david mccullough (1977), my rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

“To him [Theodore Roosevelt] first, last, and always, the canal was the vital—the indispensable—path to a global destiny for the United States of America. He had a vision of his country as the commanding power on two oceans, and these joined by a canal built, owned, operated, policed, and fortified by his country. The canal was to be the first step to American supremacy.”

Let’s start with the most popular book on the Panama Canal— The Path Between the Seas . Written by a famous historian, David McCullough, the book tells the story of the building of the Panama Canal. It begins with the construction of the Panama Railroad during the time of the Gold Rush . The book then thoroughly covers the French attempt to build the Canal before ending with the completion of the American construction of the Canal. He doesn’t cover the post-construction or the handover of it to Panama under Carter.

Most of the book moves pretty fast and goes deeply into the lives of the main characters , reading almost like a novel. However, there are parts that I had to push myself to get through—the technical description of how the canal was built ( engineers will like it, though ) and the political debate on where to build it (Nicaragua or Panama).

McCullough is fair to both France and the U.S . and he doesn’t spare any criticism toward either, especially the U.S. In fact, the U.S. doesn’t come off as heroic in its behavior toward Panama, Colombia, and the West Indians, who suffered the most from the Canal’s construction.

He does have his heroes and villains . He is especially fond of the chief engineer, John Stevens , and the chief sanitation officer, William Gorgas . On the other hand, he’s not as big of a fan of Theodore Roosevelt as other American historians have been.

My favorite part of the book is the story of how yellow fever and malaria impacted the construction and how the United States scientists conquered the two diseases.

You can’t go wrong choosing The Path Between the Seas over the next Panama Canal book on this list. However, McCullough’s was published 46 years ago , missing out on more recently discovered research.

2.      Panama Fever

By matthew parker (2007).

“The Washington Post was condemning in its report of the new theory: “Of all the silly and nonsensical rigmarole about yellow fever that has yet found its way into print—and there has been enough of it to load a fleet—the silliest beyond compare is to be found in the mosquito hypothesis.”

I enjoyed Panama Fever as much as The Path Between the Seas . There are many similarities between the two books. Both start with the railroad and end with the completion of the Canal by the Americans. They’re both equally critical of the way the West Indians were treated.

Now for the differences without giving too much away:

While McCullough is a fan of Stevens and Gorgas , Parker has little good to say about either of them . McCullough fails here in giving an accurate and well-rounded picture of the men. At the time same time, Parker doesn’t adequately acknowledge their accomplishments enough.

The other difference is that Parker has a less positive attitude toward the United States’ role in the construction than McCullough. If you only read Parker’s book , you might be surprised that the U.S. was able to pull off the construction at all.

I think McCullough gives a more detailed account of the engineering aspect of the construction than Parker does, so if that’s your main interest, I’d go with The Path Between the Seas . However, Parker has a better understanding of geopolitics than McCullough does.

Overall, both are good books with slightly different perspectives. Panama Fever was published more recently, so Parker probably had access to more and better original sources on the Panama Canal than McCullough did when he wrote his book in the 1970s.

3. The Canal Builders: Making America’s Empire at the Panama Canal

By julie greene, 2009, my rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

First, I need to warn you about this book:

If you want to read about the Panama Canal’s engineering achievements , you will NOT get this in Julie Greene’s The Canal Builders .

The book focuses SOLELY on the social problems created by the Canal’s apartheid system. That means you will read mainly about the men and women who did the backbreaking and dangerous work of building the Canal . These were mainly the Black people from the Caribbean Islands.

This book is ideal for someone who’s already read one of the previous two Panama Canal books by McCullough and Parker, and who wants to go deeper into the Canal’s social and racial issues rather than the technical and medical challenges.

You’ll learn a lot about the employment system that maintained a strict hierarchy based on race. The Canal Builders also covers the paternalistic, authoritarian, and socialist but very popular system that governed the Canal Zone’s whiter and more affluent residents.

Overall, if you’re looking for a general history of the Panama Canal, skip The Canal Builders and go for McCullough’s and Parker’s books. Read The Canal Builders AFTER you’ve read their books.

4. Silver People

By margarita engle (2014), my rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

“Each work crew is a different shade of light or dark, but when the foreman orders us to stand still while we’re measured for our coffins, dark and light faces all look equally shocked.”

Margarita Engle’s The Silver People is a unique book that tells the story of the Panama Canal through a collection of interacting poems . It’s known as a free verse novel . Each poem is narrated by someone who worked on the Canal as well as the animals and trees impacted by it.

The title of the book refers to the apartheid system the U.S. government put in place in the Panama Canal Zone. The U.S. divided the employees into two groups: Gold People and Silver People .

The Gold People were the White workers . They were paid in American dollars and had better living conditions. They were usually the managers, engineers, and medical personnel. The Silver People were the Black and Latino workers who were paid in the currency of Panama and had poorer living conditions. They were the ones who did the backbreaking and dangerous work of actually constructing the Canal. Even if a Black or Latino were engineers or managers, they were still considered Silver People.

Most of the poems are narrated by the Silver People . This is rather refreshing since most accounts of the Canal ignore these people. However, I’m not into poetry and I would have preferred a good old-fashioned novel, instead.

5. Clara’s Way

By roberta carr, my rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

“The newspapers say that President Roosevelt will not stop until he builds the canal. How many men will die from disease or accidents caused by unskilled laborers before the first ship passes through? A thousand? Five thousand more? I can’t let that happen.”

Clara’s Way should get the award for (1) worst cover and (2) worst title .

Neither entice you to want to read the book.

The first several pages of the book also gave me even less hope that it would be worth finishing.

Boring characters and stiff writing.

And a very religious tone.

I’m glad I didn’t give up on it.

Because Clara’s Way turned out to be an interesting book with some interesting surprises .

The setting of Panama in 1904 is the #1 star . This is when the Americans began building the Canal. Star #2 is the cast of historical figures Clara interacts with. Not sure, though, that the author portrayed them accurately, but they were still fun

Clara is a young nurse from rural Ohio. She’s about to be married to her childhood best friend when her brother, who is working on the Canal, writes to say that he’s very sick and needs help returning home. Clara’s father sends her to Panama to help her brother. In the end, Clara ends up staying in Panama and working for the historically important Dr. Gorgas , the Chief Sanitation Officer of the Canal Zone and the one responsible for eradicating yellow fever and malaria from Panama.

There’s also a romance, but surprisingly and refreshingly, Clara falls in love with another woman .

Clara is at the center of the construction of the Panama Canal. She gives you a sense of what it must have been like to be there when the workers were dying one after another from disease and accidents and when Dr. Gorgas kept on running up against the ignorance and arrogance of the chief engineer, John Walker.

However, one big complaint.

Why does Carr not once mention the racist system of the Canal Zone ? Even in the hospital where she worked the Black and White patients would have been kept in separate and unequal parts of the hospital. Strange.

Overall, Clara’s Way is so far the best book of historical fiction on the Canal .

6. The Great Divide

By christina henriquez, 2024.

I am very excited that a new work of historic fiction set during the Panama Canal construction is coming out in 2024. I am 100% sure it won’t ignore the race issue that Clara’s Way did.

This new book, The Great Divide , is by Christina Henriquez , who has written two other books on Panama (Jump to the Fiction Section of this post). The book has been pre-released to certain reviewers, and overall, the reviews on Good Reads have been positive .

The book follows several people whose lives are affected by the construction of the Canal . There’s Ada, a woman who comes to Panama from Barbados hoping to make enough money for her sister’s surgery. Then there’s the local fisherman, Francisco, who resents the building of the Canal, and his son, Omar, who works on the Canal. The scientist, John Oswald, travels to Panama, hoping to eliminate malaria, but his wife falls ill with the disease. As the novel progresses the lives of these people intersect.

Once The Great Divide comes out in 2024, I’ll update this post with my own review of it.

You Might Be Interested in These Posts:

• Books on Ecuador
• Books on Guatemala
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Books on Panama – Non-Fiction

Now for some nonfiction books on Panama that don’t involve the Canal.

But let’s get the bad news out of the way first.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive book on Panama’s history , you’ll be sad to know that I couldn’t find one in English.

I did, though, find plenty of books on the pirate Henry Morgan, the Panama Papers, and Manuel Noriega .

The good news is that most of them are worth reading .

Let’s look at which Panama books are worth your time and money. If you’ve read any of them, let me know in the Comments Section at the bottom of this post!

I’d love to hear your opinions.

7. Panama: A Whole Story

By kevin buckley.

“And then there were the files that U.S. troops gathered from Noriega’s offices and other sites around the city. U.S. forces bundled up Noriega’s legendary archives, all the film, video, paper, and disks that made up the hidden history of Panama and the people from all over the world who did business there.”

Panama: A Whole Story is a terribly misnamed book. It’s not the whole story. Only part of the story of Panama.

The book covers the final 5 years of Noriega’s reign . It begins in September 1985 with the torture and murder of Noriega’s enemy, Hugo Spadafora. According to Panamanians, this heinous crime marked the beginning of Noriega’s downfall. The book ends with the U.S. invasion of Panama on December 20, 1989.

I liked this book because it focuses a lot on how average Panamanians reacted to Noriega and the invasion . Panamanian society comes across as very politically active , while in other Panama books, the Panamanians are rarely mentioned and if they are, they are portrayed as pathetically apolitical. I’m not sure which one is true, but as I type this sentence, there are huge protests across Panama (October 2023).

Buckley’s book does have some limitations. The book is missing a lot of information about the American side and it doesn’t analyze the events enough . The next two books on this list were written by journalists who are perhaps better than Buckley at uncovering the machinations of Washington.

The writing is dry but for me, that didn’t get in my way of enjoying Panama: A Whole Story because the events surrounding Noreiga are so riveting and wild and the characters are so fascinating and bizarre that the content itself is the real reason to turn the page.

Even the most boring writer couldn’t write a boring book on Noriega .

8. Divorcing the Dictator: America’s Bungled Affair With Noriega

By frederick kempe, 1990.

“With the December 1989 invasion, the United States had brought down Noriega, but it had destroyed a little of itself.”

Written by Frederick Kempe, Divorcing the Dictator is a fascinating and well-researched biography of Manuel Noriega .

The book follows Noriega’s life story starting with his childhood growing up on Sal Si Puedes (it means “Get out if you can Street” in Spanish) , a street that runs between Casco Viejo and the not-so-savory area of Panama City. I stayed on Sal Si Puedes Street when I first visited Panama City!

The book ends with the invasion of Panama and the arrest of Noriega.

Divorcing the Dictator is one of those books that made me look at my own country in a whole new light . Before I used to think of the U.S. government as this omnipotent puppet master that murdered presidents, controlled governments, and instigated coups. Panama, especially, was this innocent victim controlled by the evil U.S.

Divorcing the Dictator shows that it was the other way around. Panama under Torrijo and Noriega were the puppet masters and the U.S. was the puppet (but not a victim), or at least a country of bungling fools run by greedy idiots who were more concerned with remaining in power than about the welfare of the United States. 

Kempe’s book is better written than Buckley’s. There’s a lot more detail here about how Noriega manipulated everyone around him. You also learn a lot more about what President and former CIA Director George Bush knew and didn’t know about Noriega. George Bush lied a lot.

I highly recommend Divorcing the Dictator .

9. Our Man in Panama

By john dinges (1989).

“Cocaine flowed in and around war traffic, overlapping and duplicating the clandestine network. The rising curve of cocaine imports to the United States followed almost exactly the flow of U.S. exports of arms and military advisers to Central America. Experts still debate whether there is any causal link—just as they debated the same question about the flow of heroin during the Vietnam war—but the factual coincidence of the cocaine explosion with the Central Americans political crisis was undisputable.”

Tired yet of books on Noriega?

Just one more.

Our Man in Panama is another one that is an equally riveting book.

I thought I’d get bored reading another book about this no-good dictator, but surprisingly I didn’t.

Our Man in Panama looks in depth at two other sides of Noriega :

• His role as an arms dealer to Central American communist revolutionaries
• His role in the Colombian drug cartels’ trafficking of illegal drugs into the U.S.

There are a few things that this book does that the other two on Noriega don’t do:

It gives some background on the social fabric of Panama . This aspect of the book gave me a better understanding of how revolutionary both Torrijo and Noriega’s rise to power was in Panama. These two men from the wrong side of the tracks took away power from the elites who’d controlled Panama since its inception.

Dinges also provides more information on the background of the various Central American revolutions going on at the time of Noriega’s rise, giving you a better understanding of the importance of his arms dealing and double-crossing.

But probably the most interesting part for me was learning about how the drug cartels did business in Colombia and Central America .

Overall, Our Man in Panama is an enlightening and fascinating book on Noriega and Latin America-U.S. relations. You can’t go wrong with this one.

10. Emperors in the Jungle: The Hidden History of the U.S. in Panama

By john lindsay-poland, 2003, my rating: 1 out of 5 stars.

“Private enterprise, local elites, and officials within the military itself also called on racial tropes to justify using force on the isthmus and establishing a more permanent U.S. presence, effectively preventing Panama from developing its lands and economy independently.”

First, a warning:

This review of Emperors of the Jungle is going to be harsh.

I can’t help it. I paid good money for this book, and I really hated it.

This book is so dry, so dull, and so biased that I could not finish it (got up to page 100).

I like my books to be objective and I like writers to first do their research and then come up with a theory based on the research. It feels like John Lindsey-Polad instead, starts with a theory (the U.S. is evil) and then cherry-picks examples from history that are rather tame and not shocking or very egregious at all.

I know you’re probably thinking that I’m incapable of criticizing the United States and I am blind to its bullying, killing of world leaders, and coupe plotting.

Not true! Take a look at my Guatemala books article and you’ll see that I’m very critical of the U.S. The other books on this list about Noriega are very critical of the U.S.

Let’s talk about what Emperors of the Jungle is about so that you can decide for yourself whether you want to read it:

To do that, I’m just going to quote the author’s own words from the book’s Introduction:

“Instead, the book examines the manner in which Panama served as an instrument for grander U.S. aims and the role of ideas about race and the tropics by recounting several key episodes in the history of U.S. military experiments and interventions in Panama.”

My impression is that this book is NOT really about Panama . Instead, it’s about the United States. If that’s what you want to read, then go for it. Just don’t expect a book with Panamanians in it. In fact, within the first 100 pages, I don’t believe more than a handful of Panamanians are ever mentioned.

The author basically cherry-picks evidence to prove his point.

The first chapter is on the construction of the Panama Canal. Here the author quotes a naval strategist, Alfred Thayer Mahan, to show that the aim of the Panama Canal had a racial purpose : “to allow for Europeans to avoid contact with the “savages” of Panama when trying to reach the West Coast of the U.S.”

Who is Alfred Thayer Mahan?

Was he important? No, he wasn’t. So why should I care what he says?

Quoting a minor figure to prove a point is like quoting Marjorie Taylor Greene to make a statement about all Americans.

The second chapter focuses on U.S. testing of chemical weapons on U.S. soldiers in the Panama Canal Zone and on San Jose Island. I admit that I wouldn’t want another country to test chemical weapons on my country’s soil. But the US military used their own soldiers as their test subjects. Not Panamanians.

Chapter three is painfully dull! The author spends 30 pages trying to show that the U.S. is evil because it conducted studies in the 1950s on excavating a sea canal using nuclear explosives . Now if the U.S. had actually used the nuclear explosives, then I’d say, yes, they are pretty awful. But they didn’t. They only researched it.

Most of the examples the author gives are small potatoes . None of them are the smoking gun and none really prove anything. If you want to prove the U.S. is evil, give your readers some real dirt.

There are much better books on Panama that are critical of the U.S. but they’re more objective, sophisticated, and interesting than Emperors of the Jungle .

11. Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan’s Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws’ Bloody Reign

By stephen tatly, 2007.

“What Worsley recognized was that the pirates were a kind of super-virus: They represented an extreme form of predatory capitalism, where the strongest, who produced nothing, preyed on the weak, who were forced to give up the goods they’d made or extracted from the earth with great effort.”

Don’t you love it when you come across a history that you didn’t know anything about before? And it’s just so fascinating.

Before picking up Empire of Blue Water , I didn’t know anything about pirates, privateers, or buccaneers beyond the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I thought they were just harmless guys with patches over one eye who plundered the seas for profit—like Johnny Dep’s character in all the Pirates movies.

In fact, they were part of a larger geo-political narrative that involved a rivalry between Spain and England over control of the Americas . The government of England used pirates to terrorize the citizens of Spain’s colonies—sort of like 17th-century terrorists.

The history is fascinating but what about this book by Stephen Tatly?

Empire of the Blue Waters tells the story of Henry Morgan .

Yes, THAT Henry Morgan of the famous brand of rum.

Morgan was the most notorious pirate (or privateer) in the history of the Americas. He terrorized Spain’s colonies: Mexico, Colombia, and especially Panama . Morgan was the one responsible for the sacking of Panama City . It was this event that made Panama City move from its original location (known today as the ruins of Panama Viejo ) to present-day Casco Viejo.

Tatly’s writing is engaging and accessible. It’ll give you a bit of the history of early Panama, especially Panama City and Portobello . I love how he explains the geo-political context during this time in history—Spain was largely weak and incompetent, and England was a rising power that took advantage of its rival’s weaknesses to gain a foothold in the Americas. FASCINATING history!

12. The Pirate King: The Incredible Story of Captain Henry Morgan

By graham thomas, 2015.

The Pirate King is another interpretation of the story of Henry Morgan . This one is largely pro-Morgan and claims that he was more a patriot than a pirate . The stories of torture, rape, and murder are mostly exaggerated. Morgan was a nice guy.

Actually, pirate, technically is not even the correct term for Morgan. He’s more of a privateer, which is someone who raids and plunders at the permission of their government . Since Spain was England’s enemy at the time (but sometimes an ally), what Morgan did was acceptable, according to the author. In my opinion, I don’t think it matters if you had the correct papers that allowed you to rape, plunder, and torture or not. It still makes you a bad guy.

I got as far as the introduction when my library made me return the book. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to borrow it again. When I do, I’ll keep you updated to see if the book is worth it and if it reveals any interesting insights into Panama.

However, the reviews on Good Reads for The Pirate King are not as positive as they are for Empire of the Blue Water.

13. Panama: From Occupation to Crossroads of the Americas

By michael l conniff and gene e bigler.

I scoured the internet and Amazon for books that would give me a comprehensive history of Panama and Modern Panama was the closest one I could find. Unfortunately, it’s not even that comprehensive. It only covers the last 40 years of the country’s history .

The book is also, sadly, out of my price range (US$35 last time I checked) and it’s gotten 3.6 out of 5 stars from reviewers on Amazon. I’ll pass for now.

Modern Panama is an account of the economic and political developments of Panama since the 1980s .

The authors argue that Panama’s development since the transfer of the Panama Canal to Panama has been largely positive . Even though corruption is rampant in both the private and public sectors, Panama now has a stable, functioning democracy , a booming economy , and an educated workforce. Both the standard of living and the administration of the Panama Canal have improved. The transfer of the Canal has also strengthened Panama’s national identity and sense of itself as a nation. The book attempts to explain how Panama was able to achieve all these improvements.

Let me know if you’ve read Modern Panama ! I’d love to hear what you think.

14. The Panama Papers: Breaking the Story of How the Rich and Powerful Hide Their Money

By bastian obermayer and frederik obermayer, 2017.

“So in theory, behind every anonymous company there may be a corrupt politician siphoning money out of the country, an unscrupulous dictator paying for weapons for his army of child soldiers, or a terrorist group moving money in preparation for an attack.”

The next book, The Panama Papers , looks at Panama’s role in the world of international money laundering and tax evasion . Panama happens to be one of THE premier countries where drug cartels, wealthy tax evaders, multinational corporations and banks, and corrupt government officials can hide their money. They do it by hiring Panamanian law firms to set up shell companies for them. These shell companies are basically fake companies. They don’t do any kind of real business and they’re never registered in the names of the real owners.

The book’s authors, Bastian Obermayer and Frederik Obermayer, are the two German journalists who led the investigation into the dirty clients and dirty deeds of a Panamanian law firm called Mossack Fonseca .

The book recounts the Obermayers’ investigation. It starts from the evening the Obermayers received an email from an anonymous source. This source gave the journalists 11.5 million documents on Mossack’s clients.

The book ends with the publication of the famous Panama Papers in 2016 in almost every newspaper in the world . At the time, it was sensational news because some of Mossack’s clients were related to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Bashar al-Assad .

The one thing this book is lacking is a comprehensive explanation of how Panama became such a favorite place for money laundering and tax evasion .

Overall, The Panama Papers is a fascinating and revealing book on how Panama helps the wealthy, powerful, and criminally inclined hide their money.  

15. Panama – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

By heloise crowther, 2006.

Culture Smart books are great introductions to anyone traveling in or moving to another country. The Panama book gives practical advice for anyone interacting daily with Panamanians and valuable insights into its history and culture.

The best part of the book is the section on guidance for social interactions , providing essential tips on behavior, dining etiquette , and respecting the local social hierarchy .

The other reason to buy the book is that it explains why Panama is the way it is and how indigenous culture, colonization, and the U.S. have influenced it.

But don’t expect the book to go too in-depth on topics . It’s just a primer. To understand the country more deeply, pick up some other books on Panama AND get to know the average Panamanian.

Overall, I highly recommend Panama Culture Smart for those traveling to Panama for the first time .

16. Lonely Planet Panama

By regis st. louis, 2022.

Lonely Planet Travel Guides always seem to spark the wanderlust in me. The Panama edition is no exception.

I love the Panama guide as it takes you to every corner of the country –from the Costa Rica border where you’ll find coffee fields and the beautiful mountains and hiking trails around Boquete to the wild and dangerous Darien Gap. You’ll get info on BOTH popular and off-the-beaten-path destinations.

It’s the perfect book for planning your trip . You’ll find practical information on visas, money, health issues, and safety as well as sample itineraries , ideas on attractions , and lists of accommodations and restaurants.

The one limitation is that it lists out all the things you can do in a place, but it doesn’t always distinguish between must-see and possible-to-skip attractions. Sometimes it’s geared too much for people with their own wheels and not enough information for those relying on public transportation .

Still, Lonely Planet Panama is the BEST book out there for independent travelers no matter if you have a tight pocketbook or a big budget.

You might be interested in these posts about Panama:

• Top Things to Do in Boquete, Panama
• 8 Ways to Visit the Panama Canal
• Best Dishes to Eat in Panama
• San Blas Islands Travel Guide

Books Set in Panama – Fiction

Let me start with the bad news:

There aren’t a lot of good novels set in Panama that are written in English or translated from Spanish to English.

