Discovering Panamá: A 6 -Day Adventure Itinerary
- borderlesskate
- Feb 10, 2024
- 15 min read
Updated: Feb 10, 2024
If you're looking for pristine beaches, lush jungles, and cosmopolitan flare, Panamá is the country for you! The warm, welcoming culture and countless opportunities to disconnect with nature will leave you dreaming of your return trip.
I mean, does it get more perfect than this?! PANAMÁ OVERVIEW
Safety ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Affordability ⭐⭐⭐
Public transportation ⭐
Easy to reach ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Adventure ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Number of days recommended: 7 - 9
Car recommended: 🚫
Visa required for Americans: 🚫
BLOG CONTENTS OVERVIEW
Table of Contents
Where is Panamá?
Panamá is a country in Central America that might be most famously associated with the Panama Canal - one of the seven wonders of the modern world - that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. But it is so much more than a critical trade route! Panamá is a country where you can find it all - historic and modern, big skyrises and remote jungle. The capital and largest city, Panama City, is a major hub between North and South America with a lot of connecting flights. But once outside the city you're only a short trip from lush greenery and pristine beaches. I visited Panamá on a whim with a friend and have been dreaming of going back ever since.
Language and Culture
Panamá is culturally very influenced by both the Caribbean and South America. You'll find people on the street selling molas - a traditional textile of the indigenous people which incorporates a lot of nature-inspired geometric shapes typically in bright reds, yellows, and oranges. Similar to the colors seen in the art, you'll feel how colorful Panamá's lively culture is. Carnival, the celebration of the start of Lent in some Christian traditions, is a national holiday of incredible importance. The streets close down and people dance, eat and drink the day (and night) away. While the Carnival celebration itself is fun, the following day all stores will be closed and the city will be very quiet, so be prepared if you visit during this time.
Spanish is the native language spoken here, but many people speak English so it's easy to navigate the country without speaking Spanish. There are a lot of expats, particularly in the beach towns in Bocas del Toro, who have left the hustle and bustle of cities to fully embrace the beauty of island life. As with many of my travels, I found that speaking Spanish helped me more fully understand and connect with the people, culture, and my surroundings, although it is by no means necessary.
I will be curious to follow Panamá's trajectory with tourism. It is a country that is starting to get more recognition as a destination spot, largely thanks to its massive airport that makes it a hub for flights, and to its beautiful beaches. I hope that as tourism continues to grow, Panamá will find a way to embrace that increase while still protecting their natural landscapes. I would be deeply saddened to see its perfect little beach huts and palm tree lined beaches destroyed in favor of large resort properties.
Location Overviews
Panama City
Panama City is where you will fly into and out of. We decided to spend a few days there to explore the country's capital. Ultimately, I didn't find Panama City to feel as lively or unique as Bocas del Toro. Outside of Casco Viejo, the old historic neighborhood, Panama City felt like any other large city. Except for one thing - it was so quiet! The streets felt pretty empty and lifeless, which might have been because I was there right after Carnival and everyone was resting after the previous day's partying. A few days is definitely enough time to get a feel for the city by exploring neighborhoods and the Canal. In my opinion the real magic of Panamá lies outside of the city.
Bocas del Toro
We spent 3 days in Bocas del Toro, a province in northern Panamá known for its stunning beaches. I absolutely fell in love with this part of the country. We stayed on Isla Colón, the main island with the airport. It is every beach bum and backpacker's dream. This is not an island where you'll find 5 star luxury resorts but more laid back beach bungalows or jungle treehouses. The people are so friendly and biking or hitchhiking are common modes of transportation around the island.
DEEPER DIVE
🦺 Safety
Panama City | Bocas del Toro |
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💵 Affordability
I found prices in general in Panama to be moderate. Things were more expensive than in other parts of South America, but in general not as expensive as in the United States. A typical breakfast/lunch might cost $6 - $10. A nice dinner maybe $18 - $30 depending on how fancy. Prices in Panama City are a bit more expensive than on the islands.
Most of the activities that we did were free of charge (going to the beach, walking around town) which helped our budget.
Lodging is reasonable. You can find a large variety of accommodations. In Panama City we stayed in a beautiful Airbnb in the center of the historic center for $75 per night per person and we treated ourselves to the Waldorf Astoria for not much more than that. On the island you will find hotels and Airbnbs that range from hostels to upscale. We adored the Airbnb where we stayed that was a little jungle treehouse hideaway.
🚌 Public Transportation
Panama City | Bocas del Toro |
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🧗♀️ Adventure
Once you leave Panama City you can really adventure into the remote rainforest or tranquil beaches. The adventure scale in Panama is whatever you want to make it. You can go really off-grid, or stay on-grid, whatever suits you.
