Panama

Overview

Panama is a country at the southern end of Central America . The country is known as the "Crossroads of the Americas" due to its location between North and South America . Its name, given by Indigenous peoples, means "abundance of fish," reflecting the country's status as a paradise for water sports lovers and eco-tourists.

The isthmus connects two major landmasses—South America with Central and North America—resulting in incredibly diverse flora and fauna. Panama is often cited as the country with the most bird species in the world, boasting close to 900. Several Indigenous tribes still thrive here, living much as their ancestors did, which contributes to the richness of the nation's cultural fabric.

Panama is home to a large expatriate community; around 25,000 U.S. citizens live in the country. It's worthwhile to spend some time reading about Panama and connecting with locals, expats, and other travelers before arriving. Consider joining local forums, expat blogs, or the Central America Forum. Many local blogs can provide the most up-to-date information on issues like flooding, earthquakes, trail closures, and the best places to eat.

Experiences

Panama's strongest attraction is its diversity. In less than five days you can visit a beach, a mountain, a modern city and historic ruins. While in Panama City don't miss the four must-dos: the Panama Canal, Panama Viejo, Casco Antiguo (also known as Casco Viejo) and the jungles surrounding the Canal area.

Panama Viejo was the first city of Panama, founded by the Spanish in 1519. It was the first city founded at the Pacific and it became rapidly a prosperous point where gold from the southern colonies would make it to the Caribbean and later to Europe. It was attacked by pirates several times, the last of them by Pirate Henry Morgan who destroyed it in 1671. In 1673, a new city was built, but this time using the knowledge painfully acquired by experience. The Spanish by then knew well the risks of settling cities in tropical swamps: mosquitoes, tropical diseases and difficulty to defend its territory. The second city was founded at the opposite side of the bay in very different conditions: a rocky peninsula easy to defend and with crossed winds that would ensure the health of its inhabitants. This city is known today as Casco Antiguo, and it is here where the Republic of Panama was born.

A UNESCO protected site, Casco Antiguo (or Casco Viejo) is Panama City's second touristic destination because its buildings reflect the diversity of Panamanian society. Although a Spanish colonial city, because of several fires and the influence of merchants from all around the world, it became a vibrant city with styles ranging from Caribbean to French and even Art Deco. Today, Casco Antiguo undergoes an interesting revitalization process. Boutique hotels have started to appear, and some of the best bars and restaurants of the city can be found here. It has also become Panama City's artistic center with the recurrent art events and shows such as the Panama Jazz Festival, the Music Festival, Sobresaltos Dance Festival and many others.

Culture and food

In the larger cities you can find all types of food ranging from the French haute cuisine to the freshest sushi. There are Arabic restaurants, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Mexican… whatever you're in the mood for.

Outside of the cities, the selection is largely Panamanian with bountiful seafood and beef due to the abundance of cattle farms and the fantastic fishing in the area. Panamanian cuisine is a mix of several cultures. Reminiscent of the country's Afro-Caribbean, French and Spanish influences, the dishes take on a complete character of their own. If you get tired of eating beans or gallo pinto in the rest of Central America, you might want to head towards Panama. Since Panama has a little more Caribbean influence than other Central American countries, you'll see a lot more plaintain than beans here. Most dishes are served with coconut rice and a type of squash or other native vegetable. If Panamanian food has to be summed up in one word, that word would be culantro , which is a local plant that tastes like cilantro, except that it has a much stronger flavor.

Planning your route

The highway buses are constantly making journeys from terminals in Panama city to different destinations along the Pan American Highway, and back to the terminal. They're pretty frequent, and the buses will pick you up or drop you off at any point along their route, and most of them are air conditioned. The roughly linear shape of the country makes it ideal for a bus system, so ideal in fact that you don't really need to rent a car to get around most areas. Take a bus to the intersection on the Pan American highway that you want. You can get on a bus any place on the Pan American highway going towards Panama City, but all trips originating from within the city require a ticket. The Grand Terminal in the city is large and modern, and will remind you of an American shopping mall or airport (it actually is a shopping mall, Albrook Mall, too). Schedules for all Panama are listed here .

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.