I found ONLY one book that I recommend wholeheartedly:

• God’s Favorite – a BRILLIANT book about Manuel Noriega and the invasion of Panama

There are 3 books that are not bad but not great:

• The Tailor of Panama – spy thriller
• The Bookshop of Panama – romance
• Come Together, Fall Apart – short stories

17. God’s Favorite

By lawrence wright, 2013.

“Panamanians rarely took themselves seriously—a delightful quality. They were dedicated to pleasure and business and the multilayered intimacy of society. The entire county was Rome all over again, the Nuncio thought, soft and shallow but also beautiful and dear.”

Let’s start with my favorite novel set in Panama: God’s Favorite by Lawrence Wright. It’s thrilling, eye-opening, and unputdownable —the perfect book for both those of you wanting to know more about Panama or just wanting something to read while on the beaches of Bocas del Toro or San Blas or in the highlands of Boquete .

The book tells the story of Manuel Noriega and the United States’s invasion of Panama in 1989 . It has a small well-developed cast of main characters including a fictional priest who struggles with saving his own skin or doing what is right, and a wily archbishop who’s been shipped off to Panama because he’s pissed off too many powerful people in the Vatican.

However, the star character of the book is Manual Noriega himself. Lawrence Wright does a fabulous job of getting inside Noriega’s psychopathic head and showing us his reasons for doing what he did. Of course, this is how Wright imagined Noriega to be and you can’t be certain it’s true.

The other eye-opening part of this book is the reaction of the U.S. and the CIA toward Noriega and all the attempts by Panamanians to overthrow him.

If you love historical fiction and you’re truly interested in learning more about Panama or you just want to read something on your holiday, God’s Favorite will not disappoint you. It is a gem!

18. The Tailor of Panama

By john le carre, 1996.

“Panama boasts as many varieties of human being as birds, a thing that daily gladdens the hybrid Pendel’s heart. Some were descended from slaves, others might as well have been, for their forefathers had been shipped here in their tens of thousands to work and sometimes die for the Canal.”

The next book on this list is the most well-known Panama novel written in English, The Tailor of Panama by the famous writer of spy stories, John le Carre .

The tailor of Panama is Harry Pendel— a British citizen with a shady past . He moved to Panama, married a “Zonian,” became a father, and started a tailoring business making expensive high-quality suits for the rich and powerful of Panama. In the movie, Harry is played by Michael Caine .

At the beginning of the book, Harry’s life is going well. But then Andrew Osnard walks into his tailor shop and his life takes an unexpected turn.  

The story takes place in the early 1990s , about a year after the United States’ invaded Panama and ousted Noriega. The country has yet to fully take over the canal. It will in 1999.

I love the way le Carre describes Panama —its unbearable heat and humidity, the social dynamics of Panamanian society, the diversity of its people, and the busy, chaotic, crime-ridden streets of Panama City with its mix of rich and poor.

Le Carre is so good at creating intricate and interesting characters that it’s easy to become emotionally attached to them. So then when he takes them in a direction that you don’t want him to go in, your heart breaks. It’s all rather disappointing.

Although the book’s last one-third turns out to be a stinker, I still highly recommend The Tailor of Panama for those visiting Panama. It does capture Panama well (at least what I imagined the 1990s Panama to be like) and it gives you some historical background to the country. Plus! The writing is beautiful.

19. The World in Half

By christina henriquez, 2009.

“I’m not sure why, but I want them to know that. I want them to know that I’m not just any tourist visiting their country, that I have a claim to this place and a reason for being here, that I belong to them, at least a little bit. I wonder whether, or how, they would treat me differently if they knew.”

In The World in Half , Christina Henriquez fails to do everything that le Carre did in The Tailor of Panama . She creates boring characters and a dull Panama City .

Miraflores grows up thinking her father never wanted her. She only knows that her mother had an affair with her father while she and her husband were stationed in Panama. Then one day while home from college, she discovers letters her father wrote to her mother She learns that her father and mother were deeply in love and that her father really wanted to be with his child.

Miraflores hatches a secret trip to Panama to find her father . While in Panama, she gets help looking for him from some local Panamanians. One is a young street merchant named Danilo. The two travel all over Panama City looking for her father. They spend most of their time looking for her father at tourist attractions, which seemed very odd.

I expected a deep and thought-provoking book about identity and belonging . However, I didn’t feel that Henriquez explained well enough what it must feel like for Miraflores to be caught between two cultures.

The book also never satisfactorily explains why Miraflores’s mother didn’t want her father to join her in the United States and help raise their child together. And why did the mother not tell Miraflores the truth? Why all the secrecy?

Overall, The World in Half felt more like a teen romance than a book for adults.

20. Come Together, Fall Apart

By christina henriquez, 2007.

“The newscasters said that Panama had officially declared a state of war. Anything they reported next, I didn’t hear. Despite the heat from the ovens pressing against my back, I remember feeling a chill run through me at the sound of those words. I remember feeling a quiet, creeping fear throughout my body, and I remember thinking about Sofia. Before that, every moment had felt like waiting. As though we were all, as a country, teetering on the edge of a cliff. We were peering down; we were holding our breath. We were on the brink of something, but we were waiting for some signal, some gust of wind to push us forward, to catapult us into action, into change. It came then. And we all, I think, wanted to believe that whether we jumped or fell, there would be something there to catch us, that things would be better once it was over.”

Luckily, Henriquez’s second book on Panama is one that does capture Panama and does tell lots of good stories with complex and interesting characters . Come Together, Fall Apart is a collection of short stories and one novella all set in Panama. It mostly involves young Panamanians and their relationships with their family, friends, and lovers.

I’m not a fan of short stories (that’s why it’s 4 stars). But these are pretty good. They’re deep and emotionally fulfilling. They’re not happy stories either. All the people in them are damaged and most of that damage has been done to them by the people who are supposed to love them the most, their fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, grandparents, and uncles. This damage then carries over into adulthood and their relationships.

The last story is a gem ! It’s set during the US invasion of Panama. The story focuses on a tight-knit family in Panama City. Henriquez brilliantly captures the tension in the air as the city braces for the US to invade. It’s hard to find any books in English covering this historic event that will give you a sense of what Panamanians were thinking back then. I hope one day Henriquez gives us a full novel set during this period.

I’m not an expert on Panamanian culture, but I get a sense that Henriquez captures it well in Come Together Fall Apart because the characters feel authentic .

21. The Bookshop of Panama

By suzanne hope (2023).

“Maybe lovers of fiction enjoy living these fantasy lies more than living their own? Dusting off those books I start wondering: Am I living through the literature I read? Do I live my own life to the full? Am I escaping into my books and not making things happen for me in the real world?”

The Bookshop of Panama is the PERFECT escape-from-reality novel for bookworms .

Don’t read it BEFORE your trip to Panama or else you won’t get it. Instead, read it AFTER your trip to remind you of your time there.

The star of The Bookshop of Panama is Kate, the least likely person to quit her job and move to a foreign country . But that’s just what Kate does when her fiancée announces that he wants to move to Panama for a job.

Then her fiancée dumps her and Kate is left stranded in Panama broken-hearted. Luckily, she’s got an apartment with air-conditioning (I assume) in Casco Viejo . Yeah, that part about Casco Viejo sounds too good to be true. Unless you’re wealthy, an average person would never be able to afford an apartment in that part of Panama City. But without the location, the book wouldn’t be so darn fun, I guess.

Kate is a bookworm—my favorite kind of character . Her dream has always been to open a used bookstore. So why not in Panama City? The rest of the book goes into her adventure of opening one.

I think The Bookshop of Panama makes Panama seem like an exciting and up-and-coming country . It makes you want to move there and open up your own business in Casco Viejo and spend your free time drinking cocktails outside in Panama’s unbearable humidity!

My only complaint is that there’s only one Panamanian character in the whole book. Everyone else is an expat.

But, you know, that’s OK if you just want to escape a bit from reality. No one’s judging!

22. Beneath a Panamanian Moon

By david terrenoire, 2014.

Beneath a Panamanian Moon is a spy novel set in Panama with a lot of weird Americans.

The book stars ex-CIA officer turned piano player, John Harper . He’s left the CIA and is now playing piano at Washington DC functions. He has no intention of working for the CIA again. However, he finds himself in a situation in which he doesn’t have a choice. The CIA sends him to Panama to go undercover at a resort in Panama run by American mercenaries. They are planning some kind of revolution or coup on New Year’s Eve.

The main character is interesting . The setting, dialogue, and story are ok . I would have finished Beneath a Panamanian Moon but before I could, I had to return it. Then the book disappeared from my library.

By Shelby Hiatt, 2009

Panama is another work of historical fiction on this list that is set in the Panama Canal Zone . However, I haven’t read it.

The main character, whose name is never revealed, is a 15-year-old girl whose father is sent to Panama to work on the Canal. She’s frustrated with the way the Zonians live—in a little American bubble isolated from the real Panama.

She meets Federico, a Castilian who is twice her age . He works as a laborer digging ditches but seems to be quite well-educated. She immediately falls in love with him and pursues him. The 15-year-old and 30-year-old end up having a torrid romance.

I haven’t read Panama yet and I’m not sure I want to as the reviews have been pretty negative . On Amazon, it gets 2.5 out of 5 stars.

24. The Captain and the Enemy

By graham greene, 1988, my rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

‘If I had the money, I’d like to go where Drake went—Panama and all the countries over there where the gold came from, but Liza wouldn’t be happy—she wouldn’t feel at home. All the same one day, perhaps…’

Written by Graham Greene, The Captain and the Enemy is another Panama book I disliked . Set partly in Panama, it’s basically a boring story with boring characters .

The premise is strange. A shady con artist named the Captain wins 12-year-old Victor (later changes his name to Jim) from his father in a game of backgammon .  Yeah. I know. Kind of weird, right? The Captain thinks that his friend, Liza, is lonely and would like a son.

If this book had been written in 2023, the writer would have Captain and Liza running a child sex trafficking business. The book was written too long ago for this more likely scenario to have entered Greene’s brain. No, there’s nothing sexual here. It’s all very mundane .

Over the years Liza raises Jim while the Captain comes and goes. He’s a criminal and he’s always on the run from the cops. Liza is not the motherly type though and she never treats Jim like a son . In fact, no one ever treats Jim like their child. It’s rather sad. But Jim seems to not care, which is actually the hardest part to believe.

Eventually, Jim grows up and becomes a journalist. The Captain sends word that he’s in Panama and sort of invites Jim to come.  

Greene supposedly became good friends with Panamanian dictator, Torrijos . He wrote a book about him even. Yet Greene’s description of Panama is sparse and shallow. All he manages to say about it is that the country has 123 banks (this is repeated a million times) and that it rains a lot (true). Panama comes across as dull and lifeless like everyone else in the book .

The Panama portion of the book takes place in the 1970s , a month before the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty between Trujillo and Carter.

Maybe there’s some deep meaning hidden somewhere in the pages of The Captain and the Enemy . I couldn’t find it or maybe I just didn’t care to look .

25. The Fling in Panama

By liz alden.

“Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.”

Out of all the books on this list, The Fling in Panama is the one that is going to spark your wanderlust to travel to Panama.

It’s too bad the characters are so dull and wooden and the plot is uneventful . Nothing much happens.

Australian Lila is on her first leg of a South American backpacking trip . Her first stop is Panama and her first adventure is to hitchhike on a boat down the Panama Canal .

She manages to find a sailboat owned by a couple of handsome Norwegian brothers . Lila also manages to get into a hot romance with one of the brothers as she sails down the Canal and then across the Pacific.

You will learn a lot about sailing and a little about the Panama Canal .

After reading this book, I want to go back to Panama and do what Lila did and try to get onto a sailboat down the Canal. Now I have some ideas on how to do it!

Overall, if romances are your kind of book and you’re planning a trip to Panama , then you might enjoy The Fling in Panama .

Final Thoughts

Those are 25 books on Panama. A few FANTASTIC ones but also too many duds, I hate to admit.

Panama is such a fantastic country to visit but it needs better books written about it that give the attention it deserves.

These are my favorite books:

• God’s Favorite – BEST Book on Panama
• The Path Between the Seas
• Panama Fever
• Panama: A Whole Story
• Divorcing the Dictator
• Our Man in Panama
• Come Together, Fall Apart
• The Tailor of Panama

Have you read any of these books on Panama?

What did you think?

Which book do you plan on picking up?

Have I left any books off this list that should be on it?

Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you!

More Books from Around the World

• 30 Books on Singapore
• 10 Books on Malaysia
• 13 Books on Myanmar
• 25 Nonfiction Books on China
• 35 Fiction Books on Japan
• 15 Books on Korea
• 25 Books on Thailand
• 28 Books on Vietnam
• 20 Books on Sri Lanka
• 15 Books on Indonesia
• 25 Books on Cambodia
• 15 Books on Guatemala
• 16 Books on the Ancient Maya’
• 13 Books on Russia and Vladimir Putin
• 35 Books on Ukraine
• 25 Books on Ecuador
• 25 Books on Panama

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About the bamboo traveler.

Welcome to The Bamboo Traveler, a travel blog dedicated to helping those travelers who want to dig deeply into the history, heritage, and culture of a place. Whether it’s through the pages of your passport or the pages of a book, I’ll help you travel the world and uncover the history, culture, food, architecture, and natural beauty of some of the world’s most fascinating places.

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How To Plan An Unforgettable Panama Itinerary

Looking for an incredible Panama itinerary?

I’ve got you covered below.

Every summer, my boyfriend Andy and I plan an epic two-week vacation together. It’s one of the few times annually I’m not traveling solo; and because it’s such a special time, a lot goes into planning the perfect trip.

We’re curious outdoor enthusiasts who love experiential accommodations.

If that sounds like you, then you’ll want to keep reading to steal our favorite Panama vacation spots and travel tips.

Note that this post contains affiliate links to trusted partners I think you’ll love!

Psst! Don’t forget to pin this post for later!

Table of Contents

Panama Travel Video

Prefer to travel Panama through video?

You’re in luck!

We filmed a Panama travel guide to really show you what the experience was like.

Watch the video here:

A big thanks to Andy for helping me shoot the footage, and for editing this video!

Panama Travel Tips

Before I get into actual things to do in Panama, I want to go over some important Panama travel tips.

This way, when you begin diving into our Panama itinerary, you can better understand what your trip will look like.

Additionally, you can grab my free Ultimate Travel Planning Kit — which also includes a downloadable Google Map of this Panama itinerary.

Is Panama Safe?

In short, I felt very, very safe doing the Panama itinerary I share with you below.

That being said, whether at home or on the road, I’m never without a few very important safety essentials.

Vigilant Personal Alarm . Vigilant makes personal safety alarms — or sound grenades — in a variety of models and styles. Press a button to activate an alarm louder than a firetruck, meant to disarm and scare potential attackers. The model linked here even has a backup alarm in case the primary alarm becomes disabled.

Speakeasy Supply Hidden Pocket Scarves . Hand-made by my fellow travel blogging friends over at Beers & Beans, these stylish scarves come in designs for all seasons. Bonus: The hidden pockets in the scarf are large enough to fit your passport!

Clever Travel Companion Pickpocket-Proof Garments . Nervous about pickpockets? In more touristy areas of Panama City, for example, pickpockets are fairly common. Having pickpocket-proof garments ensures thieves don’t even know you’re carrying cash. I love the underwear, tank top, long johns and short sleeve dress!

Planning A Trip To Panama: Destinations

There are so many options when planning your Panama itinerary.

Below, I provide an overview of some — emphasis on some — of your options based on your travel preferences.

Beach Destinations In Panama.  Bocas del Toro, Pearl Islands, San Blas Islands, Isla Coiba, Santa Catalina, Colon.

Hiking / Outdoor Adventure Destinations In Panama.  Boquete, El Valle de Anton, Cocle Province, Santa Cruz de Cana.

Urban Destinations In Panama. Panama City, David.

Agricultural Destinations In Panama. Boquete, Santa Fe, Cocle Province, Isla Bastimentos, Isla San Cristobal, Colon.

Two Weeks In Panama Itinerary

If you don’t feel like reading this entire article, you can swipe my two weeks in Panama itinerary here in this quick overview.

We arrived into Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, and then took an Uber to get to the Albrook “Marcos A. Gelabert” International Airport to board a domestic one-hour flight to the Bocas del Toro “Isla Colón” International Airport in Bocas Town.

Our Panama itinerary was as follows:

Bocas Town on Isla Colon in Bocas del Toro  ( Airbnb- Stay Bocas ). One night.

Arrived via Air Panama flight from Panama City.

Highlights included Bibi’s on the Beach, Starfish Beach and simply wandering the lively town to peruse the shops, bars and even a brewery called Bocas Brewery.

Isla Bastimentos in Bocas Del Toro ( La Loma Jungle Lodge & Chocolate Farm ). Two nights.

Arrived via pickup in Bocas Town by the La Loma Jungle Lodge boat captain (ride is about 20 minutes).

Highlights included sleeping in a treehouse with no walls in the jungle, hiking to a bat cave, kayaking at sunrise and the creative meals made with mainly ingredients grown on their onsite farm.

Isla San Cristobal in Bocas del Toro ( CocoVivo ). Two nights.

Arrived via skiff boat taxi (about 25 minutes from Bocas Town).

Highlights included onsite hiking trails to waterfalls, snorkeling the healthy coral reefs, night swimming in the bioluminescent Tierra Oscura Lagoon, a dock with a second-storey diving board and hammocks right over the water, and paddle-boarding to the local fried chicken shop nearby (a very Panamanian experience!).

Boquete (Airbnb- Lost Waterfalls Cabin ). Two nights.

Arrived via Hello Panama tourist bus ($30), with the Airbnb host picking us up at the bus stop to take us to the cabin.

Highlights included hiking in Panama  — specifically through high altitude jungle to numerous waterfalls — a farm-to-fork dinner at Colibri Restaurant in Boquete Town and having a secluded cabin in the breathtaking cloud forest where our yard was filled with unique flora and hummingbirds.

Panama City ( The Bahia Grand Hotel ). One night.

Arrived via Air Panama flight from Enrique Malek International Airport in David, which we got to by paying $50 for a taxi from Boquete to David (though note there is also a cheaper bus option that we didn’t feel like navigating with our luggage).

This was just a one-night stopover before our trip to El Valle de Anton (aka “El Valle”), and we spent it by exploring some of the hotel’s amenities. These included swimming in the infinity pool, having an unforgettable chef’s tasting dinner at Tejas Restaurant, gambling in the Ocean Sun Casino and having drinks at their 66-storey Poolbar rooftop. Afterward, we took a bubblebath with wine in our in-room standalone tub. Heaven!

El Valle de Anton (Airbnb- Casa del Alma ). Two nights.

Arrived via 2.5-hour bus from the Albrook Bus Terminal in Panama City (~$4.50 one way).

Highlights included hiking to the top of La India Dormida for incredible views, having a seafood dinner on the chill patio of Bruschetta Restaurant, and enjoying our funky zen lodging with had a pool, garden and deep soaking tub.

Panama City ( The Bahia Grand Hotel ). Three nights.

Arrived via the same bus we took to El Valle de Anton, but in the opposite direction.

Highlights included more swimming and enjoying cocktail-filled pineapples at the infinity pool, wandering the UNESCO-listed Casco Viejo neighborhood, seeing boats pass through the Panama Canal, walking the scenic Cinta Costera at night, savoring craft cocktails at the Strangers Club and a satisfying dinner at the innovative Wall Street Bar & Lounge where menu prices change based on their inventory.

If I could change anything about the above Panama itinerary, I would have stayed a few days longer in Panama to spend more time in Panama City. There is a lot to do there, both within the city and as day trips.

Currency In Panama

Interestingly, US Dollars — along with the Panamanian Balboa — are both official currency in Panama.

They even equal the same. Sometimes locals will mix up currencies, too.

So, if you’re supposed to get $1.50 change back, you might back $1 USD and 50 cents in Panamanian Balboa coins.

In short, we used US dollars the entire time.

Getting Around Panama

To get around Panama, Andy and I opted to travel by plane and bus.

There’s so much to do in Panama, and we were on a tight two-week schedule; so, we did take two domestic flights on Air Panama to save time, even though they were pricier than the bus.

Additionally, we opted for the tourist transfer bus offered by Hello Panama between Bocas and Boquete.

Another option we heard a few travelers rave about is renting a car, as long as you’re outside Panama City and Bocas del Toro.

Next time I go to Panama I’ll probably opt for this, as there are so many natural places and beautiful parks to explore that are time-consuming to get to via public transportation.

I recommend using a service  like Discover Cars  to determine the best car rental deals available.

Users of this site can save up to 70% on their booking just by being able to easily compare their options!

What’s great is their comparison tool does the hard research work for you.

You can use their widget right here to compare right now:

Solo Female Travel In Panama

While I was not traveling solo in Panama per my usual trip style, I know many of you are solo travelers.

Ladies, you can definitely feel confident traveling alone through Panama. We encountered a number of solo female travelers during our trip, and at almost all of our accommodations.

Actually, while the Panama itinerary I’m sharing works well for couples, there’s nothing we did on this trip that I wouldn’t come back and do solo, aside for maybe staying at the Lost Waterfalls Cabin because it’s pretty secluded (and I’m terrified of ghosts!).

Even the hikes in Boquete that I mention below — both of which are very well marked — would be fine to do on your own without a guide.

Just make sure you have the Vigilant Alarm I mention above on you for added protection, especially from wildlife.

Health Concerns & Zika Virus In Panama

Note that as of this writing (September 2018) there is a risk of Zika Virus in Panama. This means that if you’re pregnant you should avoid visiting Panama.

All travelers will definitely want to take precautions to limit mosquito bites, as well as bites from no-see-ums (or sand flies), which can also carry diseases.

In Bocas del Toro both of these insects were very prevalent.

Personally, I typically opt for natural insect repellent, as I feel it works better and doesn’t harm the environment.

I was able to buy an incredible insect repellent and bite soother at La Loma Jungle Lodge. It was made from coconut oil, citronella and fresh lemon.

If you’d prefer to buy your insect repellent before your Panama trip, here are a few highly-rated natural options from Amazon:

• 2 ounce repellent (spray)
• 2 ounce repellent (cream)
• 4 ounce repellent
• 8 ounce repellent

Another question in terms of health safety you’re probably asking yourself:

Can you drink the water in Panama?

The answer:

Yes and no.