VISA REQUIREMENTS
If you are have an American passport you do NOT need a visa to enter Panamá. For foreign nationals exempt from the visa requirements, all you will need is a valid passport with a blank page for the entry stamp. You can stay in the country for 90 days. If you are not sure if you are exempt from the visa requirements, check here.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are coming from Brazil, or certain other countries, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE YOUR YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION AND CARD. I cannot stress this enough. I had gotten my yellow fever vaccination years ago before going to Brazil, but had left my card at home and only had a digital copy. I was flying from Brazil to Panamá and was denied boarding and forced to buy a flight to Miami because they did not accept the digital proof of my vaccination to enter the country of Panamá. I had to spend $1000 for this new one-way Miami flight and lost a day off of my trip -- it was an absolute nightmare. I will never travel without my Yellow Fever Vaccination card again.
LOGISTICS FOR PANAMA CITY
How to get there
It's easy to fly to Panama City with many direct flights in and out from around the world. Then take a cab or Uber into the city. It's about $20 and 20 minutes.
Should I rent a car? No, based on our itinerary I would not rent a car. You could rent a car if you want to have more flexibility in reaching the coast near Colón, but unless you had a ton of time the odds you would be driving from Panama City to the northern island region is very slim given the 11-hour journey. You can also find a tour group and/or bus to take you to most of the places you would want to go. If you do want to drive all the way to the coast, I would still recommend not having a car in Panama City. Instead, pick it up on the day you want to head out of town.
Where to stay?
I absolutely recommend staying in the Casco Viejo neighborhood. It's the old historic neighborhood that is colorful, beautiful, and easy to walk around. Here you'll find restored buildings with colonial architecture, great cafes and coffee shops, and fun street art. We stayed in an Airbnb but there are also great hotels in the area.
We also stayed at the Waldorf Astoria located between the Punta Paitilla and Obarrio neighborhoods. These are both more high end neighborhoods of the city known for their high rises and shopping centers. The Waldorf was a wonderful treat, but I didn't find the area very interesting to explore.
LOGISTICS FOR BOCAS DEL TORO
How to get there
Fly from Panama City (PAC) to Bocas del Toro (BOC). The flights to Bocas del Toro leave from the domestic airport (PAC) that is about 15 minutes from Casco Viejo, not the large international airport (PTY). The flight is a quick 45 minutes in a small plane and you will land on Isla Colón. Flights can be a little expensive - mine were around $250. You could also drive but it's over 10 hours and I would recommend spending a little extra money to save the hassle.
Booking flights online I found to be a bit complicated. You will be flying Air Panamá, but their website isn't very sophisticated. At first I wasn't sure if this was an up-to-date website, what flights were actually offered, and if I had actually booked them correctly. If you find yourself wondering the same things, the site is legitimate and everything worked out well for us!
Where to stay?
A common question is "which island should I stay on? Isla Colón or Isla Bastimentos?" I did a lot of research on this and was very happy with my decision to stay on Isla Colón.
Isla Colón | Isla Bastimentos |
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Ultimately, we decided to stay on Isla Colón and spend a day on Isla Bastimentos. I definitely recommend this instead of the other way around. You're close to everything you could want but can also go see the other island.
CASH vs. CREDIT
Currency: Panama Balboa and USD
Exchange rate as of Sept 2023: 1 USD = 1 Balboa
The currency in Panama is very interesting. There are a few official currencies and USD is one of them. The Balboa (named after the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa who founded the first European settlement in Panamá -- the fact that the currency is still named after him is very interesting to me but that's another topic) is also an official currency, but it is tied 1:1 with the value of the USD. If you go somewhere and pay in USD cash, it is likely that you will get change back in a combination if USD and Balboa, which I found fascinating!
You can use credit cards in most shops, restaurants, and grocery stores. But you should definitely have cash on hand. There are little artisanal stores that don't take credit cards, or have a minimum purchase limit for cards. Cash is also important to have for tipping tour guides. Cash is also particularly important to have on hand on the islands, particularly for the taxis around the island or boats between islands which only take cash.
MUST DOS
in no particular order
-- Panama Canal
-- Explore Casco Viejo
-- Cafe hop in Casco Viejo
-- Bocas del Toro or the San Blas islands closer to Panama City
ITINERARY
Our 6 days play--by--play
Day 1: Arrival in Panama City
I finally made it to Panama City after my Yellow Fever nightmare and took an Uber directly to our Airbnb in Casco Viejo. Since I lost a day of my trip, this was my chance to wander and explore this historic neighborhood. After a quick rest we went for a walk around the area and admired the beautiful buildings, went into small shops, admired the art being sold at booths on the street, and walked the promenade along the water. For dinner we went to Casa Casco, a fun restaurant located in one of the main squares in the historic center. It has a rooftop bar with a 360 degree view of the city and was an amazing place to grab a drink and watch the sunset from all angles!
