Highlights
The Panama Canal
At the Miraflores Locks near Panama City, viewing platforms and a visitor centre let you watch huge ships being raised and lowered. Partial transit boat trips sail through locks and across Gatún Lake, and the newer Agua Clara locks are on the Caribbean side.
Casco Viejo
Panama City's old quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage site with colonial churches, plazas and restored buildings now full of cafés and rooftop bars. The Amador Causeway nearby leads to the Biomuseo, designed by Frank Gehry.
Guna Yala (San Blas Islands)
An autonomous region of the Guna people on the Caribbean coast, with hundreds of small islands, many of them palm-fringed sandbars. Stays are simple and run by Guna communities, who are known for their colourful mola textiles.
Bocas del Toro
A Caribbean archipelago near the Costa Rican border with wooden stilt houses, surfing, snorkelling, beaches such as Starfish Beach and a laid-back atmosphere.
Boquete and Volcán Barú
A cool highland town in Chiriquí surrounded by coffee farms famed for Geisha coffee. Hikers climb Volcán Barú, the country's highest point, from where both oceans can be seen on clear mornings.
Portobelo
A Caribbean town whose Spanish fortifications, along with San Lorenzo, are UNESCO-listed. Its church holds the Black Christ, and the town is known for Afro-Panamanian Congo culture.
Panamá Viejo
The ruins of the first Spanish city on the Pacific coast of the Americas, founded in 1519 and destroyed in 1671 after an attack by the pirate Henry Morgan. Its cathedral tower can be climbed.
Coiba National Park
A UNESCO-listed island and marine park in the Pacific, once a penal colony, now protecting reefs, whales, sharks and turtles. Trips run from Santa Catalina, a small surf town.
Interesting facts about Panama
- Because of the way the isthmus bends, the Caribbean entrance of the canal lies to the west of its Pacific entrance.
- Panama's currency, the balboa, is fixed at par with the US dollar, and US banknotes are used for everyday payments; Panama mints its own coins.
- The United States handed full control of the canal to Panama on 31 December 1999.
- The 'Panama hat' is actually made in Ecuador; it gained its name because so many were shipped through Panama and worn by canal workers.
- Panama City's metro, opened in 2014, was the first in Central America.
Best time to visit
The dry season, from roughly mid-December to April, is the most popular time to visit the Pacific side and Panama City, with sunny days and little rain. May to November is the green season, with afternoon downpours but fewer visitors and lush scenery. The Caribbean coast, including Bocas del Toro, has its own pattern and can be wet at any time, though September and October are often drier there. Carnival, in the days before Lent, is celebrated loudly across the country.
Practical information
| Capital | Panama City |
|---|---|
| Currency | Panamanian balboa (PAB) and US dollar (USD), used at par |
| Languages | Spanish |
| Plugs | Type A, B |
| Voltage | 120 V, 60 Hz |
| Emergency | 911 |
| Driving | On the right |
| Tipping | Around 10% in restaurants is usual, and some add it to the bill automatically. Tip guides and hotel staff a little. |
Getting around
Panama City has a metro, metro buses using a rechargeable card, and ride-hailing apps that are simple for visitors. Long-distance buses from the Albrook terminal reach most of the country cheaply. Domestic flights serve Bocas del Toro, David and some Guna Yala islands, and the Panama Canal Railway runs between Panama City and Colón. Renting a car works well on the Pan-American Highway and in Chiriquí, but city traffic is heavy. The Pan-American Highway stops at the Darién Gap, and there is no road onward to Colombia.
Staying connected in Panama
Coverage is good in Panama City, Colón, David and other towns, with fast 4G and 5G in the capital. It weakens on many islands, in the mountains and in rainforest areas, and the Darién and parts of Guna Yala have little or no signal. Wi-Fi is widely available in hotels, cafés and malls in the city, but island accommodation may have slow or limited internet. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land, so ride-hailing and maps work from the airport.
See Panama eSIM plans · How to install an eSIM
Useful apps for Panama
- Uber: Widely used in Panama City for airport transfers and getting around, with fares shown in advance.
- Waze: Popular with local drivers for live traffic in Panama City's congested streets.
- Google Maps: Walking routes in Casco Viejo and public transport directions; download offline maps for islands and mountains.
- Google Translate: Spanish translation for menus, buses and conversations outside the tourist areas.