Do realize in certain Panama regions and cities you can’t drink the tap water, like Bocas del Toro.

On the other hand, drinking the tap water in places like Boquete, El Valle de Anton and Panama City is absolutely fine.

Honestly, I thought the tap water in Panama — especially in mountainous places like Boquete — was some of the best I’ve ever tasted!

And while we’re on the topic of drinking, do remember to ask for your beverages without a straw when ordering at restaurants.

Many restaurants and bars will typically provide straws automatically, which can then get eaten by wildlife and harm or kill them.

My Panama Itinerary In-Depth

Now that we’ve covered some important Panama travel tips, it’s time to dive deeper into where to go in Panama, and what to do once you’re there.

Visiting Bocas Del Toro 

Christopher Columbus actually visited this beautiful archipelago in 1502, when he was searching for Asia. That’s why you’ll find a number of Bocas del Toro islands that give nods to the Spanish explorer — like Isla Colon, Isla Cristóbal and Bahía de Almirante — because he named them after himself.

According to Rough Guides , it wasn’t until 1826 that the town of Bocas del Toro — today called Bocas Town — was founded by West Indian immigrants.

Later on in the 19th century, it was the United Fruit company that built up Bocas del Toro’s wealth by planting banana plantations.

This strategic move led to over 50% of Panama’s export income coming from Bocas bananas.

While disease eventually hurt the banana industry in Bocas del Toro, a growing tourism industry is taking its place as a key money maker.

How To Get To Bocas Del Toro From Panama City

Arriving into Bocas del Toro via Air Panama flight was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had on a plane.

With the soft hum of the aircraft as my soundtrack, I gazed down over hundreds of lush islands — some large enough to have homes, some so small they appeared like rocks from above.

As the plane descended, I noticed the water hitting the shoreline of the vibrant emerald green islands, sprouting dense forest that appeared like billions of broccoli stalks, the trees so close together.

Suddenly, the plane made a loud whizzing noise, and a burst of colorful buildings broke up the repeating green hues.

We were in Bocas Town.

Now, flights to Bocas del Toro from Panama City are relatively inexpensive on Air Panama. Andy and I paid $112 each for our one-way flight — including taxes and fees — booked for the end of August.

If you’re wondering how to get to Bocas del Toro, the above-mentioned flight to Bocas del Toro airport will be the easiest, quickest way at less than one-hour of travel time.

Another option is taking a bus from Panama City to Almirante, and then a boat to Bocas Town (or another Bocas del Toro island), though note this takes 10.5-11.5 hours total. Considering the flight is about 50 minutes, I personally think it’s the smarter option unless you’re on a really, really tight budget.

Driving is another option, and we met loads of travelers road tripping around Panama.

The thing with this is that once you’re in Bocas del Toro you’ll be getting around by taking tiny skiff boats. These don’t fit cars, so you’ll need to leave yours in Almirante. Driving from Panama City to Bocas del Toro takes about eight to nine hours.

Now Bocas del Toro is interesting in that it sits on Panama’s Caribbean coast and features some truly unspoiled beaches.

Moreover, you can swim in crystal waters, snorkeling lagoons and watching dolphins in the wild. You can float in a bioluminescent bay. You can hike through the jungle spying birdlife, monkeys and sloths, or head into a bat cave and go cliff jumping inside.

These are just a few of the many Bocas del Toro attractions and experiences to be had.

Bocas del Toro islands are plentiful. In fact, aside for the mainland there are nine main Caribbean islands to choose from when planning your trip.

That being said, you’ll notice as your flying over this Panama province that there are actually myriad small islands, calm waters sprinkled with lush emerald tufts of land. While you won’t find Bocas del Toro hotels on these smaller islands, many make for fun kayaking and paddle boarding destinations.

Visiting Bocas Town On Isla Colon [Bocas Del Toro, Panama]

Bocas Town — situated at the southern end of Isla Colon — is the capital and main hub of the Bocas del Toro archipelago, so this is where you’ll likely begin your journey, even if just to connect elsewhere.

That being said, no  Bocas del Toro vacation would be complete without spending a night or two in Bocas Town.  It’s extremely lively, with loads of restaurants, bars, shops, a main square and a walkable layout.

Bocas Town Hotel Recommendation: Stay Bocas

When researching where to stay in Bocas del Toro, specifically in Bocas Town, we chose Stay Bocas due to its positive reviews.

Plus, it’s literally a three-minute walk from the Bocas del Toro “Isla Colón” International Airport. This is where you’ll arrive into when flying into Bocas del Toro from Panama City.

As soon as we walked through the garden patio up to the check-in desk, a smiling man greeted us and offered us local Balboa beers.

The room was clean with air conditioning, and the location was walkable to all of the noteworthy things to do in Bocas Town.

It’s also budget-friendly at less than $50 per night, including breakfast, wifi and bike rentals.

We booked this Bocas Town accommodation on Airbnb. If you’ve never used Airbnb before, I recommending clicking here to set up your account so you get $40 off your first booking .

Once you’ve created your account, you can click here to book Stay Bocas.

Bocas Del Toro Restaurants: Bibi’s On The Beach

Bocas Town is the epitome of a chill beach town. Even as we walked around on a Monday night, small wooden bars and restaurants painted in bright tropical colors blasted calypso and reggae.

Near to a small brewery strung with fairy lights was a dock where locals eagerly wait to take people by taxi boat to other islands and destinations nearby.

Our destination for the night:

Bibi’s on the Beach , a restaurant recommendation from Stay Bocas.

Located on nearby Carenero Island, Andy and I were dropped off on the dock — after paying the $2/person fare — and took a short walk along the palm shaded, sandy shore to the open-air eatery.

Fresh seafood paired with fruity cocktails made fresh in a blender is the name of the game here.

On the water, we sipped Pina Coladas and Bahama Mamas while enjoying grilled tuna, mussels, shrimp and Bibi’s famous tender octopus.

The scene is uber romantic, with bare bulbed lights strung up over picnic tables and lounge chairs right on the water.

I highly recommend going before sunset so you can watch the sky light up and cast warm hues over the islands.

Bocas Del Toro Beaches: Starfish Beach

Possibly my favorite Bocas del Toro beach from the whole trip was Starfish Beach near Bocas Town.

On the main road in Bocas Town — the widest road, two blocks from Stay Bocas — is a park square.

Here, you’ll catch the bus to Bocas del Drago ($2.50 each way, payable on the bus in cash), the last stop on the bus.

The ride takes about 30 minutes, and you’ll drive through lush jungle and even some cow-laden countryside.

When you arrive at Bocas del Drago, you’ll be greeted by soft sand coastline shaded by palms, azure warm waters and chill beach bars selling rum drinks and lobster.

The real treat though:

Hiking 25 minutes along the coastline —walking barefoot through the warm water — to the gorgeous Starfish Beach.

Not only is the beach stunning, with hawks gliding overhead, but the clear water is filled with giant colorful starfish!

A note on responsible tourism at beaches:

Don’t touch the starfish!

There are signs everywhere warning visitors not to touch them, and that if you do they might die; but yet, we saw tourists not only touching them but moving them to take a “great” Instagram photo.

A photo is never worth hurting a living creature over, so just admire them with your eyes!

A warning on the buses:

They apparently come earlier than they tell you when you get off. The 2pm bus back to Bocas left at 1:55pm! Luckily we got back early.

Back in Bocas Town, we took a stroll through the lively, colorful streets, spending most of our time shopping at the artsy  Black Cat boutique.

Afterward, we headed to a really cool bar and restaurant —  Bocas Blended , aka the Batido Bus — to eat lunch.

This hippie bus serves smoothies, healthy wraps, salads and refreshing mojito lemonades.

It was the perfect place to relax while we waited to meet our captain — Mr. Kelly — who’d be whisking us away to our next Bocas del Toro island destination.

Visiting La Loma Jungle Lodge On Isla Bastimentos [Bocas Del Toro, Panama]

When Mr. Kelly arrived, we boarded a small skiff boat to visit La Loma Jungle Lodge & Chocolate Farm on Bastimentos Island.

The scenic ride took about 20 minutes — taking us past inlet eateries, small islands and mangroves — until we pulled up to dock dense with forest; a small dog, who we came to know as Zorro, greeting us.

Resting on 57 acres of tropical forest and fruit groves, La Loma Jungle Lodge is unlike any of the other Bocas del Toro hotels you’ll come across on your search.

First of all, the property is a self-sustaining experiential accommodation only accessible by boat, meaning you don’t need to worry about having a negative impact on the environment or about encountering too many tourists.

As a guest of the hotel — which is also a working farm — your stay includes three deliciously prepared meals.

About 60% of the ingredients in the food are grown right on their property. During my stay, I savored dishes like pumpkin soup with fried yuca, grilled blackjack fish over coconut rice, and roasted red pepper-laced lentils served alongside fresh salad from the garden and locally-sourced cheese.

For dessert, sometimes we savored homemade guava cookies showcasing onsite grown fruit, or decadent chocolate cake gowned in dulce de leche, made with La Loma’s renowned cacao.

Hey, Panama chocolate is some of the best in the world. And if you want to have the best of the best, it’s smart to get it right from the source.

You can work off the food through onsite hiking trails, night walks to spot caimans and jungle insects, trips to trek across Red Frog Beach and kayaking to the nearby bat cave or Sloth Island (which is home to — you guessed it — hundreds of sloths!).

While mornings were filled with watching wildlife — mainly birds and sometimes sloths and monkeys — through our open air treehouse, evenings were spent playing cards under the stars while enjoying a bottle of wine and listening to tree frogs.

Moreover, staff were happy to set up their kayaks for sunrise paddling with views looking out toward the active Volcán Barú — Panama’s tallest mountain at 11,400 feet — and the rest of the Cordillera de Talamanca range.

Adventures On Isla Bastimentos: Beach Hiking

No trip to Panama would be complete without visiting the beautiful beaches.

And one of my favorite experiences during my La Loma stay was to Red Frog Beach , specifically to do the 45-minute hike from that beach to the more secluded Polo Beach .

Admittedly, Polo Beach is a proper hike to get to.

While your feet will be slapping over the warm Caribbean Sea most of the time, you’ll also need to navigate jagged tufts of coral and humongous fall trees blocking the path.

Once you arrive, though, you’ll realize the effort was worth it as you have the crystal waters and outer island views all to yourself.

There aren’t beach bars at Polo Beach, so pack lots of water and lunch!

Adventures On Isla Bastimentos: Panama Bat Cave Exploration

Another one of the unforgettable things to do in Panama while staying at La Loma:

Hiking through the  Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park to the  Nivida Bat Cave with a local named Roger, whose father actually discovered the cave.

I always joke that when I’m working hard I’m in my bat cave; but the truth is I’ve never been in a bat cave like this.

Hundreds — possibly thousands — of bats hung upside down, grinning devilishly through the glow of our headlamps in the darkest corners of the cave.

Every few seconds, one would whizz past our ears so quickly they looked like a burst of black light; so close you could almost feel it’s little hairs on your skin!

I was glad I wore a bathing suit, as the further we hiked into the cave, the deeper the water inside became.

Actually, what started out as a stream quickly came to above our waists!

When we got to a large dry rock shelf the water didn’t reach, Roger instructed us to leave everything behind aside for our helmets and headlamps.

“The water gets very deep. You’ll need to swim at parts.”

Peering at a giant tarantula-like spider on the wall, I hoped the creepy crawlers of the cave wouldn’t also be making the journey.

After about 15 minutes, we came to a giant cave pool sitting below loads of stalagmites — where you could also cliff jump.

Andy jumped three times, and each time I held my breath hoping I wouldn’t need to tell his parents I’d lost their son in a Panamanian bat cave.

Luckily, he came up laughing each time.

The bat cave excursion also included a scenic boat ride through the mangroves. Roger not only gave us a comprehensive overview of the three types of mangroves on Bastimentos Island — red, brown and yellow — but also helped us spot an array of wildlife.

Crabs, capuchin monkeys, caimans and giant clawed pistol shrimp all made their way onto my camera roll, though the highlight was a sloth so close we could make out her facial features.

I learned sloths go to the bathroom once per week in the water, where the caimans sit hungrily waiting.

As this sloth moved about the tree, I hoped she realized what waited below her.

Luckily, what waited for Andy and I was much less scary:

A delicious multi-course lunch at La Loma, complete with plates of guanabana fruit and chocolate truffles for dessert.

Visiting CocoVivo On Isla San Cristobal [Bocas del Toro, Panama]

After washing down our meal with homemade passionfruit juice, Andy and I said our farewells, faithful Zorro giving us his final doggy kisses on the dock, before we headed back to Bocas Town to catch a taxi boat to CocoVivo Panama , a sustainable eco-retreat on Isla San Cristobal.

A friendly Bocas local named Choy was our captain, recommended to us by CocoVivo.

The scenic 20-minute ride cost $45 total for both Andy and I, and as our boat pulled up to the CocoVivo dock, surrounded by lush jungle, we knew we were in for a relaxing treat.

This portion of our trip was about simply enjoying the beauty and chilled out vibe of the property.

Actually, my laptop had sadly fallen prey to humidity on Isla Bastimentos. While I was more than a little sad about the screen of my $1500 laptop being destroyed, I decided to look at it as a blessing:

No laptop meant I had no choice but to take a deep breath and relax.

And CocoVivo certainly was the place to it.

Owned by expat couple Carmen and Lazare — who met while living in Bocas Town — the property is rustic and environmentally conscious using solar panels, a rain catchment system and composting.

You’ll need to be mindful of water usage, electricity usage and waste.

Moreover, our in-room toilet — for #1 only — was a hole right over the mangroves, and short cool showers handled only bio-digradeable products like this shampoo (though they provide soap, and have a beautiful Hill House with western facilities, too).

If you’re okay with that, then you’ll be rewarded with simple clean rooms built right into the island’s landscape.

Things To Do On Isla San Cristobal: Aquatic Bocas Del Toro Adventures

Actually, swimming in their bioluminescent Tierra Oscura Lagoon when the sky is completely dark is a magical experience; each slap of your hand on the water making bright sparkles shoot out from your fingertips.

Swimming during the day is also a must, as the property is surrounded by healthy reefs full of tropical fish and colorful corals.

A must-have CocoVivo experience:

Jumping off the second-storey diving board that’s on their main deck lounge, where fresh communal meals are served and the bar sits.

Here, you’ll find hammocks and wooden swings hanging right over the water, with a second-storey diving platform.

It’s scary the first time you jump, though after you come up for air giggling, you’ll want to do it again and again.

Things To Do On Isla San Cristobal: Bocas Del Toro Restaurants

Additionally, we loved grabbing the free-to-use kayaks and paddle boards and paddling across the lagoon to Los Amigos Restaurante & Bar .

Here, in this eatery on the water that genuinely feels like someone’s home, they serve one thing:

Three pieces of delicious fried chicken with fries and coleslaw.

It’s a true Panamanian experience, from getting to practice your Spanish to chatting with the owner — Ernesto — about his time living in the states, but coming back to where he was born and opening the business.

Behind the counter sits a shelf with a few bottles of liquor and a handful of mixers, which we turned into ginger ales spiked with local rum.

Around the open air restaurant, locals play music and sit on their porches, offering a glimpse into daily life in Panama.

Things To Do On Isla San Cristobal: Hiking On Isla San Cristobal

Additionally, the onsite hiking trails at CocoVivo allow you to see birds, wildlife (read: sloths!), waterfalls and crazy insects.

Led by CocoVivo’s three pups — Captain, Osa and Nanoosh — we ended up at a lovely waterfall.

This was a refreshing stop to cool off as Bocas del Toro weather can be very hot and humid.

After my laid back stay, I truly felt like I was leaving home, especially when Carmen, Lazare and the dogs stood at the dock waving (and barking!) goodbye.

Click here for a great list of unforgettable Bocas del Toro tours!

Visiting Boquete In Panama

So, where were we leaving Bocas del Toro for?

Boquete, a small mountain town located in the highlands of the bountiful Chiriquí province of Panama, renowned for its hiking trails and proximity to Volcán Barú , Panama’s highest point.

This is one of the best Panama vacation spots for those wanting to experience the country’s gorgeous cloud forest.

According to  Hotel Panamonte , Boquete was founded on April 11, 1911, when it became a shortcut to California for those looking to profit from the California Gold Rush.

Many locals and immigrants settled here, also drawn by the Panama destination’s abundance and natural beauty.

Today, the town is known for a few things:

• Boquete coffee production. The coffee in Boquete is said to be some of the world’s best!
• It’s retirement community. Many senior locals and expats settle in Boquete to take advantage of the mild weather, low costs, modern amenities and slower pace of life.
• Boquete tourism. If you’re looking for outdoor adventures, Boquete should be on your Panama itinerary!

Hotels In Boquete, Panama: The Lost Waterfalls Cabin

Andy and I booked the Lost Waterfalls Cabin on Airbnb, so if you’ve never used Airbnb before make sure to use this link to signup and get $40 off your first stay !

If you’re interested in hiking in Panama, the cabin is situated at the beginning of the renowned Lost Waterfalls Trail, high up in the cloud forest.

So high in fact that you’ll need to hike 20 minutes up a steep trail to reach the dwelling — meaning you’ll definitely need to be physically fit, and be okay with walking across shaking suspension bridges — to stay here.

Once you reach your cozy wooden cabin, you’re surrounded by hummingbirds, blue vervain, red spiky heliconias, tall moss-covered oaks and other high elevation flora.

Or, as I like to call them, Dr. Seuss-looking plants.

Plus, you won’t need to look up to see clouds; they’ll roll right past you like puffy tumbleweeds as you sit on the large porch — complete with rocking chairs and resident pup named Rocky Balboa.

Even the outdoor toilet and shower — both very clean — have views of the valley.

We loved our stay at this Boquete accommodation, especially because we spent almost our entire time hiking.

If you want to explore the actual main town in Boquete — with its many restaurants, bars and shops — you should stay at a hostel or hotel down there. For example:

• A popular choice is Hostel Mamallena , which has budget-friendly dorms and private rooms.
• Another great option if you’re not a hostel person is Agaseke Lodge Boquete , a simple and inexpensive Panama hotel right in Boquete Town that includes breakfast, Wi-Fi, and a clean room.

Another idea:

Do a few days in Boquete Town and a few days in the Panamanian cloud forest at the Lost Waterfalls Cabin.

You can always get to town via 15-minute hike down to the trailhead and then get a $10 cab, which the Airbnb host can call for you since you won’t have cell service.

If it’s the evening, make sure to bring a flashlight to see and your Vigilant Personal Alarm for safety, as it gets dark.

Most likely, you’ll eat most meals at the cabin, where you have a cooler (no fridge), outdoor grill, stove (no oven), sink and dishes / glassware.

Things To Do In Boquete, Chiriquí: Boquete Restaurants

One meal I do highly recommend you have in town:

A globally inspired farm-to-fork experience at Colibri Restaurante .

“Colibri” means “hummingbird” in Spanish, which is a great name for this restaurant focused on creative Mediterranean meals infused with mainly local ingredients.

They have outdoor seating, as well as indoor tables surrounded by walls covered in local artwork.

The menu is extensive with lots of noteworthy tastes, from the locally-made passionfruit limoncello to the home-brewed beer to the creative ice cream flavors.

Personally, I loved the tree tomato option, as well as the goat cheese made with a variety they find at a local farmer’s market.

Instead of bread, we were given a bowl of fried pasta with a pesto dipping sauce.

As a starter, the beef tenderloin salad was almost too pretty to eat, laced with carrot spirals, faddish slices and tender seasoned beef; all dressed in a passionfruit dressing.

The meal offered a delicious introduction to discovering the terroir of Boquete and the Chiriqui Province, as the reason many travelers visit is access to unique outdoor adventure opportunities.

Things To Do In Boquete, Chiriquí: Boquete Hiking Trails

Andy and I decided to continue exploring the landscape through two esteemed hiking trails:

The Pipeline Trail ($3 entrance fee) and the Lost Waterfalls Trails ($7 entrance fee), the latter of which our cabin sits at the trailhead of.

Both are moderately difficult, unbelievably scenic hikes that introduce you to lush jungle and renowned bird life. Moreover, they’re a short taxi or collectivo (shared taxi) ride from Boquete Town.

Additionally, both are well-traversed enough that I’d highly recommend them for solo female travelers — though do pack your personal alarm just in case. We didn’t see any, but there are jaguars here, and a sound grenade can help scare off wild animals.

The Pipeline Trail is 2.8-miles long, gradually bringing you to 1,578 meters above sea level. Despite the elevation gain, this is the easier of the two Boquete hikes. This is because the Lost Waterfalls Trail is very, very steep in sections.

During the hike, you’ll pass through two micro-climates of the cloud forest, seeing a wide variety of flora — and fauna, mainly birds.

Actually, along this trail sits a designated Quetzal habitat.

If you’re wondering where to see the sought-after Resplendent quetzal in Panama, this is where you need to go — though note having a local Boquete guide like this one will dramatically increase your chances of spotting one. These beautiful birds, despite their bright colors and dramatic feathering, are tough to spot on your own.

Another Pipeline Trail highlight:

A 1,000+ year-old Mexican elm tree, with enormous roots twisting out of the ground.

This is a fun photo spot for sure!

Along the way, you’ll cross lovely bridges — many crafted from parts of the pipeline the trek is named for — and will likely see lizards, butterflies and possibly even snakes, sloths and howler monkeys. We didn’t see the latter, but we definitely heard them!

At the end of the hike, you’re rewarded with a front row view of a waterfall perfect for swimming.

As Andy and I visited in the late August rainy season — Panama’s off season — we had the place all to ourselves.

The Lost Waterfalls Trail in Boquete was, in my opinion, even more beautiful, albeit more challenging with hugely spaced staircases and steep climbs — sometimes so sharp you’ll need a rope to assist you.

That being said, you’re introduced to three wildly gorgeous waterfalls, each quite different from the other.

Here is Lost Waterfall #1, the tamest of them all, with a viewing platform to see the falls:

Here is Lost Waterfall #2, my favorite of the three due to the multiple tiers and the cave behind it:

And here is Lost Waterfall #3, which you can also climb up and walk behind:

As a photographer on this Panama hike, I couldn’t help but notice the many opportunities for gorgeous natural framing.

Bring a raincoat! That rain can come out of nowhere. I’m a fan of the compact LINENLUX Rain Poncho .

Boquete gets much cooler than Panama City and Bocas del Toro, so bring some warm clothing. My travel-friendly scarf shawl  — which also makes for an excellent airplane blanket — came in handy for keeping me warm when hanging out on the porch.