Day 2: Morning in Panama City > Bocas del Toro
Our flight to Bocas del Toro wasn't until 1 pm so we had the entire morning to leisurely cafe hop. Panama is known for their coffee, and the cafes in Casco Viejo are so cute, and so good! We tried out a few of them before returning to the AirBNB to pack up and head to the PAC airport for domestic flights.
It's such a small airport, and so close to the city, that we didn't leave until 11:30. You don't need much time because they won't even let you through security until about 30 minutes before your flight, so we sat on the floor in the entrance for a while as we waited. The planes are very small so they will make you check your carry on if you have a personal item as well. Be careful about the weight of your bags - coming off of a 10- week trip in South America I had done some shopping and my carry on was quite heavy (> 35 pounds). This wasn't an issue for big carriers, but Air Panama did weigh my bag and weren't going to let me bring it because it was overweight. Thankfully my friend had some space and weight in her bag so I could transfer some things between us and got the green light. The flight itself is also cool because you get to see so much of the country from above, including the Panama Canal (see below)!
Arrival at Bocas del Toro
You will land at a teeny little airport on the island of Isla Colón.
Our Airbnb host was there to pick us up and drive us back to drop off our bags. Along the way she gave us a little tour of the town with thoughts on where to eat and some things to do. We stayed in a treehouse right near the beach (incredible!), about a 15 minute bike ride from town, and close to the popular backpacker hangout called Skully's.
The first thing we did was go into town and rent e-bikes for 48 hours. TIP: Rent an e-bike to get around. I cannot recommend this highly enough! It is the best way to get around the island, in my opinion. You can get normal bikes, but e-bikes are easier to ride in the sand. Afterwards we took a long bike ride north along the coast and stopped at any little spot we wanted to take pictures and admire the views. The palm trees, beach, and water were unbelievable and we would get off our bikes and just take in the beauty. We ultimately ended up at the most adorable little beach bar where we had drinks and dinner. Vibes were immaculate!
We biked home in the dark, which felt safe. But do make sure that you have proper flashlights because there is not street lighting. Biking at night is great for star gazing, but otherwise hard to navigate.
Day 3: Full day on Isla Colón We spent day 3 exploring the Isla Colón. We went to a wonderful organic cafe, Dosha cafe, for breakfast. It was a quick walk from our Airbnb. We then got ready for the day and used our e-bikes to get across the island to Playa de las Estrellas (starfish beach). NOTE: There is a bus that picks up in town every hour and will transport you to this northwestern part of the island. Because of all of the potholes, the bus is slow moving and takes about an hour. E-bikes are an easy way to get to this beach within 45 minutes. There's only one road that gets you to the north of the island so you won't get lost. Just make sure they are fully charged so that you make it there and back! And note that the road goes through a remote part of the island where there are not a lot of other people, but may be construction workers. We did get some attention from them as two women on bikes, but never felt threatened.
The beach is STUNNING. The entire coast along the way is pristine and you can stop anywhere to swim. Starfish beach itself has some restaurants, drink stands, and more activity and boats. The water is crystal clear and is known for - you guessed it - all of the starfish! Note: if you go, please be considerate of nature and do not touch or pick them up.
We went to a wonderful pizza place down the street, Ciao pizza, for dinner and did some star gazing in the evening.
For reference, this is the road that cuts across the island. You can tell that it's remote.
Around 9 pm we went on a bioluminescence tour. Bioluminescence is when marine creatures, like plankton, produce and emit light through various chemical reactions (a well-known example of bioluminescence is a firefly). This tour is 2 hours and takes you to 3 different locations to experience different kinds of bioluminescence. Some plankton will light up when you move your hand in the water. At another stop our guide would shine a light in the water and 10 seconds later the entire area would light up. We got to jump in and snorkel at that stop, which was a very cool experience. If you have the time, I highly recommend doing this tour.
Day 4: Full day in Bocas del Toro Another full day in Bocas del Toro! We love this island. We went back to our favorite cafe, Dosha, for breakfast and then decided to journey to the Isla Bastimentos. We were told there were good hikes, pretty beaches, and a good restaurant to check out. Once you're back in town there are little "ferry" docks where you can find a boat that will take you to and from the Isla Bastimentos.