Click here for a great list of unforgettable Boquete tours !

Visiting El Valle De Anton In Panama (aka El Valle)

After our cloud forest adventure in Boquete, we bid farewell to our Airbnb host, Elias, and the adorable Rocky Balboa.

While there is an inexpensive bus from Boquete to David — where you can board another inexpensive bus from David to Panama City — we decided to save time and hassle and instead grabbed a taxi to David’s international airport (1 hour, $50).

Then we took a flight from David to Panama City, where we grabbed a 2.5-hour bus to El Valle de Anton. Or, as it’s more commonly called, El Valle.

The town of El Valle — which I was told sits inside the largest inhabited volcano crater in the world — is known for its hiking trails, natural beauty and unique geography. Here, you’ll enjoy mountain treks, waterfalls, butterfly and orchid gardens, and hot springs.

Taking The Bus To El Valle From Panama City

So from Albrook Bus Station in Panama City there are ticket sellers coming up to you and anxiously asking you where you’re going.

“El Valle de Anton,” I said.

“Come!” A man said, beckoning me to follow.

He hurriedly brought me to a ticket selling table, and I again said “El Valle de Anton.”

A bunch of men were shouting around me, it was hectic and rushed, so when the guy repeated back “Anton?” I didn’t think that that might be a different place.

But alas, it was.

And our 2.5-hour bus ride took almost six hours as we arrived in Anton — different from El Valle de Anton — and had to backtrack to then take two different buses.

But hey, it was an experience.

Picture a small bus where people get on and off before the vehicle even really comes to a complete stop. Latin club beats blast, and on some buses there are even R-rated music videos to go along with them!

El Valle Panama Hotels: Casa del Alma (aka House of Soul)

We booked the funky, zen Casa del Alma space on Airbnb — so if you’ve never used Airbnb before, click here to create your account and receive $40 off your first stay!

This large house with four thoughtfully-decorated guest rooms, each with a private bathroom, is chock full of inspiring nooks, female-centric artwork and playful touches.

Moreover, the outdoor garden features a pool, fireplace (upcharge for setup) and tropical flora attracting birds — including hummingbirds!

In the morning, a big kitchen stocked with coffee, eggs, cereal and bananas is included in your stay.

Hiking In El Valle: La India Dormida Trail

While we had a nice seafood meal at Restaurante Bruschetta and tasty fried chicken from a place off the main drag that read “Bar Restaurante,” the reason to visit El Valle isn’t the food.

It’s the nature.

Specifically, it’s to hike La India Dormida , or “The Sleeping Indian.”

From afar, this mountain range looks like a sleeping indigenous woman, quite a sight to see from afar.

And from the top, the views are even more spectacular.

According to Journey Era , there is a legend surrounding the mountain.

Apparently, an indigenous woman named Luba — a local chief’s daughter — fell in love with a Spaniard, despite incessant fighting between them and her tribe.

There was an indigenous man in her tribe who did love her, but she didn’t feel the same. Deeply hurt, he threw himself off a mountain in front of Luba.

Luba then became hysterical and got lost in the bushes, perishing.

Back to the La India Dormida hike itself, Andy and I were told there are four routes by which you can get to the top. Three are free and one is paid.

We weren’t sure where the free ones were, so we went in the paid entrance near the Piedra Pintada. You’ll see tons of signs in El Valle Town pointing you to La India Dormida as well as to the Piedra Pintada trailhead.

Honestly, I was happy to pay $3 for such a beautiful, well-maintained trail.

After paying, you’re shown a 3D diagram of the natural Panama attractions that await; neat, but nothing compared to seeing them up close.

At  times the 45-minute uphill hike is pretty steep, and you’ll need to traverse uneven rock steps and roots.

That being said, you’ll be distracted from any fatigue thanks to the fact that there’s barely any lag time between sites.

Almost immediately, you see the famed Piedra Pintada , an enormous rock covered in petroglyphs said to date back to Pre-Columbian times; as in, before 1492 when Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas.

After that, you’ll cross wooden bridges and veer off the path out onto small outcroppings to view three different waterfalls, each cascade offering something different.

Here is a look at my favorite waterfall from the La India Dormida hike, with beautiful views out toward the Pacific Ocean.

Along the path we saw so many giant Blue Morpho Butterflies, along with yellow-bellied flycatcher birds.

Toward the top, we saw one more petroglyph rock before shortly arriving at a crossroads.

We almost missed it, but in very faint white there is an arrow directing you toward the left.

This takes you higher up the mountain, until you come to a tent with decent views over the valley.

As usual, I thought this was the end before it really was. Like in Boquete, Andy volunteered to run ahead and scope things out.

We were lucky he did, as despite having to climb up a very steep and uneven rock face, we were ecstatic to come up onto the edge of the volcano crater.

The views here are completely open, with rolling hills on one side and the valley drop on the other as you walk along the crater rim.

There are a lot of great photo opportunities here; though do be smart, as the drop down is really long.

Visiting Panama City

After 10 days of Panama beach and jungle exploration, we ended our trip with three nights in Panama City.

Panama City is definitely the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city I’ve ever been when traveling Central America , with a lot of money coming in thanks to the Panama Canal.

Along with exploring innovative infrastructure, cosmopolitan architecture and cultural institutions like the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo and the Martin Theatre, you can also enjoy Panama beaches, hiking and wildlife in and around the city.

Getting Into Panama City From Tocumen International Airport

When you arrive into Tocumen International Airport, you’ve got a few options for transportation into the city — or to the nearby Albrook “Marcos A. Gelabert” International Airport for domestic flights.

• The bus. The cheapest option at less than $2, though note you can’t bring suitcases.
• Taxis. These you can grab right in the Arrivals Hall. The tourism information booth advised us it would be $35 from Tocumen International Airport to Albrook “Marcos A. Gelabert” International Airport.
• Uber. The best option if you’ve got luggage. We paid about $17 for the 14-mile ride to Albrook “Marcos A. Gelabert” International Airport.  If you’ve never used Uber, you can use code jessief7 to get your first ride free!

Where To Stay In Panama City: Bahia Grand Panama City

While trekking up hills to reach gorgeous jungle view rooms and hiking up steep stone paths for a secluded cloud forest retreat was so worth it, we decided to end with some luxury — and an elevator — by staying at the Bahia Grand Panama City   (formerly the Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama, though it’s now been taken over by JW Marriott).

This Panama City hotel is located in the opulent Punta Pacifica neighborhood, where you’ll see a number of luxury high rise hotels and condominium buildings.

Essentially, the Bahia Grand is a city within a city, with a shopping corridor, four restaurants, five oceanfront pools, a business center and a wellness center.

While mornings were spent enjoying fresh fruit and eggs at the BARcelona buffet breakfast and taking a dip (with a view!) in the 13th floor infinity pool, evenings were enjoyed taking baths in the standalone tub, drinking wine on our 31st-floor balcony and savoring the chefs menu at Tejas .

Their seafood — specifically their ceviche — is incredible!

Attached to the hotel is also the Ocean Sun Casino , from which you can take the elevator up to the 66th floor rooftop bar called Panaviera   Pool Bar .

I don’t think I’ve even been to a bar that high back home in NYC!

Now I have to be honest:

I was much less active in Panama City than I usually am while traveling.

Andy and I packed so much into our Panama itinerary that by the time we reached Panama City we really wanted to chill out.

So, a nice chunk of our time was spent sipping pina coladas out of pineapples by the pool.

#SometimesYouJustGotta

But, that’s not all we did…

Things To Do In Panama City

As stated above, if I could have changed one thing about our Panama itinerary, it would have been staying a few extra days to really get to know Panama City.

A few things we’ve added to our bucket list for the future since we didn’t have time on this Panama trip:

• Visiting Monkey Island where there are a lot of — you guessed it — monkeys.
• Whitewater rafting on the Mamoni River , which offers Class III-IV rapids.
• Taking a food tour of Casco Viejo , Panama City’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed quarter dating back to the 1670s. We certainly explored it, but it would have been a lot of fun to do an actual food tour with a local guide.
• Trekking to the top of Ancon Hill , which is about 1.2 miles each way and offers gorgeous views from the top.
• Spending a few nights in the San Blas Islands , an autonomous territory in Panama touted as possibly the country’s most pristine archipelago. There are over 365 islands, with the native Kuna people inhabiting a few of the larger ones where tourists also visit.
• Hiking the Pipeline Road from Panama City , which introduces you to Panama wildlife like numerous bird species and monkeys.
• Doing an all-inclusive catamaran booze cruise to the renowned Pearl Islands . Out of all the Panama City excursions we saw, this is the one we were most bummed to miss out on. Unfortunately, the catamaran goes out on very specific days which didn’t align with our Panama vacation plans.

Okay, enough about what we didn’t do in Panama City. Let’s talk about what we did do.

One must-have experience is wandering Casco Viejo .

As mentioned above, this Panama City neighborhood dates back to the late 17th century, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You really don’t need a plan here. You can simply walk and admire the historic Spanish colonial facades, which are protected.

In fact, many modern restaurants and bars gut the insides, but are not allowed to change the outsides. This gives Casco Viejo an enchanting old world feel.

Some of our favorite stops within Casco Viejo:

• Café Unido . Attention Instagrammers: This Panama City cafe was made for you. Along with being lovely looking, this is also one of the few places you can try the soft, tea-like Geisha Coffee. It costs a steep $9 per cup, but offered a gentle pick me up!

• CasaCasco . In this multi-level Panama City restaurant you’ve got three eateries to choose from, not to mention a rooftop bar serving tapas and a dance club. We opted for the Asian-focused NacionSushi. Warning: Their rolls are much, much, much bigger than you’re likely used to!

• The Strangers Club . This American-style craft cocktail bar was started by the team behind NYC’s famed Employees Only, along with two Panamanian partners. As many of you know, I lead a cocktail tour in Manhattan, so of course I had to try it. The ambiance is relaxed, with the menu showcasing Panama’s best ingredients. Pro tip: Order the “Angie,” featuring gin shaken with fresh passionfruit, house-made lemongrass syrup and frothy egg white. Yum!

Of course, you’ll also want to admire the views of the Panama City skyline and Panama Bay, as the neighborhood juts into the water.

Additionally, Casco Viejo is full of historic and cultural attractions, like  Palacio de las Garzas (where Panama’s president lives), the 18th century  Catedral de Panamá and the 17th century  La Iglesia San Felipe Neri .

Another experience you can’t miss when you visit Panama City:

Spending time at the Panama Canal !

While I appreciate engineering, I’ll be honest that this isn’t usually how I’d want to spend my time; however, Andy and I agreed that it would be wrong to miss it.

I’m glad we went, as we were able to get up close to the action.

Even if the idea of learning about boats and canals bores you, just seeing how the system works is interesting.

Something else fascinating:

The idea for the canal actually came from France; however, they eventually pulled out, which is when the project became a joint venture between the USA and Panama.

This short two-minute video by The BBC does a great job of explaining this further.

So, how long is the Panama Canal?

A whopping 48 miles, with ships generally taking eight to 10 hours to pass through. Astounding!

After visiting the Panama Canal, Andy and I spent some time roaming Panama City’s lesser-explored areas.

We really enjoyed the walkable  El Cangrejo, Obarrio and Marbella neighborhoods. 

Once we’d sufficiently worked up an appetite, we stopped at one of the most unique Panama City restaurants we’d seen yet:

Wall Street Bar & Lounge in Marbella.

Their concept is innovative in that the menu prices change based on what’s in stock.

The idea is that diners might be tempted to try something they normally wouldn’t order based on a great price.

Plus, the food and cocktails are just really good. Our drinks were works of art, adorned with flowers and burnt fruit slices.

In terms of dining it’s mainly hearty comfort food. We especially loved the burger topped with a creamy house sauce and served with spiced fries.

Definitely don’t come here on a diet!

To end the night — and the trip — Andy and I took an evening stroll along Panama City’s  Cinta Costera .

The coastal beltway begins and ends on the mainland, though a large portion of it weaves away from the city into the water, like one of Saturn’s rings.

Despite it being after 8pm, many locals were out running, skating and riding their bikes.

As we walked, Andy and I were able to take in an impressive view of Panama City, really grasping how humongous the cosmopolitan city really is.

Click here for a great list of unforgettable Panama City tours!

While Andy and I packed a lot into our two-week trip to Panama, we’re both looking forward to going back and exploring even more of what this beautiful country has to offer.

Because trust me, it’s a lot!

Travel Insurance

While you hope everything runs smoothly, sometimes travel just doesn’t go according to plan.

This is why I recommend always purchasing travel insurance. The scary truth is it only takes one bad accident to lose everything — or be thankful you were covered.

Personally, I use SafetyWing, as they’ve got a large network, offer both short-term and long-term coverage (including limited coverage in your home country), are budget-friendly, and offer $250,000 worth of coverage with just one low overall deductible of $250.

Click here to price out travel insurance for your trip in just a few clicks .

What would you add to this Panama itinerary? Any questions on backpacking Central America? Please share in the comments below!

Panama Itinerary Logistics: Electronics Warning: MacBook Pro problems! Make sure to keep your electronics, namely your laptops, in a sealed bag, as high humidity in places like Bocas del Toro can ruin them. Additionally, you can purchase a dry bag for when your gadgets are not in use, like this one . Panama Transfers: Hello Panama is a top-rated company in Panama who do many of the popular transfers. We used them to go from Bocas Town to Boquete for $30. Car Rentals: Discover Cars  lets you compare various rental companies and save up to 70% on your booking!  Bocas Taxi Boat Recommendation: If you need a boat ride between Bocas Town and another Bocas island, contact Choy at +507 6711 8878. Taxi Service In Boquete Recommendation: William. Very nice guy recommended to us by our Airbnb host! His cell is +507 6784 0277. Recommended Reads:  Panama Fever: The Epic Story of the Building of the Panama Canal Panama: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture Panama Birds: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species Hands of the Rain Forest: The Emberá People of Panama Packing List:  A few must-pack items when visiting Panama include: A Vigilant personal safety alarm or safety whistle Clever Travel Companion pickpocket-proof garments Speakeasy Supply Co hidden-pocket scarves A compact raincoat A waterproof backpack All-natural insect repellent  Panama Tours: Bocas del Toro Tours Boquete Tours Panama City Tours All Panama Tours

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Thank you, Jessie, for sharing everything in so much details. You’ve made planning a trip to Panama very easy for me. Would love to go for hiking trails. Keep sharing your trips with us!

The natural beauty of Panama looks out of this world! And omg those little hummingbirds! So cute. Panama is officially on my list now. Thanks for such a comprehensive guide Jessie.

That’s a very informative post! You have covered so much and it seems like you had a perfect trip! Whenever I read such posts, my attention diverts to the food bit hehe (which looks amazing in your post btw) but my favourite here is the hands down, the Jungle Lodge, looks like a slice of heaven!

This is such a fantastic & comprehensive guide! It looks gorgeous! Panama is one of my husband’s top destination choices, so I’ll definitely be pinning for when we finally make it out there!

Really appreciate this wonderful post that you have provided for us. Great to share this information thanks.

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Leave the travel planning up to us with a Panama vacation package. With everything organized before you leave, all you need to do is sit back, relax and experience this destination's beauty and culture. Panama City , Bella Vista and Punta Paitilla are just a few of the most popular cities here. Make sure your trip to Panama includes a visit to one or all of them! Expedia is your one-stop shop for organizing your Panama vacation. From accommodations and flights, to activities and rental cars, we know how to create a travel experience like no other.

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While Panama is perhaps best known for its mighty canal, there’s so much more to this Central American country. Visitors will also be wowed by lush rainforests, idyllic beaches, rich indigenous culture and a unique colonial history.

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Your Panama Vacation Itinerary

Day 1-2: Start your adventure in the national capital, Panama City, and head straight to Casco Viejo (the Old Quarter). Wander narrow cobblestone streets and discover colorful Spanish colonial houses, beautiful churches and an impressive gastronomic scene. Plan a day trip to the Panama Canal to watch mammoth ships slip through the Miraflores Locks.

Day 3-5: Stay on some of the world’s most spectacular islands in San Blas. Owned and operated by the Kuna people, this untouched paradise on the Caribbean side of Panama is the perfect place to live out your Robinson Crusoe fantasies.

Day 6-8: Head back to Panama City and fly to the mountain town of Boquete. A top destination for outdoor lovers, it offers jungle hikes, whitewater rafting, canopy tours, zip lining and more.

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From panama city: gamboa rainforest guided tour with lunch, from panama city: monkey islands tour on gatun lake, panama: panama canal, colón rainforest and san lorenzo fort, other vacations you might like.

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Things To Do In Panama: A Complete 10 Day Panama Vacation Itinerary

last Updated: December 17, 2023 bocas del toro boquete panama panama city san blas islands

FYI: Affiliate links may be sprinkled throughout the awesome, free content you see below. I’ll receive a small commission when you purchase from my links (at no extra cost to you), which I’ll totally blow on adult things like boba tea and avocado toast. As always, thanks for the support.

→ Planning a trip to Central America and looking for the ultimate Panama vacation itinerary? Look no further; I’m sharing our favorite things to do in Panama (we just got back!), including our exact 10 day itinerary, when to go, where to stay, how to maximize your time on your Panama trip, and oh so much more!

Panama is a tropical destination that has a little bit of everything – stunning turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, lush rainforests, laid-back surf towns, misty mountains, and vibrant cafes. There’s cultural diversity, cloud forests, and colonial charm. Wondering what to do in Panama? I’ve got you covered, don’tchu worry, my friend! <3

I was determined to somehow get all of this onto my recent Panama vacation itinerary, and was thankfully able to figure it all out! And now I’m sharing my list of things to do in Panama with all of you, including my exact Panama itinerary that we pretty much followed to a T.

I have to admit that figuring out this itinerary was kinda tricky. Yes, we followed the typical tourist route – Panama City (with a side trip to San Blas ) → Boquete → Bocas del Toro , but with only 10 days in the country, squeezing everything in proved rather difficult.

At first I wished we had a few more days, but after seeing the trip come to life (aka doing it all), I’m not so sure extra time was in fact necessary. I think we would have liked an extra half day or so in Boquete, but I just couldn’t make it work.

Do note that this Panama vacation itinerary is pretty jam packed; if you’re looking for a more relaxed trip, it’d be wise to tack on at least another 2 days or so. That being said, I carefully researched the most efficient transport options in order to fully maximize our time in the country, and it all worked out pretty swiftly.

MAIN REGIONS VISITED ON THIS ITINERARY:

• Panama City
• San Blas Islands
• Bocas del Toro

Pre-Travel Guide to 10 Days in Panama

Where is panama you ask.

The country is located in Central America sharing borders with Costa Rica to the north and Columbia to the south. It’s actually the connection of land that links Central and South America (hence, the Panama Canal)!

This itinerary starts in Panama City (which is where most international travelers arrive in the country), heads up northeast to the San Blas Islands , due west to Boquete, and then finally up north to Bocas del Toro .

We chose to fly from region to region when we could, as this saved us lots of time considering our Panama vacation was only 10 short days. The country is large but not too large, making it possible to visit three (if not four) areas when planning out your Panama itinerary.

There are a whole myriad of things to do in Panama, so carefully planning out your trip is so very important if you don’t have tons of extra time for mistakes and possible transportation mishaps (more on this below).

WHEN TO VISIT PANAMA:

Before planning a trip to Panama, it’s important to understand its weather patterns. BUT first things first – humidity is always high (hey, it’s a tropical country!), so be prepared for frizzy hair and sticky skin throughout your trip.

Panama experiences two distinct seasons, the dry season (mid-December to mid-April) and the rainy season (May to November). If you’re looking for comfortable temperatures and little to no rain, I highly suggest you visit during the dry season, which is actually Panama’s summer.

However, thankfully, temperatures remain pretty consistent throughout the year, at an average of 86 F/30 C.

But of course it’s not that easy, as different regions around the country experience different climates, temperatures, and specific rainfall patterns.

Caribbean destinations, like Bocas del Toro, have a shorter dry season, occuring in September/October and February/March, although rainfall can happen any day. Unusually heavy rains are common in Bocas in December, so it’s best to avoid that month.

Boquete experiences high winds and some misting (called bajareque) from mid-December to mid-February, while January see’s the occasional thunderstorm. Looking for some sun? Head to Boquete between March and May.

San Blas is a whole different story, which we’ll get into down below.

Don’t fret if your Panama vacation plans don’t fall within the country’s dry season – the early months of rainy season (April to July) only receive short bursts of sudden thunderstorms in the afternoon, with plenty of sunny mornings or afternoons. I’d try to avoid August through November if you don’t want rain to possibly take over your trip.

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

A few notes on health-related things:

• I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the tap water in many parts of Panama is potable, as many visitors don’t expect this! However, do note that you cannot drink the water in Bocas del Toro or on San Blas → stick to bottled.
• I was also thrilled to learn that there are no required vaccinations to enter the country. With so much lush jungle, I was shocked by this! However, always consult your doctor, as yellow fever, typhoid, rabies, and hep A and B vaccinations are recommended.
• You’ll want to take along a decent amount of sunscreen with you, as the sun is extra brutal over in these parts.
• On the last day of our trip I felt a little dizzy and wasn’t feeling my best – pretty sure I was wildly dehydrated and the intense heat and humidity wasn’t helping. Make sure to stay hydrated and drink plenty and plenty of water!

And now some safety info:

• For the most part, Panama is a relatively safe country. We felt safe during our entire Panama vacation, and didn’t worry about pickpocketing or other petty crime. That being said, there are a few areas in Panama City that are a bit seedier than the rest.
• This Panama itinerary doesn’t visit the city of Colon, but if you diverge from my recommended plans and end up there, know that the city has a high rate of street crime. Stay alert.
• There have been cases of drug trafficking on boats traveling from Colombia to Panama → just FYI and something to keep in mind if you’ll be on the water near the border.

Psst: it’s a good idea to get travel insurance no matter where you go. I recommend and personally use SafetyWing (the best insurance out there because they include pandemic coverage). They’re reliable, cost-efficient, and cover a wide array of potential travel problems, not only health-related. Check them out and get a free quote over here.

No visa is required for U.S. citizens traveling to Panama as long as a valid tourist passport and proof of onward travel is in possession, and you’re traveling to the country for 180 days or less.

HOW TO GET TO PANAMA:

Most international flights arrive at Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City, with many direct nonstop flights leaving from a wide array of large cities in the states.  

Our flight was originally scheduled as a direct flight from San Francisco to Panama City, but we got rerouted to Las Vegas at the last minute due to the groundings of the 737 MAX’s (better safe than sorry, though!)

I like using Skyscanner and Google Flights to check for prices, and most commonly find the cheapest flights on one of these. We flew economy class from SFO to Panama City for approximately $650 round trip per person, which we thought was a pretty good deal considering our dates were not particularly flexible.

→ It’s important to be very careful when booking your flights to Panama City, as there is also an airport in Florida with the same name! For this Panama vacation, you’ll want to head to the Tocumen International Airport, code PTY. And if you end up in Florida, don’t blame me! :p

Where to Stay in Panama :

• Panama City : American Trade Hotel (we LOVED) -or- Hotel Casa Panama (also great!)
• San Blas : we opted for a private thatched hut on Isla Diablo (lots more info here )
• Boquete : The Haven and Spa (Adult’s Only)
• Bocas del Toro : Azul Paradise Bocas Town

(more info on each one throughout itinerary below)

HOW TO GET AROUND:

You’ll be taking a myriad of public and private transportation during your Panama vacation! There was definitely a lot of moving around throughout the 10 days, and as noted was kinda difficult to figure out the logistics of this trip, but we made it work! And lucky you, I did all the hard work for you!

We found Uber to work in Panama City, and rates were typically much cheaper than taxis.

→ Don’t have Uber yet? It’s super easy to use! Sign up here and use code jessicak148 for $$ off your first few rides!

Here’s a quick synopsis of our travels throughout Panama:

• flight from SFO to Panama City (Uber around Panama City )
• shuttle bus and speedboat to San Blas Islands
• return to Panama City via speedboat and shuttle bus
• flight from Panama City to David → taxi to Boquete → taxi around Boquete
• shared van and shuttle boat to Bocas del Toro → taxi and boat around Bocas del Toro → walk to airport (for real)
• flight back to Panama City → flight back HOME.

Phew, told you we were moving!

You’ll want to book your inter-country flights as soon as possible, as there aren’t tons of flights per day and I’ve heard the prices jump exponentially the closer the dates get. We paid approximately $100 each per person per flight within Panama (all one-ways).

If you follow this Panama trip, you’ll need a flight from Panama City to David (for Boquete) and then Bocas del Toro to Panama City.

Do note that the airport in Bocas is prettyyy much the smallest one I’ve seen to date, with one waiting room, one “gate”, and 1-2 bag scanners. That’s pretty much it. Don’t expect to be able to grab food here, that’s for sure.

WHAT TO PACK FOR PANAMA

Panama is a country of all climates: dense, misty jungles, stunning sunny islands, and humid cosmopolitan cities.  Within this itinerary, we’ll be doing tons and tons of exploring, so you’ll want to make sure you’re completely prepared for those 10 days. Don’t worry, I gotchu.

• Because of its hot, sticky climate, you’ll want light, airy clothing.
• Comfy footwear- you’ll be walking ALOT!
• Sandals/bathing suits for the islands
• MORE DETAILED LIST COMING SOON!

Currency in Panama

Those coming from the USA will be pleased to know that Panama uses the same currency as the States, so there’s no need to worry about an exchange rate or getting foreign bills! It’s important to note that you’ll undoubtedly come across some Panamanian coins, called Balboa, used around town and on the islands in the form of coins.

With that being said, the US dollar is accepted everywhere and you don’t need to worry about exchanging dollars for balboa. Just be sure to use up any balboa you receive (when receiving change) as you obviously can’t use them in the States!

Communicating in Panama

The official language of Panama is Spanish, although quite a few Panamanians know basic English as well. We had no trouble communicating with hotel staff, taxi drivers, and/or restaurant staff, either using our limited Spanish or since they knew English. There’s also quite a few expats as well.

We had the most difficulty in the San Blas Islands, and wish we had brushed up on our Spanish a bit more before visiting (many of the locals speak their native language and Spanish, but very minimal English).

And now, what you’ve been waiting for, my complete 10 day Panama vacation itinerary!

Things to do in Panama: My Ultimate Panama Vacation Itinerary

Day 1: arrive in panama city and explore.

Fly into Panama City! You’ll find most international flights to Panama will fly into Panama City, which is perfect as it’s the first stop on our Panama itinerary!

The flight isn’t as long as I had originally thought – just over 7 hours from San Francisco (which is just over my usual flight time between SFO from JFK where I frequent for long weekends).

We chose to take a red-eye flight (so, the night before) in order to arrive in Panama City mid-morning (we landed around 10:30am, FYI), allowing us ample time to explore the city our first day.

If you’re tight on time like we were, I highly recommend you take advantage of flying the night beforehand and arriving into Panama City in the early morning.

Check into your hotel, drop your bags if ya room ain’t ready yet, then we’re directly off to lunch in Casco Viejo! There’s a whole slew of restaurant options, but we loved both the ambiance and food at Tantalo Hotel and Kitchen. The rooftop terrace was divine, and that watermelon juice was the perfect way to start our oh so lovely Panama vacation.

Panama Canal | Miraflores Locks

We’re getting right to it on the first day (don’t wanna waste any time), so the Panama Canal it is!

Ahh, the connection between the Atlantic and the Pacific – how could you miss this super popular attraction in Panama City? Ya can’t! We took an Uber from Casco Viejo to Miraflores Locks for about $15 (something like that?), which took roughly 35 minutes or so.

Out of all the things to do in Panama, the Panama Canal is at the top of everyone’s list, and for good reason. It’s utterly fascinating.

Upon arrival, you can opt to pay for a $20 ticket to all the attractions at Miraflores Locks (the museum, exhibition halls, short films, highest viewing platforms, etc), but if you’re fine with reading about the canal yourself, head up to the restaurant and watch the ships pass through for the price of a beer.

We enjoyed a few drinks while basically getting the same view as everyone who bought a ticket (woop woop). And since we didn’t have much prior knowledge on the whole Panama Canal system, we googled some fun facts and read them over a few beers.

Things to know before visiting:

• Miraflores is just one of three sets of locks in the Panama Canal, and it’s the most popular one to visit (due to its close proximity to Panama City).
• The ships don’t pass through every minute of every hour. You’ll be able to watch the ships between 9am-11am, and then again from 3pm-5pm(ish). If you’re here at a different timeframe, you’ll have to wait! We arrived at the canal around 2:45pm after getting lunch, and only waited a few minutes for the first boat to start making its way through the Miraflores section of the canal.

• Oh and trust me, you won’t want to stay the entire 2 hours or so, as the ships pass by super slowly and it takes quiiteeee a long time to set everything up. We watched 2-3 ships pass then had enough. Do keep your eyes peeled on the locks and water levels prior to a ship passing through – it’s wild!

Afternoon Stroll on the Cinta Costera

Once you’ve had enough of the Panama Canal, make your way to the Cinta Costera. We had planned to visit around sunset, but arrived early due to how quickly we got over the canal – it’s intriguing the first 2 times a ship passes through, but then kinda monotonous going forward (you’ll see). And it literally takes foreverrrr (10 hours for a ship to fully pass through the canal).

The Cinta Costera is essentially a pedestrians walkway and complex park next to the water. We enjoyed strolling around for about an hour or so, picking up some raspados from a street vendor (kinda like the Panamanian version of a shave ice) to cool off.

Walk far enough and you’ll find the iconic Panama sign – a giant colorful piece of artwork (which we unfortunately missed). If you finish early like we did, don’t fret – just watch the sunset from the next spot!

Sunset drinks at Finca del Mar

Cocktails and ceviche with a view of the sun setting on the water with a gentle ocean breeze? Sounds like the perfect way to finish off the day, am I right? The atmosphere here is very fun, with outdoor seating, string lights, and colorful seating (including a few swinging chairs at the bar). Tuna ceviche was very tasty, as were the mojitos we ordered.

If you’re still hungry → consider Cafe Coca Cola for a fast and simple dinner

This unassuming restaurant is actually the oldest cafe in Panama City! I heard that the Coca-Cola brand let the restaurant keep its name due to how long they’ve been in business! While the ambiance was nothing to write home about and the food was decent at best, it’s a quick and easy spot if you’re exhausted (like we were).

Where we stayed: Hotel Casa Panama → we loved the trendy and open-air leafy vibe of the hotel. The room was basic with funky decor touches, and the shower was heaven on earth! Located right in Casco Viejo, which is a great location to base yourself in while in Panama City!

There’s also a rooftop plunge pool if you find yourself with some time to enjoy it! It’s known to get kinda noisy on weekend nights since there’s a bar on the roof, so just keep that in mind! We slept like babies though!

Day 2: Off to the San Blas Islands!

Hopefully you went to bed early last night, because you’re getting picked up bright and early this morning! 5:30am to be exact. 🙂 Alllll your tropical island dreams, coming right up (you can sleep on the bus, I promise, although the last hour is kinda bumpy)!

Note : You’ll want to have your hotel in Panama City hold your luggage – you only need to pack a small bag for your few nights in San Blas. Suitcases are unheard of on the islands, and you’ll be getting to your final destination via tiny speed boat, so leave that large luggage behind.

We packed a few bathing suits, shorts, and tank tops, and that’s all we really needed besides basic toiletries. Ladies – leave your makeup and beauty bag behind (I couldn’t even find a mirror on the island and there’s no place to plug in items for doing your hair)! DO take lots of SPF though!

Yes, the San Blas Islands are kinda a pain to reach → you’ll need to take a 3 hour shuttle ride to the Kuna Yala port, then hop on a speed boat for 45 minutes or so to reach your island of accommodation. Worth the hassle? Easily. My advice- book a tour and everything will be taken care of for you.

P.S. → We booked with San Blas Dreams and had a lovely experience. We opted for the 2 night, 3 day experience, as you can choose to spend only 1 night on the island, or even do a day trip to San Blas (although I recommend staying over at LEAST 1 night). Alternatively, if you don’t wanna stay on the islands for 2 nights like we did ( read my FULL recap over here ), you can spend the extra time in the rainforest in Boquete.

→ Read next: everything you need to know about visiting the san blas islands

We reached our island of accommodation around 10ish or so, and had the option of lazying around or going straight out on a tour. We opted to stay put and soak up the sun, swing in the hammocks, read our books in the sand, and just enjoy each other’s company with zero distractions that first day. Oh, and get a few coconuts – the freshest water you can get!

A few things to note about the San Blas islands:

There’s really no best time of year to visit the San Blas Islands , but the Kuna’s (the indigenous people on the island) informed me that the least rainfall occurs in January, February, and March. Rainy season begins in April, comes out in full force in May, and basically lasts until the end of the year.

However , if you’re planning on heading to San Blas in the rainy season, don’t fret – you’ll still find beachdays with hours of sun even when the clouds aren’t cooperating. The weather can be tricky and unpredictable, so just hope for the best!

Accommodations are basic at best , with super simple thatched huts with literally only a bed in a single room. You won’t find any pools, sun loungers, or anything remotely luxurious on the islands (not even hot water or the amount of electricity you’re used to).

It’s very possible you’ll be sharing bathrooms with other guests (our island had one set of shower stalls and toilets for everyone), will have to charge your devices at the few outlets at the restaurant, and will eat the same meal time and time again.

You will, however, find untouched beauty, starfish in their natural habitat, tons of healthy fresh fish and coconuts, and luminous turquoise waters.

The islands are not a culinary experience ; you’ll have minimal meal variations and given a choice of fish fillet (my meal of choice), fried/grilled fish, mixed seafood, prawns (when available), and chicken (on occasion). The food wasn’t half bad, we just ate mostly the same thing for 3 days.

The Kuna’s and San Blas in general are a cash society . Plan to take some small bills with you to buy coconuts and beers, and purchase any handicrafts you may wish, as well as to supply a ~$23 Kuna tax and port fee.

Read my very thorough post about our experience in the San Blas islands to help decide if you want to add a few days on the islands to your Panama vacation.

In my opinion though, no trip is complete without visiting these glistening palm tree ridden islands (just suck it up and rough it for a few days, you got this!. Make some room in your itinerary and you’ll come home with glistening golden skin and feel relaxed as ever.

Where we slept : Beach bungalow in San Blas! Be sure to go for a night walk and look up – the stars are so bright over here!

Day 3: Get some Sun on San Blas

After a hectic first few days on this Panama vacation, it’s finally time to just relax and soak up some sun. Hopefully you slept ok, as I woke up hot and sticky each morning (allll the more reason to jump in the sea, right?)

Here’s a typical day-in-the-life on San Blas, and what you can expect during your time here:

• 7:30ish: Wake up to the birds happily chirping (your ears off)
• 8:15ish: Hot Breakfast
• 9-10: Lounge on beach, read, free time
• 10:15ish: Island hop (tour of the day)
• 1:00: Lunch back on your “home” island
• 2-7: Free time/showers (snorkel, nap in hammocks, read, swim, laze around)
• Night: beers and card games, stargazing and short beach walks

Those San Blas tours we took each day for a few hours took us to nearby islands, natural swimming pools (previously sunken islands), and sand bars, where we wandered around the islands taking photos, going for swims, snorkeling, and hanging with other people from our boat.

The Kuna’s provided rum and cokes for us to enjoy, and we even saw a bunch of exceptionally large orange starfish in the shallow waters!

I talked about this in my big San Blas blog post , but I think it’s important to mention again. Starfish are living creatures, you guys. They need to be kept in water – do not lift them out! They are extremely sensitive and should be handled with care, for the least amount of time possible.

Our Kuna guides said we could lift them up for a quick photo (still halfway submerged in water), then place them right back. Don’t go moving them all around for your perfect IG shot, just don’t do it. They’re so delicate – we want to keep these little sea beauties alive!

Where we slept : Beach bungalow in San Blas!

Day 4: San Blas in Morning/Afternoon, then back to Panama City

Last Morning in Paradise

Another day in paradise it is! Well, most of the day at least! Depending on what tour company you book with, and which package you choose, you’ll either leave San Blas at 9am or 3pm. We chose the latter, and enjoyed exploring other islands before leaving our new favorite place.

If you think you’ll want to explore a bit more of Panama City (we’ll have another ¾ of a day before leaving the country later on in this itinerary), you may want to choose the earlier San Blas departure. The beach is sooo our thing, so we opted to stay as long as possible without staying another night.

Make sure to drink alll the coconuts, revel in the warm, luminous waters one last time, and take your last nap under the palm trees!

It was a breath of fresh air to have limited amenities and zero wifi availability. After 3 days in San Blas we were oh so relaxed, although any longer and I think I’d have been longing for a hot shower more so than actually enjoying the picturesque beaches.

Back to Panama City and Dinner at Ocho y Medio

Say goodbye to San Blas, because it’s back to Panama City we go! And yes, you’ll have to head back the same way you came → a 45 minute speed boat ride back to the port, then ~2hr, 30 min van ride back. If I remember correctly, we got back to Panama City around 6:30pm or so, then headed out to dinner at Ocho y Medio before picking up our suitcases at our first hotel, Hotel Casa Panama.

→ We booked a super early morning flight to David in order to have as much time as humanly possible in Boquete, so we chose to stay close to the airport at the Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel , which is roughly a 5 minute drive to the airport.

We’re definitely not morning people, and when there’s a sliiiiight chance we may oversleep, we like to stay as close to the airport as humanly possible, while still having a comfy bed.

Where we slept: Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel (highly recommended)

Day 5: Coffee Tasting in Boquete

First things first, get yourself to Boquete

Okay, so in order to get to Boquete at a normal hour, you’ll need to take an early morning flight to David. Our flight left Panama City at 7:30am, arrived in David around 8:50am, then we took a 45 minute taxi straight to Boquete for $35 (standard price). There are no ubers in David or Boquete, so you’ll need to find other ways to get around (hence the taxi).

Note that you can also take a bus to Boquete from the David airport, but you’ll need to get yourself to the bus station first (for only a few bucks or so). If we weren’t so exhausted I think we would have attempted to take the bus as it would have been the much more cost-effective option, but oh well, we were tired!

And not to stress you out, but be sure to book early as there’s only a few fights to David per day. We booked on COPA airlines and noticed there were only two flights a day from Panama City to David, at 7:30am and 4:30pm. I’m pretty sure Air Panama has flights as well, but no more than 2-3 either (7ish, 11ish, and later on in the day).

If you want to follow this Panama vacation itinerary exactly as I have laid out, you’ll NEED to get yourself on an early morning flight. If you have an extra day or two, getting into Boquete later on in the day will be fine, but we didn’t have this luxury.

Morning Stroll through Boquete Town

As soon as we checked into our hotel (yay for early check-ins), we dropped our bags then set out for town. Honestly, we were kinda surprised at how dirty and downright sad the town looked from an outsiders point of view (I didn’t even take one photo – there wasn’t anything really to photograph). I wondered out of all the things to do in Panama if I had made a bad choice by coming here, but nope, I’ll explain below!

It’s a pretty small town and I have to admit, the walk from The Haven (our hotel) to town was much, much nicer than the actual town itself. There was tons of construction going on, a mildly run-down main street, and a few unattractive shops.

BUT, let’s not dwell on the negatives, because there are SO many positives to this luscious green area that makes Boquete so appealing. (Plus – we learned that there’s even a large expat community here, so Boquete must be more than it’s tiny unassuming little town).

So, what is Boquete known for? First of all, after one look around, it’s evident all the lushness surrounding the town more than makes up for the complete lack of charm within the town itself. With its towering mountain views, blankets of flowers, and oh so much greenery, you’d be hard pressed to find a more stunning natural scenery in the mountains.

Venture outta town and you’ll find pristine waterfalls, an ancient volcano, and treetops full of birds! If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to spot the stunning Volcan Baru through the misty clouds.

Boquete is located on the Caldera River, within the Chiriqui Highlands, which is home to coffee plantation after coffee plantation, and is known as more of an adventurous mountain village for those wanting to take part.  

If you have an extra day or so, you can climb Volcan Baru, go ziplining, go on epic waterfall hikes in the jungle, go rafting, and partake in a chocolate making class (among other things).

It’s high elevation in the mountains provides a cool, enjoyable climate, so you’ll want to dress a tad warmer during your day in Boquete. We thankfully were blessed with an absolutely beautiful day in the mountains, only needing a light jacket at times.

In town we had some brunch at Sugar and Spice (the most popular breakfast spot in Boquete which we LOVED) and tried the famous gesha coffee at La Viuda del Cafe (The Coffee Widow)!

The coffee, originating from a village in Ethiopia, is said to be the most expensive cup on Earth. It commonly sells for about $9 a cup, but would found it (albeit a very small cup) at The Coffee Widow for about $5. A bargain if you ask me!

We actually saw it selling for $9 a cup in Panama City later on in the week. It’s said to be smooth, fruity, silky, and aromatic, tasting a bit more like tea than coffee, and we enjoyed our few sips.

We attempted to go to Fresas Mary for some famous Boquete strawberries and whipped cream, but they were unexpectedly closed (what a bummer – we even took a taxi there!) Hopefully they’re open when you go!

The walk back to our hotel was exceptionally scenic, as we found ourselves high above the town taking in all the lush greens and fuscia-colored flowers.

Afternoon Coffee Plantation Tour

Boquete is widely known for their mass coffee production, and boasts some of the best and most expensive coffee in the world. Yup, the world!

There are plenty of coffee plantation tours to choose from, but after doing a bit of research, Finca dos Jefes sounded like the best one! And I have to admit, I think we chose correctly. The story of the farm is just so moving and inspiring!

We walked through the fields, learned about coffee cherries and traditional organic farming, were given a brief education of the coffee industry (oh, it’s so fascinating you’ll see), and learned how to properly roast coffee beans. And of course we tasted a whole bunch of freshly brewed coffee (both a medium and dark roast blend)!

Unlike other coffee tours, there were only about 8 of us in total, so we felt like we were given a more personalized experience and had allll our crazy coffee questions answered.

I especially appreciated how the tour spoke a lot about economics; the realities of the global coffee economy and the impacts made on the farmers and workers were especially eye opening and really makes you think.

And plus, the dogs on site were the absolute cutest (we’re a suuuuucker for pups!) The farm was covered in plants, flowers, and hummingbirds, and I just couldn’t get enough. Towards the end of our tour a rainbow appeared above the fields, which made for such a beautiful end to the day. A well-spent $30 (each).

Note that there are two options for tours each day, at 9am and 2pm. We obviously chose the 2pm tour since we weren’t even in Boquete by 9am! The tour lasts for roughly 3 hours, so we got back to our hotel around 5ish or so.

Private pool time and some dinner

If you’re staying at The Haven and Spa , take advantage of the pool before dinner! You’ll have to make a reservation, but this just ensures you have the pool to yourself! We were bummed it wasn’t heated, so just enjoyed putting our tired feet in.

If you’re looking for a good dinner option, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Boquete Fish House – you can never go wrong with some fish and chips, yucca fries, and fresh fish sauteed in white wine lemon garlic butter. Oh, and their house margs were a-okay and only a few bucks.

Where we Stayed: The Haven , and it was just like I imagine heaven to be. As soon as we arrived, I was overly wowed – the grounds are so incredibly luscious and green, and the outdoor space was so inviting. I desperately wish we had another night here.

Note that the hotel is an adults-only resort, so if you’re traveling with kiddos, you’ll have to find another place to stay. We loved the indoor pool, and we even took advantage of the fully equipped gym and sauna/steam room. The included room-service breakfast was lovely, and we ate on our outdoor patio in the garden every chance we got!

Day 6: Arrive in Bocas del Toro

Today we’re making our way to Bocas del Toro , another one of Panama’s hot spots with a chill, surfer vibe and gorgeous islands off the coast, oh, and a jungle too! Bocas is kinda the best of both worlds, allllll rolled into one archipelago of beautiful islands.

Before we dive into the Panama vacation itinerary of the day, lemme explain the geographical makeup of Bocas del Toro for a hot second (as I was semi-confused when initially researching).

Bocas del Toro is made up of a few different islands, with Isla Colon being the most popular and consisting of Bocas Town, where the bulk of visitors decide to stay, and Starfish Beach (very popular spot as well). Next you’ve got Isla Solardo, which is only a few minutes off the coast of Isla Colon, and an island not many choose to visit.

Finally, there’s Bastimentos, which is the largest of the archipelago and where you’ll find Old Bank, Up in the Hill, Red Frog Beach (very popular), and other secluded resorts/hotels. We chose to base ourselves out of Bocas Town on Isla Colon, which I’ll explain in more detail below.