There is a "bigger" ferry (holds up to 12 people), or, like the hitchhiking to get around the island, you can take a private boat ride with anyone who has a boat. This is the route that we took and it was about $5 per person (cash). If you go to one of the docks and you've missed the "bigger" ferry people will ask you if you need a ride across, which is what we did.
Isla Bastimentos was not our best experience of our trip. Yes, I'm glad that we saw the other island. But I am also very glad we did not stay there. We never ended up reaching a beach because the hike to get there was too dangerous. It had rained the day before and the mud was so thick and slick that we couldn't navigate it. The island is much smaller, less developed, and sleepier than Isla Colón. The one place that we really wanted to visit was unexpectedly closed when we were there and we were really bummed about that (if you happen to go to, visit The Firefly, but note that they are a cash only operation).
We took the 'bigger' ferry back to Isla Colón and then wandered around town, bought some incredible Panamanian chocolate bars, and had lunch at a very cute café. We spent the afternoon reading on one of the beach lounges at Skully's and then had Ciao pizza again for dinner. Island life was wonderful!
Day 5: Bocas del Toro > Panama City
We had a 10 am flight back to Panama City. The return trip was very easy and uneventful and we were staying at the Waldorf Astoria for our last night in Panamá. When we checked into the hotel the first thing we did was turn around and go to the Panama Canal. Obviously a must-see if you're in Panama! And only 25 minutes from the city by Uber.
The Panama Canal is so much more interesting and impressive than I was even expecting it to be. NOTE: Typing in "Panama Canal" as your destination in Google Maps or Uber will not take you where you want to go. Make sure you are going to the Miraflores Visitor Center. The line to get in was extremely long, but it did end up moving. It is absolutely worth timing your trip there to see a ship in the canal, otherwise it is far less impressive. TIP: most ships come through in the early morning or afternoon, so try to plan your trip accordingly. The visitor center is open from 8 am until 6 pm, but ships do not pass through the locks between 10 am and 2 pm. You can also look online and see the schedule of ships that will be passing through, but that was harder for me to find.
They have a fun grandstand viewing area where you can sit while you watch the ships go through the locks. They have a narrator telling you what is happening as well in both Spanish and English. I found it so interesting that we stayed to watch 2 ships pass through. There is also a movie that they show in the theater that is included with entry, but due to time constraints we weren't able to see it. I'm sure it would have provided more context and history around the canal, though, and it would probably be worth trying to see that.
Once we had seen Casco Viejo and the Panama Canal we felt like we had seen the big 'touristy' things in Panama City, so we enjoyed the evening in the Waldorf and got ready for our trip home the next day.
MORE IMPORTANT TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND
Island life is amazing, but if you don't like bugs, beware! There are grasshoppers and spiders the size of your hand, and plenty of mosquitos!
Bring a small flashlight if you have one, it helps when you are walking around the island at night where there aren't any street lights
Have cash with you, particularly in increments of 5s and 10s. It's really important for getting around in the taxis, and some restaurants only take cash.
REVIEW OF ITINERARY
ROUGH BUDGET
Food | $120 |
Hotel* | $400 |
Tours | $60 |
Bocas Flight | $300 |
Tickets | $20 |
Souvenirs | $20 |
TOTAL | $930 |
* Overall costs were split 2 ways. This is the cost per individual.
NOTE: This budget does not include flights to and from Panama City or tipping tour guides. The estimate will also vary by person depending on factors such as where and how often you eat out, how many tours you go on, were you stay.
IF I HAD HAD MORE TIME
I could have easily stayed in Panama for longer and am so bummed I lost a day of my trip due to the Brazil travel fiasco. I love enjoying the relatively untouched environment. If I had had more time here are a few things I would have wanted to do that I didn't get around to:
Boquete: This is the jungle region of Panama where you can zip line, raft, hike, and many other activities. You can take a bus from Bocas del Toro to Boquete. This is an entirely different part of the country where I would have added 2 - 3 days onto my trip. It is not accessible enough for a day trip.
Chocolate Plantation tour: I wish I had been able to tour a cacao plantation. Green Acres Chocolate Farm is pretty easy to get to from Bocas del Toro.
Rent a boat and island hop: This would have been a really fun and cool way to see more harder-to-access beaches.
ADDITIONAL Q & A
Q: Can I drink the tap water?
A: I would not. We drank bottled water the entire time, but didn't worry about washing our faces or brushing our teeth with it.
Q: Can I barter here?
A: This is not a barter society. Prices are as listed. If you are someone who has the need to haggle, you are more likely to get away with something on the islands than in Panama City.
Q: Are there any particular vaccinations I need?
A: This depends on what vaccinations you already have. Check here for a list of everything that is recommended by the CDC, or make an appointment with a travel health service clinic or doctor.