→  Read Next: A Comprehensive Guide to Bocas del Toro

Transfer to Bocas del Toro

It’s semi-complicated (yes, again) to get from Boquete to Bocas del Toro, as you’ll need to take a 3.5 hour shuttle to Almirante (a port town), then a 30 minute marine taxi (which was essentially a speed boat) from there to Bocas Town. Thankfully, there are organized transportation services that will take care of everything for you.

We booked with Hello Travel Panama through Mamallena Hostel, left Boquete around 9am, and arrived in Bocas del Toro around 1:30pm or so. Make sure to schedule this transfer in advance as the shuttles get booked up beforehand.

With that being said, there’s absolutely no reason to attempt this transfer yourself, as prices weren’t half bad: $30 per person, including the boat transfer from Almirante. Our shuttle was comfortable, air-conditioned, spacious, and safe, with enough room for all luggages (on top of the shuttle actually).

Wander Bocas Town -or- head to Starfish Beach

Since we arrived in Bocas around 1:30pm, we had quite a bit of time to explore on the first day! And with so much going on this area, you’ll want to make sure to use your time wisely!

You’ve got a few different options for your first afternoon in Bocas del Toro:

• Wander around town; get some ceviche and cocktails (the lazy man’s choice)
• Head to Starfish Beach (the need-to-see-and-do-it-all choice)

Since we were feeling a bit sluggish (and hungry) after our transfer to Bocas, we kept things pretty casual by wandering around Bocas Town. We opted to miss out on Starfish Beach since I had read tons of negative reviews, with many even saying they hardly saw any starfish, or none at all.

And since we had suuuuch a wonderful experience seeing the starfish in San Blas, I felt okay missing out on Starfish Beach in Bocas del Toro. Do your own research though, as the reviews are mixed at best.

However, if you think you’ll have FOMO (fear of missing out), getting to Starfish Beach on the outskirts of Isla Colon isn’t all that difficult from Bocas Town. You’ll need to take a 45 minute bus ride from the park in the middle of town to Drago, and then you can either take a quick water taxi to Starfish Beach or walk 20 minutes.

Where we Stayed : Azul Paradise Bocas Town (not to be confused with the location on Bastimentos). After doing tons of research (it’s what I do best!), we ultimately decided on Azul Paradise Bocas Town, as other hotels looked a bit run down and not in the best shape.

Bocas is kinda like a party town so be prepared for late night shenanigans and loud music, although we didn’t experience any of these things.

The hotel was modern, fresh, and in a wonderful location. We splurged and booked the King Luxury Suite, and it was roomy to say the least. With floor to ceiling windows with views of the sea, a soaking tub, and a superrr comfy bed, we couldn’t have picked a better spot.

→ There are two main options for accommodation in Bocas del Toro. You have the option of staying in Bocas Town (close to lots of bars and restaurants), or spending a few nights on Bastimentos, the island next door and much more secluded. Up to you, but we highly prefered being in the middle of everything and having dinner options (after basically eating the same thing for 3 days on San Blas).

After visited Bastimentos (later on in the itinerary), we quickly learned the sheer seclusion of the island just wasn’t for us. Up to you!

Day 7: The Ridiculously Gorgeous Zapatilla Islands

Intoxifying. Serene. Wild. Enchanting. There’s no words significant enough to describe the Zapatillas. It’s say to safe that I’m low-key obsessed with this place I had never previously heard of.

If there’s one stop you can’t miss while in Bocas, it’s the Zapatilla Islands, also known as Cayos Zapatilla. These two uninhabited islands are located east of Isla Bastimentos and are quite honestly, one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been (same level as Bora Bora I might add).

While many say that San Blas is way more beautiful than Bocas, I’d have to disagree, as long as you make your way to the Zapatillas. We booked a tour the day before with Hello Travel Panama on a whim, and I’m obviously more than glad we did.

All was (more than) fine in the end, as we not only got to visit Zapatilla Island, but also visited Sloth Island, went snorkeling and anfibia boarding, and had a fresh seafood lunch overlooking the sea.

1st Stop: Searching for Sloths at Sloth Island

We first visited the protected mangroves of Sloth Island to, well, you guessed it, look for some sloths! Despite how difficult they are to spot, we found a whole bunch! Our guides were experts at spotting them, and thankfully made sure everyone on the boat got a few glimpses! They’re kinda hard to see in the photos, but look for the hornet’s-nests-looking things! Makes me wanna go to Costa Rica (they’re known for them, right?)

2nd Stop: Snorkel and Anfibia Boarding

Next up, it was finalllyyy time to jump in the refreshing waters with some snorkel gear! We had about 45 minutes or so to snorkel, where I saw tons of colorful coral (many that I had never seen before!), schools of glistening silver fish, sea fans, parrotfish, and so much more. It’s hard to keep your eye on one thing when you’re underwater – they’re just so much to see and I get distracted quite easily.

The water was calm, clear, and sheltered from debris from land – we were out in the middle of the Caribbean Sea! I so wish I had brought my go-pro with me to photograph all the lovely underwater life.

Since we were already in the water, anfibia boarding it was! It’s kinda hard to explain what anfibia boarding actually is, so I’ll just leave you with this: it’s oh SO much fun. You’ll feel like you’re flying underwater. Move the board up and down and you’ll see what I mean.

3rd Stop: Seafood Lunch

A fresh seafood lunch over the water? Yes please! Plates start at $15 per plate, so thankfully we had brought exactly $31 with us…enough to cover two lunches and nothing else. Take a bit more cash if you want more lunch choices. Kinda expensive for what it is, but hey, they’ve got little to no competition out in the sea so they can charge as much as they want.

You can plan to pack your own lunch, but the food was surprisingly really tasty and a hot lunch after being in the water for a while was appreciated.

We had some time to explore the restaurant on stilts, and some people chose to snorkel around as there’s known to be starfish nearby.

4th and Final Stop: Zapatilla!

In my opinion, Zapatilla is by far the best beach in Bocas del Toro, and all of Panama I might add. Yes, we LOVED San Blas more than anything, but if you get a perfect day weather-wise on Zapatilla, you’ll see exactly what I mean. This serene island paradise is absolute heaven and then some. It’s actually where Survivor Panama was filmed!

Out of all the things to do in Panama on this itinerary, spending the day on Zapatilla was by far my favorite. <3

It was soooo nice to just relax on a (nearly) deserted island and soak up the sun for a few hours. Oh, and that crystal clear water didn’t hurt either – I spent a decent chunk of our time wading in the shallow waters offshore, just admiring that gorgeous turquoise Caribbean water.

Note that there are zero facilities on this stunning and untouched uninhabited island, but our tour company set up a gorgeous spread of tropical fruits for us to enjoy. The Zapatillas are actually part of the undeveloped national marine park, so you can expect to find lots of little fishies under the water, as well pay a $10 National Park entrance fee if you aren’t part of a tour.

Thankfully it was quite isolated when we were there so didn’t have to share the palm-tree lined beach/waters with too many others. There was tons of space to lay out our towels, and we chose a shady spot underneath a few palms.

With sooo many shades of turquoise and oh so many palm trees inland made for an absolutely wonderful day. It was almost unreal how perfect the day was. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!

Where we Stayed: Azul Paradise Bocas Town (not to be confused with the location on Bastimentos)

Where we ate dinner: Restaurante Azul (6 course tasting menu for $20 and very tasty!)

Day 8: Explore the Jungle and Beaches of Bastimentos

Ahh, back to the jungle it is! If you’re kinda sad you only had one day in Boquete, now’s the time to make up for it! We found Bastimentos SO incredibly different from Isla Colon and Bocas Town, so make sure you hit up this spot when you’re in the area as well! And despite their close proximity, they’re like different worlds!

Quick Note → Bastimentos is another island in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, and is roughly a 10 minute boat ride from Isla Colon. If you’re staying in Bocas Town like we were and want to follow the days activities I planned out, you’ll have to first get yourself to Bastimentos Town.

You can do so by basically asking anyone on the street in Bocas for a water taxi ride (they’ll probably come right up to you and offer their services). We paid $5 each to get from Bocas Town to Old Bank, which was our first stop of the day.

Wander throughout the sleepy town of Old Bank

When we first stepped off the water taxi, we instantly knew that Bastimentos was much more rugged and real that Bocas Town. We explored Old Bank, an Afro-Caribbean community which is right off the dock from where our boat let us off. There’s not as much tourism in this area, and you’ll get to see first-hand how the people live.

We saw roosters, baby chicks, lots of laundry hanging to dry, and tons of colorful old wooden buildings amongst lush vegetation. Just follow along the main dirt path directly from the port, and you’ll come across all this and more. With flavors of the West Indies, and being the second largest town in the Bocas archipelago, don’t miss it!

(P.S. pop into any market and you’ll find cans of rum and coke – my husband loved that!)

Up in the Hill Organic Chocolate and Coffee Farm

And now the main reason we popped on over to Bastimentos for the day – to learn all about how chocolate is grown/processed! When I first heard about Up in the Hill, I knew we just had to include this on our longgg list of things to do in Panama. An organic chocolate and coffee farm with jungle tours – sign me up!

Up in the Hill is a fully sustainable farm, producing zero waste and using every last bit to better their efforts. There’s a tour through the family farm everyday at 11am, which we signed up for the night before.

But beware — Getting there is an activity in and of itself! Start making the short trek from Old Bank around 10:15ish, and keep going up, up, and up into the jungle and through the woods. They’ll be signs, don’tchu worry. The hike/walk wasn’t difficult per say, we were just super hot and sweaty from the intense humidity and heat.

Be sure to take ample amount of water, and forget about having a good hair day (I had just washed and blow dried my hair the night before – biiiiig mistake).

On the tour we saw poisonous red frogs (harmless to look at, but no touching allowed), huge spiders with insanely strong webs (you can touch these to see what I mean), parades of ants carrying leaves (just wow !), yellow tailed birds, and chocolate cocoa trees!

We learned the reasons why they’ve chosen to live off the land, how the plants work together to help the others grow, and how they go about creating and sustaining a permaculture organic farm. It’s all very fascinating stuff, and quite inspiring to say the least.

Our guide carried a machete with us throughout the jungle (don’t be alarmed), which he used to chop down plants and show us some of the fruits of his labor. At the end of the tour, we were served a delicious spread of jackfruit, plantains, banana with fresh cocoa, chocolate drinks with coconut milk, pumpkin soup, coconut brownies, and more, all made with fresh ingredients from the farm.

→ Practicalities : $25 per person; tour starts at 11am; we emailed the lady the night before to register for the tour; put on LOTS of bug spray beforehand if you don’t want to get eaten alive (I warned you)

Red Frog Beach

Beach time, finally! After making your way back down to Old Bank (it’s sooo much easier going down, trust me), take a water taxi straight to Red Frog Beach ($5 per person). We chose to get dropped off at Palmar Dock, and took a 15 minute walk to the beach through the “shortcut” for another $5 each.

It didn’t quite seem like a shortcut, but it is what it is!  On the nature walk to the beach we saw lots of monkeys playing in the jungle (ahhhh I was exceptionally excited about this) and passed a pond with caiman (in the alligator family) which royally freaked me the F out (we didn’t see any thankfully).

We unfortunately didn’t find Red Frog Beach to be anything that spectacular; considering we had already spent time at both San Blas and the Zapatillas, Red Frog was just so-so comparatively. Nevertheless, our veggie bowls and fresh fruit smoothies made for a fantastic lunch at Palmar Resort.

And after our tiring morning hiking in the jungle to Up in the Hill, laying out on the beach was an afternoon well spent. Oh, and seeing those monkeys out in the wild totally made the short trek to Red Frog Beach worth it.

You’ll have to cough up around $8 to get back to Bocas Town from Red Frog Beach.

Where we Stayed : Azul Paradise Bocas Town (not to be confused with the location on Bastimentos)

Where we ate dinner: El Ultimo Refugio

Day 9: Cocktails at Blue Coconut (or the “Floating Bar”)

Chill out for a while, then it’s off to the airport to head back to Panama City!

Cocktails and Tacos Over the Sea

On our last day in Bocas, we chose to take it easy and had a relaxing brunch at Francine’s, where we had the most delicious breakfast crepes and coffees. We wandered around town a bit more before we set off for the Floating Bar, which is essentially just that – a bar floating in the middle of the Caribbean sea!

We took a $5 water taxi here, and it only took a few minutes or so to reach the freestanding bar surrounded by water.

It was kinda dead when we went (probably because of the unfortunate foul weather), but I heard that there’s usually live music playing and people snorkeling around in the surrounding waters (to see the nearby starfish). Although we didn’t make use of all the amenities (hellooo pool floats), we still had a relaxing time. The fish and chicken tacos were bomb, don’t miss them!

Psst : you can also head to the famed Blue Coconut (closed on Fridays), which is a bit farther away but still the same vibe, so we ultimately decided on the Floating Bar because of the mix of clouds and rain.

Fly Back to Panama City in Late Afternoon

Our flight was at 6:10pm, so we had the better portion of the day to see the last of Bocas. If the weather had been more cooperative, I’m sure we would have appreciated this extra time in the area, but we were itching to get back to Panama City.

Up to you if you want to book an earlier flight or not. We flew into PAC (Albrook International) on Air Panama, but there are flights to PTY (Tocumen) as well.

Note that the airport in Bocas is supperrrr tiny and located directly in town! We even chose to walk from our hotel in town to the airport, it was that close! As noted earlier, there’s only one waiting room, one “gate”, and 1-2 bag scanners. Make sure you eat beforehand (or take along a few snacks) because there’s no restaurants over here!

Night in Panama City

We had our last official dinner in Panama at CasaCasco, which was quite delicious, although a bit pricey I might add! There’s also a night club at top, in case you’re feeling a bit frisky and wanna dance your heart out on your last night.

Where we stayed: The American Trade Hotel

The American Trade Hotel was quite possibly our favorite accommodation of our entire Panama vacation, and we wish we could have at least stayed another night. Located smack dab in the historic center of Panama City right in the heart of Casco Viejo, ATH   boasts lovely marbled tiled floors, tall ceilings with large windows (oh that natural light <3), and such charming architecture.

The old world charm of this place just makes it that much more appealing. And plus, it’s part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection, so you know this place will not only have beautiful decor, but wonderful service as well. We were lucky to be given a room with a cute flower-filled balcony overlooking the square, which we enjoyed using both night and morning.

Day 10: Wander Casco Viejo and head home!

After a short sleep in, we hung by the pool for a bit then made our way downstairs to brunch at The American Trade Hotel. The decor is just lovely and the husband had to literally put my camera down for me. Even if you’re not spending the night at The American Trade Hotel , I highly encourage you to check out the restaurant for brunch/lunch, and grab some liquid fuel at the adjoining coffee shop (Unido Panama Coffee Roaster).

Stroll Around Casco Viejo

Out of all the things to do in Panama City, going for an aimless wander around Casco Viejo was by far my favorite! This historic district and UNESCO World Heritage Site wasn’t always what it is today, but has now revitalized into Panama City’s center of art and nightlife, with tons of hip cafes and restaurants.

Oh, and the colonial buildings are to die for. To. Die. For. The absolute cutest. It’s beyond instagrammable → trust me. You’ll find boutique hotels, rooftop bars, crumbling facades, and cobblestoned streets. Swoon.

Psst: you may hear this area being called Casco Antiguo or San Felipe – they’re all the same beautiful spot. 🙂

A few things not to miss out on your wander in Casco Viejo:

• Grab a quintessential Panamanian ice cone, known as a raspado to keep cool
• Check out La Michoacana and try out their condensed milk popsicles
• Enjoy fresh ceviche at the Fish Market
• Head to Weil Art for a traditional Panama Hat
• Lunch at Mahalo (loved this trendy spot)
• Admire the hand sewn molas (by the Kuna’s!) at Plaza de la Independencia

It’s important to note that Casco Viejo lies on the border with El Chorrillo, known to be a bit seedy and not highly recommended to walk around. I’m pretty sure we unknowingly ended up here, and it was quite obvious the distinction between the two areas. Note: after doing some research, I learned that El Chorrillo is one of the city’s most famous ghettos – whoops.

We were butt tired by this point, so just carelessly strolled around the city looking for buildings to admire and had some lunch.

If you want to eat all the things, I highly recommend booking a Panama City food walking tour , which will take you to the best restaurants in town to sample local coffee, chocolates, beer, cocktails and ceviche. You’ll also wander around Casco Viejo with a local guide who can explain the history of the area better than I ever could.

If you have additional time in Panama City (we would have loved another night at the American Trade Hotel and quite possibly another day or so to see the monkeys on Monkey Island ), be sure to check out these highly-rated activities:

Say Goodbye to Panama and Head Home

Be sure to book a flight later in the day or evening (our flight was at 6:30pm) so you can properly explore on your last day in Panama! It’d be an absolute shame to miss out on Casco Viejo – we loved it oh so much!

Phew! Hopefully that answers all your questions about things to do in Panama and how to carefully plan an itinerary for roughly 10 days! We were absolutely blown away by the country and can’t wait to return!

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February 24, 2023 at 5:45 pm

This is amazing!! Would you be willing to share the approximate amount your trip cost total without the flights from USA included? We are considering a trip to Panama!! So excited! But I would like to do the reservations myself as I also am a serial planner 🙂 Thank you!!

February 25, 2023 at 3:33 pm

Hi Tracy! Unfortunately I don’t have current prices, as I took this trip a few years ago! It really varies depending on your choice of hotels, where you eat, etc. I will say we found Panama to be a bit more expensive than other Central American countries, minus Costa Rica. Enjoy — it’s a fantastic country!

August 20, 2023 at 2:39 am

This is such a helpful guide! Can’t wait for my trip to Panama 🙂

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Panama Has Incredible Rain Forests, Beaches, and Wildlife — Here’s How to Plan Your Trip

This Central American country, rich in natural beauty but often overlooked by visitors, is finally coming into its own.

Cristóbal Palma

Our helicopter swooped skyward with an easy bound and Panama City came into view almost instantly — hundreds of gleaming skyscrapers silhouetted against the Pacific. A dozen ships queued neatly, waiting to enter the world’s most aesthetically pleasing marvel of engineering: the Panama Canal.

As we zipped above the waterway, I was awed by the audacity of its creation. The canal, completed in 1914, operates 24/7, like a conveyor belt, passing vessels back and forth between the oceans. Ships the length of several football fields glided past tidy parcels of farmland and Soberania National Park, a 55,000-acre natural preserve. From inlets covered in neon-green algae, snow-white egrets took flight over ships stacked with thousands of brightly colored containers — imagine a mash-up of Gauguin and Mondrian.

Panama has long been seen more as a trading post than a destination. From the days of colonists and pirates to the more modern era (of, say, bankers and lawyers servicing offshore corporations), its touristic charms have gone largely unappreciated. Since the U.S.-led ousting of strongman Manuel Noriega in 1989, the country has marched steadily, if improbably, toward prosperity and political stability.

With almost 13 million acres of the world’s most biodiverse rain forest, rich with jaguars, hummingbirds, and two thousand butterfly species (take that, Costa Rica), plus some 1,800 miles of unsullied coastline, this country is poised for a tourism boom. Historically, lodgings outside the capital have contented themselves with hosting the budget-conscious backpacker crowd. In the past few years, however, thanks to government initiatives and the efforts of conservation-focused developers, a new class of luxurious resorts has come to offer a cushier way into the country’s insanely unspoiled attractions.

With almost 13 million acres of the world’s most biodiverse rain forest, Panama is poised for a tourism boom.

I immediately sensed this newfound energy in Panama City, which felt far more cosmopolitan and international than I had expected. My first stop was Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo , a stately property located on the edge of Panama Bay in the city’s old quarter. Open since January, the hotel is a thoughtful restoration of the once-chic but long dormant Union Club, the former gathering place for industrialists and politicians. Decorated with nautical accents, it still has the feel of a private club, or maybe a mansion belonging to a rich auntie who happens to serve grilled octopus on her waterfront terrace.

I’d expected urban chaos beyond the elegant lobby, but a stroll around the neighborhood proved calm, quiet, and unexpectedly French. The Casco Viejo district dates to the late 17th century and is often compared with New Orleans’s French Quarter . The neighborhood sprawls for many blocks, a world apart from the skyscrapers of downtown. As I walked down narrow, cobblestoned streets past colonial-era churches and plazas, I understood why it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Rows of rejuvenated Spanish, French, and Caribbean buildings with latticed balconies and carved wooden doors provide a genteel setting for coffee shops, bars, and restaurants.

I found a burgeoning and eclectic foodie scene at places like Maito , in the ritzy Coco del Mar neighborhood, which offers a wide-ranging tasting menu of chow mein, ceviche, and  pesca afro,  a fried white fish served with a coconut curry sauce. The next evening, at Fondo Lo Que Hay, I tried the  gaucho,  a rice porridge with pork belly, egg, and tomato, before devouring the 74-hour-marinated, double-fried chicken (served with mashed potatoes and a sinful amount of butter).

The liveliest glimpses of life seemed wedged between the old, unreconstructed city and the shinier, up-and-coming version. I was intrigued by the colonies of cats living in the old quarter’s few remaining dilapidated mansions. And I was inspired by the diverse throngs of shoppers along Avenida Central — their faces reflecting Chinese, Indigenous, Spanish, and African heritage, evidence of Panama’s long history of colonization and commerce.

If Panama City felt like a genuine metropolis, the vibe in Bocas del Toro, an hour’s flight northwest, was distinctly more relaxed. At the end of the 19th century, the United Fruit Company established itself in Bocas (an estimated 325,000 tons of bananas still leave the port each year), and built scores of pastel colonial-style wooden houses, many of which remain intact. Essentially inaccessible by road until the 1980s, the area is distinguished by its rich Caribbean culture and pristine biodiversity.

More Trip Ideas: Travel + Leisure Readers' 25 Favorite Islands in the World of 2023

Bocas Town, as it’s known, is also the gateway to the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, made up of nine islands and more than 200 tiny islets. I was headed to Nayara Bocas del Toro , a private island preserve 20 minutes away by boat, so I made my way to the port, where “traffic” refers not to cars but to the colorful boats, known as pangas, that shuttle between the islands. After making inquiries with several captains who spoke English and Spanish with a pleasing Creole lilt, I found my ride.

Opened in 2021, Nayara Bocas del Toro is entirely off the grid and nearly fully solar-powered. The lodge, which caters to adults only, consists of 16 luxurious overwater villas, each with a private plunge pool and terrace with a firepit.

In the middle of the overwater boardwalk sits the Elephant House, Nayara’s restaurant, a 100-year-old structure imported from Bali. On the land side, two giant mushroom-like tree houses soar 50 feet into the air (there are three more under construction). Created by the Bali-based designer Elora Hardy and crafted from bamboo and sustainably harvested hardwoods, they offered prime views of the sea and the mangrove forest canopy skirting the beach.

Nayara’s owner, a retired tech entrepreneur named Dan Behm, described his pursuit of ultra-sustainability as an ongoing evolution. In 2015, he bought El Castillo, a small luxury hotel on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast. Two years later, eager for a new challenge, he found himself scouting Central America for another beachfront property. Soon enough he realized that if he wanted to create something rare and special, he’d have to ditch the beach paradigm. In the end, he bought Isla Frangipani, the tiny island with 88 acres of mangroves where the resort is located. “People talk a lot about sustainability,” he told me, “but sometimes they’re just doing it to look good. Mangroves are the midwives of vast swaths of marine life. If we want to offer access to them, we have to preserve what we find and take care of it.”

Related: This Guatemalan City Is One of Central America’s Most Stylish Destinations — Here’s Where to Stay, Shop, and Eat

I’d arrived in late afternoon. The sun set out of view, behind the island, but the placid Caribbean horizon beyond my window offered a contemplative charm all its own. Morning brought rain, pattering on the rooftop, soothing and monsoon-y. When it stopped, I shambled toward the water and was treated to an explosion of flying fish, leaping by the thousands. At lunch on the dock outside the restaurant, I looked down and saw a Cousteau-worthy parade of starfish, sea urchins, manta rays, sea cucumbers, sharks, snappers, and groupers.

With a captain and boat on call for every villa, guests often choose to explore or picnic at secluded beaches on neighboring islands and cays like Cayos Zapatillas, part of the Bastimentos National Marine Park. For those inclined to stay put, the resort offers snorkeling, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. I gave myself an unguided tour and soon found myself walking in and among the quiet spectacle of the mangroves. They seemed to sprout everywhere, beside and beyond the boardwalk, sprawling with geometric repetition, their exposed roots looking like spider legs. The island’s interior, I learned, is rich with ocelots and sloths. I spotted strawberry poison-dart frogs hopping across the pathways near the elevated man-made beach at the end of the boardwalk. Here indeed was a dense speck of wilderness under preserve.

I left Nayara for Bocas Town by water taxi early the next morning. After living over water with the constant slish-slosh of the waves underneath me, it felt strange to ride in a van. We passed through the Ngäbe-Buglé, one of six communal areas set aside by the Panamanian government for the country’s half-million Indigenous citizens, and the Reserva Forestal Fortuna, a vast forest preserve. After a two-hour drive and a 90-minute boat ride, we docked at Islas Secas , an eco-reserve and lodge spread out on a 14-island archipelago off the coast of southwestern Panama.

The resort, owned by American financier and passionate conservationist Louis Bacon, consists of seven secluded casitas, which sleep a maximum of 24 guests. Bacon, whose foundation funds projects including Taos Ski Valley, in New Mexico, and Robins Island, off Long Island, discovered the area on a fishing trip. Realizing that there was no lodging on par with the spectacular scenery and that the islands were up for sale, he decided to add them to his portfolio.

From the moment I arrived at Islas Secas, I knew that leaving would be painful. A greedy reaction, to be sure, but very few places have made me feel that way. The walk from the dock to the dining hall to my villa took me along forest paths with purple flowers and a soundtrack of birdsong. The trees had epiphytes, ferns, bromeliads, and orchids running up their trunks, adding a furry, Dr. Seuss quality to them. Every turn offered a view of an island, a peninsula, or a still-life setting of a vase or bowl filled with exotic flora like amaryllis, bergamot, orange blossoms, and vetiver.

Islas Secas’s villas are built of a variety of certified sustainable woods, including red cedar, Brazilian ipe, and African mahogany. The eclectic sourcing reflects its notion of conservation. “Our idea of sustainability included the concept that, once built, we didn’t want to be constantly remodeling or altering the structures,” explained Tom Scheerer, the property’s interior designer. The villas’ design — with ample cross ventilation, high pitched roofs, and wide overhangs to provide natural shade and protection from the rain — was inspired by the century-old houses near the canal. My bathroom had both indoor and outdoor showers, plus an infinity pool. The resort’s low-impact approach extends beyond the villas: the resort runs entirely on solar energy, all food waste is composted, and the wastewater is treated and used to irrigate the grounds.

I was spoiled for choice when it came to Islas Secas’s spa and yoga program. Did I prefer the Big Chill, a treatment involving cold stones and rehydrating rain-forest oils? Or Magnificent Me Time, a 90-minute massage and scrub with some reflexology thrown in? Should I take my yoga session poolside or beachside? At sunset or in the moonlight?

I chose to treat myself to the Secas Sound Shower at the spa. I tried my best to relax on a yoga mat as a pair of instructors began to whang a mallet against a big brass bowl. Deep bass vibrations washed over me, and with every clang, I felt like a 14-year-old fighting off the effects of too many bong hits. The instructors walked in circles around me, moving closer and farther from my ears, hitting bowls, wind chimes, a rain stick, a thumb piano, and a  tambor oceánico,  an instrument filled with pellets that made a sound like breaking waves. During the hour-long session, I felt my inner core of New York stress and self-consciousness fighting to stay intact — then giving way to a feeling of calm.

After lunch, I took a nature hike led by Venicio “Beny” Wilson, the conservation, sustainability, and activities manager, along some of the island’s trails. Wilson gushed about the 100 species of birds as he pointed out kiskadees, vireos, lesser elaenias, and mangrove yellow warblers. Did I know that many birds migrate from south to north? he asked. “We always think of north-south migration,” Wilson said, “but in Panama, we often see birds flying north to escape competition from northern birds heading south.” I mused on the realities of a place that serves as a midpoint between hemispheres before Wilson interrupted me: I should keep my eye out for big toads. “Smoky jungle toads,” he clarified. “We’re doing a study to make sure they’re okay. It’s a good way of measuring our environmental impact. So if you see a toad about four hundred grams, almost as big as a Frisbee, let me know.

The following morning after breakfast, I met my snorkeling guide, Maria Henriquez. Born and raised in Panama City, Henriquez worked in the hospitality industry and had never gone diving until her thirties. The experience changed her life. She became a rescue diver, then a dive master, and has worked as an instructor ever since, joining Islas Secas in 2020.

The moment we jumped into the Gulf of Chiriquí, we were surrounded by what seemed like most of the area’s 750 fish species: dorados; long fin halfbeaks; needlefish; jacks; yellow, red, and gold snappers; angelfish; barber fish; three species of puffer fish; eels; and various kinds of rays. “There are lots of beautiful dive sites in Panama,” Henriquez told me, “but there’s no place that has better stuff than here.” Guests often want to visit nearby Coiba National Park, one of Panama’s largest protected marine areas, to see turtles, whale sharks, and humpbacks, which appear twice a year as they migrate back and forth between the hemispheres.

I decided to set out instead for Pargo Beach, a tiny cove with an enormous uprooted tree trunk artfully deposited at the edge. I kayaked and paddleboarded for an hour before noticing something strange: I hadn’t seen another boat since I’d arrived. An hour later, I’d worked up just enough of an appetite to demolish the enormous lunch of shrimp, mahi-mahi, chicken, and Wagyu steak with chimichurri sauce that the kitchen staff prepared for me right on the beach.

Between the solitude, the undisturbed nature, the peace, and beauty of it all, I’d love to say I felt like a survivor of a shipwreck, alone on a deserted island. And then I remembered Tom Hanks in  Cast Away,  painstakingly crafting a net from a salvaged lace dress to catch fish, desperate to stave off hunger. And I realized, it wasn’t like that at all.

Cristóbal Palma

Where to Stay

The American Trade Hotel: Just opposite the Plaza de la Independencia in the city’s Casco Viejo district, this 50-room property mixes Neoclassical architecture with palm-print sofas, Mexican weavings, and colorful tilework. A rooftop pool and a jazz club lend a festive feel to the property.

Islas Secas: Privacy, exclusivity, and sustainability — this island eco-retreat off the Pacific coast has all three. Guests can enjoy a variety of diversions, from sound baths to snorkeling and whale-watching.

Nayara Bocas del Toro: This adults-only, off-the-grid resort in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, part of the Nayara Collection, has only 16 overwater villas, some of which have glass floor panels for viewing marine life. Activities include snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, kayaking, or just wandering through the vast mangroves.

Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo: Located in the historic district, this former private club is an elegant base for exploring Panama City. The 159-room hotel, which opened in January, preserves much of the original French architecture, from the giant glass chandeliers to the wrought-iron balconies.

Where to Eat

CasaCasco : The rooftop bar of this restaurant in Casco Viejo serves up excellent cocktails and views of the city.

Fondo Lo Que Hay: It’s worth the wait at this popular restaurant in the Casco Viejo area, where many of the dishes, including the Caribbean prawns, are cooked over a wood flame.

Maito: Enjoy dishes that reflect Panama’s diverse population, like chow mein and ceviche, at this low-key spot in the ritzy Coco del Mar neighborhood. Spring for the $100 tasting menu for a broad sampling of the country’s different cuisines.

Salsipuedes: Located in the Bristol Panama, the restaurant has an eclectic menu that includes pork-belly tacos, octopus carpaccio, and fried crocodile.

How to Book

Scott Dunn: This luxury agency can design a trip to Panama that includes stays at Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, Islas Secas, Nayara Bocas del Toro, and the American Trade Hotel, as well as domestic flights and private transfers. Experiences range from a helicopter ride over the Panama Canal to chocolate making.

A version of this story first appeared in the October 2023 issue of  Travel + Leisure  under the headline "Perfectly Panama ."

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Best Panama Vacation Packages

6 nights from $726*

Panama's Best-Seller! . Enjoy Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest). After that, a transfer will take you to Playa Blanca (with the best tropical climate in the country, where to enjoy white-sand beaches with lush vegetation, lovely lakes and deep-blue Pacific Ocean views ). Get back to Panama City to catch your flight back home. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Hotel for 3 nights in Panama City
• Transfer from Hotel in Panama City to Hotel in Playa Blanca
• Hotel for 3 nights in Playa Blanca
• Transfer from Hotel in Playa Blanca to the Airport in Panama City

All Photos & Map

Highlights & Attractions

Other Panama Vacation Packages

Soberania National Park - Bocas del Toro - Panama City

7 nights from $620*

Rainforest and Beaches in Panama! . Escape the noise and hectic pace of Panama City and surround yourself with the tranquility of the mystical Soberania National Park (is the most accessible national park from Panama City. Just 45 minutes from the city, on 340 acres overlooking the stunning Panama Canal. It is known for excellent birding and wildlife viewing ). Continue to Bocas del Toro (at the northern coast of Panama, this beautiful archipelago is known for its unparalleled beauty and vibrant nightlife. Its boasts fine white sand beaches with turquoise waters, world-famous waves, colorful coral reefs, mangroves and nearby jungle rainforests ). Finally, enjoy Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest). Private transfers will take you from the airport/hotel/airport, followed by domestic flights. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Transfer from Panama City Airport to Hotel in Soberania National Park
• Hotel for 2 nights in Soberania National Park
• Transfer from Hotel in Soberania National Park to Domestic Airport in Panama City followed by a flight - Panama City to Bocas del Toro
• Transfer from Airport to Hotel in Bocas del Toro
• Hotel for 3 nights in Bocas del Toro
• Transfer from Hotel to Airport in Bocas del Toro
• Flight from Bocas del Toro to Panama City
• Hotel for 2 nights in Panama City

Panama City and Cartagena by Air

6 nights from $759*

Discover the treasures of Colombia and Panama! . Visit Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest). After that, catch a flight to Cartagena (colonial city on the shores of the sea, and one of the most visited cities. The historic walled city remains alongside the ultramodern skyscraper-filled Bocagrande. Cartagena is famous for its castles, culture, history and colorful buildings as well as the iconic palenqueras –Afro-Colombian women in bright dresses selling fruit in Cartagena`s plazas-). This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Flight from Panama City to Cartagena
• Hotel for 3 nights in Cartagena

Panama City - Playa Bonita

6 nights from $769*

The big City and the Pacific Ocean! in Panama . Discover Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest); after that, with private transfer, travel to Playa Bonita (this newest beach idyllic retreat spot with golden sands, emerald ocean and lush, tropical rainforests it is located a short distance from Panama`s capital city). One last transfer will allow you to arrive at Panama City Airport to catch your flight back home. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Transfer from Hotel in Panama City to Hotel in Playa Bonita
• Hotel for 3 nights at Playa Bonita
• Transfer from Hotel in Playa Bonita to Airport in Panama City

Panama City - Bocas del Toro

6 nights from $1,400*

A bustling city and a Beach Gateway in Panama! . Combine amazing stays in: Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest); Bocas del Toro (at the northern coast of Panama, this beautiful archipelago is known for its unparalleled beauty and vibrant nightlife. Its boasts fine white sand beaches with turquoise waters, world-famous waves, colorful coral reefs, mangroves and nearby jungle rainforests ); and one last night stay in Panama City , to finish enjoying what the city has to offer. Connect these destinations with domestic flights, followed by private transfers from the airport/hotel/airport. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Flight from Panama City to Bocas del Toro
• Hotel for 1 night in Panama City

Panama Suggested Vacation Packages

Soberania National Park - Playa Blanca - Panama City

7 nights itinerary  

Ultimate Panama Package! . Escape the noise and hectic pace of Panama City and surround yourself with the tranquility of the mystical Soberania National Park (is the most accessible national park from Panama City. Just 45 minutes from the city, on 340 acres overlooking the stunning Panama Canal. It is known for excellent birding and wildlife viewing ). Continue to Playa Blanca (with the best tropical climate in the country, where to enjoy white-sand beaches with lush vegetation, lovely lakes and deep-blue Pacific Ocean views ); and return to Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest). Private transfers connect these destinations. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Transfer from Hotel in Soberania National Park to Hotel in Playa Blanca
• Transfer from Hotel in Playa Blanca to Hotel in Panama City

7 nights from  

Panama City - Boquete - Soberania Park

6 nights itinerary  

Green Panama! . Enjoy Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest). Next, travel to Boquete (small and charming mountain village tucked away on the eastern slopes of Baru Volcano known for its cool, fresh climate and pristine natural surroundings, the sweetest fruits and the richest coffee in all of Panama ); and finally, visit Soberania National Park (is the most accessible national park from Panama City. Just 45 minutes from the city, on 340 acres overlooking the stunning Panama Canal. It is known for excellent birding and wildlife viewing ). These destinations are connected by private airport/hotel/airport transfers, followed by domestic flights. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Flight from Panama City to David Airport in Chiriqui
• Transfer from David Airport-Chiriqui to Hotel in Boquete
• Hotel for 2 nights in Boquete
• Transfer from Hotel in Boquete to David Airport-Chiriqui followed by a flight to Panama City Domestic Airport
• Transfer from Panama City Domestic Airport to Hotel in Soberania National Park
• Transfer from Hotel in Soberania Natiroinal Park to International Airport in Panama City

6 nights from  

Panama City - Playa Blanca - Cartagena

8 nights itinerary  

The Jewels of Colombia and Panama! . Enjoy Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest). Continue with a private transfer to Playa Blanca (with the best tropical climate in the country, where to enjoy white-sand beaches with lush vegetation, lovely lakes and deep-blue Pacific Ocean views ). Get back to Panama City to catch your flight to you last destination in Colombia , visiting Cartagena (colonial city on the shores of the sea, and one of the most visited cities. The historic walled city remains alongside the ultramodern skyscraper-filled Bocagrande. Cartagena is famous for its castles, culture, history and colorful buildings as well as the iconic palenqueras –Afro-Colombian women in bright dresses selling fruit in Cartagena`s plazas-). This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Transfer from Hotel in Panama City to Hotel Playa Blanca

8 nights from  

Panama City - Bocas del Toro - Playa Blanca

7 nights from $1,662*

A Taste of Panama! . Begin in Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest); next, visit Bocas del Toro (at the northern coast of Panama, this beautiful archipelago is known for its unparalleled beauty and vibrant nightlife. Its boasts fine white sand beaches with turquoise waters, world-famous waves, colorful coral reefs, mangroves and nearby jungle rainforests ). Finally, spend a wonderful stay in Playa Blanca (is the destination with the best tropical climate in the country, where to enjoy white-sand beaches with lush vegetation, lovely lakes and deep-blue Pacific Ocean views ). Private transfers will take you from the airport/hotel/airport, followed by domestic flights. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Hotel for 2 nights in Bocas del Toro
• Flight from Bocas del Toro to Panama City followed by a land transfer to the Hotel in Playa Blanca
• Transfer from Hotel in Playa Blanca to Airport in Panama City

Panama City Getaway

4 nights from $428*

Fullest Panama! . Enjoy Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest). This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Hotel for 4 nights in Panama City

Panama City - Boquete - Playa Blanca

7 nights from $1,563*

Heavenly Panama! . Enjoy Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest); continue to Boquete (small and charming mountain village tucked away on the eastern slopes of Baru Volcano known for its cool, fresh climate and pristine natural surroundings, the sweetest fruits and the richest coffee in all of Panama ). Lastly, have a wonderful stay in Playa Blanca (with the best tropical climate in the country, where to enjoy white-sand beaches with lush vegetation, lovely lakes and deep-blue Pacific Ocean views ). These destinations are connected by private airport/hotel/airport transfers, followed by domestic flights. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Transfer from Hotel in Boquete to David Airport-Chiriqui
• Flight from David Airport in Chiriqui to Panama City Airport, followed by a transfer to the Hotel in Playa Blanca
• Hotel for 3 nigths in Playa Blanca

Soberania National Park - Playa Bonita

Beach and Jungle Adventure in Panama! . From Panama Airport travel to Soberania National Park (is the most accessible national park from Panama City. Just 45 minutes from the city, on 340 acres overlooking the stunning Panama Canal. It is known for excellent birding and wildlife viewing ); and after that, continue to Playa Bonita (this newest beach idyllic retreat spot with golden sands, emerald ocean and lush, tropical rainforests it is located a short distance from Panama`s capital city). Get back to Panama City to catch your flight back home. Private hotel/hotel/airport transfers connect these destinations. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Hotel for 3 nights in Soberania National Park
• Transfer from Hotel in Soberania National Park to Hotel in Playa Bonita
• Hotel for 4 nights at Playa Bonita

Panama City - Soberania National Park

Bustling capital city and the Rainforest in Panama! . Combine a wonderful visits to Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest); and Soberania National Park (is the most accessible national park from Panama City. Just 45 minutes from the city, on 340 acres overlooking the stunning Panama Canal. It is known for excellent birding and wildlife viewing ). These destinations are connected by private airport/hotel/airport transfers. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Transfer from Hotel in Panama City to Hotel in Soberania National Park
• Transfer from Hotel in Soberania Park to Airport in Panama City

Playa Blanca Stay

4 nights itinerary  

Sun, Sea and Sand in Panama . Enjoy Playa Blanca (is the destination with the best tropical climate in the country, where to enjoy white-sand beaches with lush vegetation, lovely lakes and deep-blue Pacific Ocean views . A roundtrip airport/hotel/airport transfer connects this destination. This is a flexible package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Flight into and out of Panama City
• Transfer from Airport in Panama City to Hotel in Playa Blanca
• Hotel for 4 nights in Playa Blanca

4 nights from  

Panama City - Soberania National Park - Playa Bonita

All in Panama: Beach, City and Rainforest! . Start in Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest); after that, with private transfers, visit: Soberania National Park (is the most accessible national park from Panama City. Just 45 minutes from the city, on 340 acres overlooking the stunning Panama Canal. It is known for excellent birding and wildlife viewing ) and after that, Playa Bonita (this newest beach idyllic retreat spot with golden sands, emerald ocean and lush, tropical rainforests it is located a short distance from Panama`s capital city). Private hotel/hotel/airport transfers connect these destinations. This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Transfer from Hotel in Soberania Park to Hotel in Playa Bonita
• Hotel for 3 nights in Playa Bonita

Panama City and Bogota by Air

6 nights from $402*

Visit Panama and Colombia , two dynamic countries with fascinating History and Culture. Enjoy Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest); and up next, fly to Bogota (Colombia's capital city, has so much to offer in terms of cuisine, culture, history, sports and art , within its many contrasting neighborhoods, making the perfect jumping-off point to start your Colombia trip. La Candelaria , Bogota's old town, is also an obvious must-wander. It's where the museums, cobblestone streets, and government buildings are located). This is a flexible vacation package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Flight from Panama City to Bogota
• Hotel for 3 nights in Bogota

Playa Bonita Stay

4 nights from $406*

Pretty Beach in Panama! . Have unforgettable moments in Playa Bonita (this newest beach idyllic retreat spot with golden sands, emerald ocean and lush, tropical rainforests it is located a short distance from Panama`s capital city). A roundtrip airport/hotel/airport transfer connects this destination. This is a flexible package. Select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities.

• Transfer from Airport in Panama City to Hotel in Playa Bonita
• Hotel for 4 nights in Playa Bonita

Customer Reviews

225 Reviews

Cities in Panama

Panama City - Canal

Soberania National Park

Chiriqui Highlands

Combine panama with..., about panama.

• Best Time to Visit
• Tipping in Panama

Panama FAQ's

When you get past the first big thing you think of when you think of Panama, the Panama Canal , Panama is known for its beautiful beaches on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts . They are perfect for a fun-in-the-sun vacation or a dream romantic getaway . There are great opportunities to participate in water sports , from surfing to jet skiing to parasailing . The beach towns and Panama`s cities both sizzle with great nightlife . Apart from the beaches and the cities, Panama is known for its diverse flora and fauna , much of which is found in nationally-protected wetlands and rainforests .

Visitors to Panama usually spend a few days in the glittering capital, Panama City , near the Panama Canal . Also near the Panama Canal, you can find Soberania National Park , a beautiful protected wetland home to unique flora and fauna. Playa Blanca and Playa Bonita are popular beach resorts to the west of the capital and the canal. If you are venturing to the west of the country, you can enjoy snorkeling in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago along the Caribbean coast, or hiking in the volcanic national parks of Boquete .

You can journey to Panama any month of the year, however, the dry period occurs between mid-December and mid-April which is usually considered the perfect time to visit . Conditions stays a considerable constant high throughout the year, 85 degrees Fahrenheit and over. On the Caribbean coast, there are abbreviated heavy outpours of rain almost daily, while the Pacific coast has a clear-cut wet season from May to November. For more information, see Best Time to Visit Panama .

We recommend approximately 7-10 days based on what you want to see and do. We offer flexible vacation packages so you can select your number of nights in each city, desired hotel and activities. We suggest a minimum of 3 nights in Panama City.

We recommend seeing Panama by air and by private transfer . Leave all of your transportation cares to us. If you will be visiting multiple destinations in Panama, you will be getting from point A to point B either by private transfer, in late-model, air-conditioned comfort, or by air, and from the airport you will take a private transfer to your hotel or resort.

The currencies of Panama are the Panamanian balboa (coins only) and the U.S. dollar (bills only). No currency exchange is necessary if you are arriving in Panama with U.S. dollars. For more information, see Tipping in Panama .

Spanish is the official language of Panama. About 1 in 8 people speak English fluently in Panama, with most of these people being in the business and tourism sectors. You will encounter many English speakers in Panama City and all tourist resorts in Panama, and at least a couple of English speakers even in more remote villages. Don`t assume everyone can speak English, however. Be prepared to learn basic Spanish phrases like hello/goodbye, please/thank you, how much is it?, where is the bathroom?, and the numbers from 1-10. To say `Do you speak English`, say `¿Habla ingles?`

Panama City - Playa Blanca (6 nights)

Panama Vacations, customize multi-city vacations to Panama, flexible trips to Panama. Review past Panama itineraries, book Panama vacation packages online. Travel to Panama your way

Includes: Hotel for 3 nights in Panama City, Transfer from Hotel in Panama City to Hotel in Playa Blanca, Hotel for 3 nights in Playa Blanca, Transfer from Hotel in Playa Blanca to the Airport in Panama City

Soberania National Park - Bocas del Toro - Panama City (7 nights)

Rainforest and Beaches in Panama! . Escape the noise and hectic pace of Panama City and surround yourself with the tranquility of the mystical Soberania National Park (is the most accessible national park from Panama City. Just 45 minutes from the city, on 340 acres overlooking the stunning Panama Canal. It is known for excellent birding and wildlife viewing ). Continue to Bocas del Toro (at the northern coast of Panama, this beautiful archipelago is known for its unparalleled beauty and vibrant nightlife. Its boasts fine white sand beaches with turquoise waters, world-famous waves, colorful coral reefs, mangroves and nearby jungle rainforests ). Finally, enjoy Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest). Private transfers will take you from the airport/hotel/airport, followed by domestic flights.

Panama City and Cartagena by Air (6 nights)

Discover the treasures of Colombia and Panama! . Visit Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest). After that, catch a flight to Cartagena (colonial city on the shores of the sea, and one of the most visited cities. The historic walled city remains alongside the ultramodern skyscraper-filled Bocagrande. Cartagena is famous for its castles, culture, history and colorful buildings as well as the iconic palenqueras –Afro-Colombian women in bright dresses selling fruit in Cartagena`s plazas-).

Panama City - Playa Bonita (6 nights)

The big City and the Pacific Ocean! in Panama . Discover Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest); after that, with private transfer, travel to Playa Bonita (this newest beach idyllic retreat spot with golden sands, emerald ocean and lush, tropical rainforests it is located a short distance from Panama`s capital city). One last transfer will allow you to arrive at Panama City Airport to catch your flight back home.

Panama City - Bocas del Toro (6 nights)

A bustling city and a Beach Gateway in Panama! . Combine amazing stays in: Panama City (most attractive Capital City and a curious blend of old Spain, modern America and the bazaar atmosphere of the East. The city is a regional hub for trading . It is best known for The Panama Canal and its charming Casco Viejo . This lively Latin American city also borders one of Central America's richest rain forest); Bocas del Toro (at the northern coast of Panama, this beautiful archipelago is known for its unparalleled beauty and vibrant nightlife. Its boasts fine white sand beaches with turquoise waters, world-famous waves, colorful coral reefs, mangroves and nearby jungle rainforests ); and one last night stay in Panama City , to finish enjoying what the city has to offer. Connect these destinations with domestic flights, followed by private transfers from the airport/hotel/airport.

Yes, you can combine with: Colombia

• Panama City - Bocas del Toro - Playa Blanca (7 nights from $1662)
• Panama City Getaway (4 nights from $428)
• Panama City - Boquete - Playa Blanca (7 nights from $1563)
• Panama City and Bogota by Air (6 nights from $402)
• Playa Bonita Stay (4 nights from $406)

Travel Guide

• Things to Do
• Entry Requirements & Customs
• Getting Around
• Regions in Brief
• Visitor Information
• Tips on Accommodations
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• Getting There
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Planning a Trip in Panama

Note : This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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The Trip to Panama Paperback – Import, October 28, 2015

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• Part of series MINIMAX
• Print length 47 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Beltz GmbH, Julius
• Publication date October 28, 2015
• Dimensions 5.94 x 0.24 x 7.52 inches
• ISBN-10 3407760256
• ISBN-13 978-3407760258
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beltz GmbH, Julius; First Edition (October 28, 2015)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 47 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 3407760256
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-3407760258
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.53 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.94 x 0.24 x 7.52 inches
• Best Sellers Rank: #621,524 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books )

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Popular places to visit, playa blanca.

If a restful vacation is part of your travel plans, Playa Blanca might be the perfect place to seek out during your trip to Rio Hato. Amble around this romantic area's seaside or experience its entertainment venues.

Multiplaza Pacific Mall

During your trip to Panama City, you can enjoy retail therapy at Multiplaza Pacific Mall. You can enjoy the restaurants while in the area.

Cinta Costera

Explore the great outdoors at Cinta Costera, a lovely green space in Panama City. While you're in the area, stroll along the seaside.

Frequently asked questions

Where to stay in panama: best areas for travelers.

• Panama City : The Executive Hotel , the Hyatt Place Panama City/Downtown and the Bristol Panama are just a few of the reputable hotel options here. Stay at any of these and spring out of bed with plenty of get-up-and-go to discover Metropolitan Cathedral of Panama and other unique sights close by.
• Bocas del Toro : For a hotel that'll extend you a warm welcome, we recommend the Hotel Laguna , the Bocas Reef Hotel or the Hotel Sagitario . When you've freshened up, get on out to roam around the many wonderful sights this destination has to offer. Starfish Beach, Tortuga Beach and Bocas Marina should be on any good Bocas del Toro to-do list.
• Boquete : When you're tired of the sight of concrete and streets, check out this destination's popular nature attractions. Recharge your batteries at Sendero El Pianista, The Quetzales Trail or Municipal Park. For a comfy night's sleep, we recommend the Hotel Finca Lerida , the Hotel la Serrania or the Cabañas Dr. Rivera .
• David : This place is a traveler's dream, with loads of things to do. Kick off your adventures at Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Park. While you're in exploring mode, have a look at Parque de las Madres and Parque Recreativo Omar Torrijos Herrera too. When you need to call it a day, you can't beat the Aranjuez Hotel & Suites , the JL Serracin Apart Hotel or the F Sur Inn .
• Rio Hato : Visiting Farallon Island is a great way to begin your Panama vacation — booking a stay at the Private Home With Pool, Walk to the Beach! is another. If you're after more hotel options, the Beachfront Apartment for Rent at Santa Clara is well worth a look.
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Book a vacation to Panama

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Welcome to BookPanamaTours.com

Your getaway to adventure in panama.

Discover the wonders of Panama and immerse yourself in the rich culture and breathtaking landscapes of this vibrant country. At BookPanamaTours.com, we curate unforgettable tours and activities in and around Panama City, offering you a chance to create memories that last a lifetime.

Explore Panama City and Beyond

Whale Watching in Panama

Panama Coffee: A Journey Through Rich Flavors and Unique Terroir

Exploring Old Panama and the Legends of Captain Henry Morgan

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Panama Traveler View

Travel health notices, vaccines and medicines, non-vaccine-preventable diseases, stay healthy and safe.

• Packing List

After Your Trip

Be aware of current health issues in Panama. Learn how to protect yourself.

Level 1 Practice Usual Precautions

• Dengue in the Americas April 18, 2024 Dengue is a risk in many parts of Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Some countries are reporting increased numbers of cases of the disease. Travelers to the Americas can protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites. Destination List: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, including the Galápagos Islands, French Guiana (France), Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Martinique (France), Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Turks and Caicos Islands (U.K.), Uruguay

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Check the vaccines and medicines list and visit your doctor at least a month before your trip to get vaccines or medicines you may need. If you or your doctor need help finding a location that provides certain vaccines or medicines, visit the Find a Clinic page.

Routine vaccines

Recommendations.

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Some of these vaccines include

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
• Flu (influenza)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)

Immunization schedules

All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Please see  Your COVID-19 Vaccination  for more information. 

COVID-19 vaccine

Hepatitis A

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to Panama.

Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The dose does not count toward the routine 2-dose series.

Travelers allergic to a vaccine component or who are younger than 6 months should receive a single dose of immune globulin, which provides effective protection for up to 2 months depending on dosage given.

Unvaccinated travelers who are over 40 years old, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions planning to depart to a risk area in less than 2 weeks should get the initial dose of vaccine and at the same appointment receive immune globulin.

Hepatitis A - CDC Yellow Book

Dosing info - Hep A

Hepatitis B

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers younger than 60 years old traveling to Panama. Unvaccinated travelers 60 years and older may get vaccinated before traveling to Panama.

Hepatitis B - CDC Yellow Book

Dosing info - Hep B

CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of Panama take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking this medicine multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about which malaria medication you should take.

Find  country-specific information  about malaria.

Malaria - CDC Yellow Book

Considerations when choosing a drug for malaria prophylaxis (CDC Yellow Book)

Malaria information for Panama.

Cases of measles are on the rise worldwide. Travelers are at risk of measles if they have not been fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure, or have not had measles in the past, and travel internationally to areas where measles is spreading.

All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, including an early dose for infants 6–11 months, according to  CDC’s measles vaccination recommendations for international travel .

Measles (Rubeola) - CDC Yellow Book

Rabid dogs are commonly found in Panama. However, if you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other mammal while in Panama, rabies treatment is often available. 

Consider rabies vaccination before your trip if your activities mean you will be around dogs or wildlife.

Travelers more likely to encounter rabid animals include

• Campers, adventure travelers, or cave explorers (spelunkers)
• Veterinarians, animal handlers, field biologists, or laboratory workers handling animal specimens
• Visitors to rural areas

Since children are more likely to be bitten or scratched by a dog or other animals, consider rabies vaccination for children traveling to Panama. 

Rabies - CDC Yellow Book

Recommended for most travelers, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.

Typhoid - CDC Yellow Book

Dosing info - Typhoid

Yellow Fever

Required for travelers ≥1 year old arriving from countries with risk for YF virus transmission. 1

Recommended for travelers ≥9 months old going to all mainland areas east of the Canal Zone including Darién Province, the indigenous provinces (comarcas indígena) of Emberá and Kuna Yala (also spelled Guna Yala), and areas of the provinces of Colón and Panamá, east of the Canal Zone. Not recommended for travel limited to the Canal Zone; areas west of the Canal Zone; Panama City (the capital); Balboa district (Pearl Islands) of Panamá Province; or the San Blas Islands of Kuna Yala Province.

Yellow Fever - CDC Yellow Book

Avoid contaminated water

Leptospirosis

How most people get sick (most common modes of transmission)

• Touching urine or other body fluids from an animal infected with leptospirosis
• Swimming or wading in urine-contaminated fresh water, or contact with urine-contaminated mud
• Drinking water or eating food contaminated with animal urine
• Avoid contaminated water and soil

Clinical Guidance

Avoid bug bites, chagas disease (american trypanosomiasis).

• Accidentally rub feces (poop) of the triatomine bug into the bug bite, other breaks in the skin, your eyes, or mouth
• From pregnant woman to her baby, contaminated blood products (transfusions), or contaminated food or drink.
• Avoid Bug Bites

Chagas disease

• Mosquito bite

Leishmaniasis

• Sand fly bite
• An infected pregnant woman can spread it to her unborn baby

Airborne & droplet

• Breathing in air or accidentally eating food contaminated with the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents
• Bite from an infected rodent
• Less commonly, being around someone sick with hantavirus (only occurs with Andes virus)
• Avoid rodents and areas where they live
• Avoid sick people

Tuberculosis (TB)

• Breathe in TB bacteria that is in the air from an infected and contagious person coughing, speaking, or singing.

Learn actions you can take to stay healthy and safe on your trip. Vaccines cannot protect you from many diseases in Panama, so your behaviors are important.

Eat and drink safely

Food and water standards around the world vary based on the destination. Standards may also differ within a country and risk may change depending on activity type (e.g., hiking versus business trip). You can learn more about safe food and drink choices when traveling by accessing the resources below.

• Choose Safe Food and Drinks When Traveling
• Water Treatment Options When Hiking, Camping or Traveling
• Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene | Healthy Water
• Avoid Contaminated Water During Travel

You can also visit the Department of State Country Information Pages for additional information about food and water safety.

Prevent bug bites

Bugs (like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas) can spread a number of diseases in Panama. Many of these diseases cannot be prevented with a vaccine or medicine. You can reduce your risk by taking steps to prevent bug bites.

What can I do to prevent bug bites?

• Cover exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats.
• Use an appropriate insect repellent (see below).
• Use permethrin-treated clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents). Do not use permethrin directly on skin.
• Stay and sleep in air-conditioned or screened rooms.
• Use a bed net if the area where you are sleeping is exposed to the outdoors.

What type of insect repellent should I use?

• FOR PROTECTION AGAINST TICKS AND MOSQUITOES: Use a repellent that contains 20% or more DEET for protection that lasts up to several hours.
• Picaridin (also known as KBR 3023, Bayrepel, and icaridin)
• Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD)
• 2-undecanone
• Always use insect repellent as directed.

What should I do if I am bitten by bugs?

• Avoid scratching bug bites, and apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to reduce the itching.
• Check your entire body for ticks after outdoor activity. Be sure to remove ticks properly.

What can I do to avoid bed bugs?

Although bed bugs do not carry disease, they are an annoyance. See our information page about avoiding bug bites for some easy tips to avoid them. For more information on bed bugs, see Bed Bugs .

For more detailed information on avoiding bug bites, see Avoid Bug Bites .

Stay safe outdoors

If your travel plans in Panama include outdoor activities, take these steps to stay safe and healthy during your trip.

• Stay alert to changing weather conditions and adjust your plans if conditions become unsafe.
• Prepare for activities by wearing the right clothes and packing protective items, such as bug spray, sunscreen, and a basic first aid kit.
• Consider learning basic first aid and CPR before travel. Bring a travel health kit with items appropriate for your activities.
• If you are outside for many hours in heat, eat salty snacks and drink water to stay hydrated and replace salt lost through sweating.
• Protect yourself from UV radiation : use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, wear protective clothing, and seek shade during the hottest time of day (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).
• Be especially careful during summer months and at high elevation. Because sunlight reflects off snow, sand, and water, sun exposure may be increased during activities like skiing, swimming, and sailing.
• Very cold temperatures can be dangerous. Dress in layers and cover heads, hands, and feet properly if you are visiting a cold location.

Stay safe around water

• Swim only in designated swimming areas. Obey lifeguards and warning flags on beaches.
• Practice safe boating—follow all boating safety laws, do not drink alcohol if driving a boat, and always wear a life jacket.
• Do not dive into shallow water.
• Do not swim in freshwater in developing areas or where sanitation is poor.
• Avoid swallowing water when swimming. Untreated water can carry germs that make you sick.
• To prevent infections, wear shoes on beaches where there may be animal waste.

Keep away from animals

Most animals avoid people, but they may attack if they feel threatened, are protecting their young or territory, or if they are injured or ill. Animal bites and scratches can lead to serious diseases such as rabies.

Follow these tips to protect yourself:

• Do not touch or feed any animals you do not know.
• Do not allow animals to lick open wounds, and do not get animal saliva in your eyes or mouth.
• Avoid rodents and their urine and feces.
• Traveling pets should be supervised closely and not allowed to come in contact with local animals.
• If you wake in a room with a bat, seek medical care immediately. Bat bites may be hard to see.

All animals can pose a threat, but be extra careful around dogs, bats, monkeys, sea animals such as jellyfish, and snakes. If you are bitten or scratched by an animal, immediately:

• Wash the wound with soap and clean water.
• Go to a doctor right away.
• Tell your doctor about your injury when you get back to the United States.

Consider buying medical evacuation insurance. Rabies is a deadly disease that must be treated quickly, and treatment may not be available in some countries.

Reduce your exposure to germs

Follow these tips to avoid getting sick or spreading illness to others while traveling:

• Wash your hands often, especially before eating.
• If soap and water aren’t available, clean hands with hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol).
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you need to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Try to avoid contact with people who are sick.
• If you are sick, stay home or in your hotel room, unless you need medical care.

Avoid sharing body fluids

Diseases can be spread through body fluids, such as saliva, blood, vomit, and semen.

Protect yourself:

• Use latex condoms correctly.
• Do not inject drugs.
• Limit alcohol consumption. People take more risks when intoxicated.
• Do not share needles or any devices that can break the skin. That includes needles for tattoos, piercings, and acupuncture.
• If you receive medical or dental care, make sure the equipment is disinfected or sanitized.

Know how to get medical care while traveling

Plan for how you will get health care during your trip, should the need arise:

• Carry a list of local doctors and hospitals at your destination.
• Review your health insurance plan to determine what medical services it would cover during your trip. Consider purchasing travel health and medical evacuation insurance.
• Carry a card that identifies, in the local language, your blood type, chronic conditions or serious allergies, and the generic names of any medications you take.
• Some prescription drugs may be illegal in other countries. Call Panama’s embassy to verify that all of your prescription(s) are legal to bring with you.
• Bring all the medicines (including over-the-counter medicines) you think you might need during your trip, including extra in case of travel delays. Ask your doctor to help you get prescriptions filled early if you need to.

Many foreign hospitals and clinics are accredited by the Joint Commission International. A list of accredited facilities is available at their website ( www.jointcommissioninternational.org ).

In some countries, medicine (prescription and over-the-counter) may be substandard or counterfeit. Bring the medicines you will need from the United States to avoid having to buy them at your destination.

Malaria is a risk in some parts of Panama. If you are going to a risk area, fill your malaria prescription before you leave, and take enough with you for the entire length of your trip. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking the pills; some need to be started before you leave.

Select safe transportation

Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of healthy US citizens in foreign countries.

In many places cars, buses, large trucks, rickshaws, bikes, people on foot, and even animals share the same lanes of traffic, increasing the risk for crashes.

Be smart when you are traveling on foot.

• Use sidewalks and marked crosswalks.
• Pay attention to the traffic around you, especially in crowded areas.
• Remember, people on foot do not always have the right of way in other countries.

Riding/Driving

Choose a safe vehicle.

• Choose official taxis or public transportation, such as trains and buses.
• Ride only in cars that have seatbelts.
• Avoid overcrowded, overloaded, top-heavy buses and minivans.
• Avoid riding on motorcycles or motorbikes, especially motorbike taxis. (Many crashes are caused by inexperienced motorbike drivers.)
• Choose newer vehicles—they may have more safety features, such as airbags, and be more reliable.
• Choose larger vehicles, which may provide more protection in crashes.

Think about the driver.

• Do not drive after drinking alcohol or ride with someone who has been drinking.
• Consider hiring a licensed, trained driver familiar with the area.
• Arrange payment before departing.

Follow basic safety tips.

• Wear a seatbelt at all times.
• Sit in the back seat of cars and taxis.
• When on motorbikes or bicycles, always wear a helmet. (Bring a helmet from home, if needed.)
• Avoid driving at night; street lighting in certain parts of Panama may be poor.
• Do not use a cell phone or text while driving (illegal in many countries).
• Travel during daylight hours only, especially in rural areas.
• If you choose to drive a vehicle in Panama, learn the local traffic laws and have the proper paperwork.
• Get any driving permits and insurance you may need. Get an International Driving Permit (IDP). Carry the IDP and a US-issued driver's license at all times.
• Check with your auto insurance policy's international coverage, and get more coverage if needed. Make sure you have liability insurance.
• Avoid using local, unscheduled aircraft.
• If possible, fly on larger planes (more than 30 seats); larger airplanes are more likely to have regular safety inspections.
• Try to schedule flights during daylight hours and in good weather.

Medical Evacuation Insurance

If you are seriously injured, emergency care may not be available or may not meet US standards. Trauma care centers are uncommon outside urban areas. Having medical evacuation insurance can be helpful for these reasons.

Helpful Resources

Road Safety Overseas (Information from the US Department of State): Includes tips on driving in other countries, International Driving Permits, auto insurance, and other resources.

The Association for International Road Travel has country-specific Road Travel Reports available for most countries for a minimal fee.

For information traffic safety and road conditions in Panama, see Travel and Transportation on US Department of State's country-specific information for Panama .

Maintain personal security

Use the same common sense traveling overseas that you would at home, and always stay alert and aware of your surroundings.

Before you leave

• Research your destination(s), including local laws, customs, and culture.
• Monitor travel advisories and alerts and read travel tips from the US Department of State.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) .
• Leave a copy of your itinerary, contact information, credit cards, and passport with someone at home.
• Pack as light as possible, and leave at home any item you could not replace.

While at your destination(s)

• Carry contact information for the nearest US embassy or consulate .
• Carry a photocopy of your passport and entry stamp; leave the actual passport securely in your hotel.
• Follow all local laws and social customs.
• Do not wear expensive clothing or jewelry.
• Always keep hotel doors locked, and store valuables in secure areas.
• If possible, choose hotel rooms between the 2nd and 6th floors.

Healthy Travel Packing List

Use the Healthy Travel Packing List for Panama for a list of health-related items to consider packing for your trip. Talk to your doctor about which items are most important for you.

Why does CDC recommend packing these health-related items?

It’s best to be prepared to prevent and treat common illnesses and injuries. Some supplies and medicines may be difficult to find at your destination, may have different names, or may have different ingredients than what you normally use.

If you are not feeling well after your trip, you may need to see a doctor. If you need help finding a travel medicine specialist, see Find a Clinic . Be sure to tell your doctor about your travel, including where you went and what you did on your trip. Also tell your doctor if you were bitten or scratched by an animal while traveling.

If your doctor prescribed antimalarial medicine for your trip, keep taking the rest of your pills after you return home. If you stop taking your medicine too soon, you could still get sick.

Malaria is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness. If you become ill with a fever either while traveling in a malaria-risk area or after you return home (for up to 1 year), you should seek immediate medical attention and should tell the doctor about your travel history.

For more information on what to do if you are sick after your trip, see Getting Sick after Travel .

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