Overview
Panama has a cosmopolitan capital city (see more about Panama City Panama), incredible rainforest and some of the finest snorkeling, birding and deep-sea fishing in the world, so it's hard to figure out why travelers tend to steer clear of this country or just whiz through. It may have something to do with the fact that Panama is known internationally for its canal, the 1989 US invasion and the name it donated to a style of headgear, but this does it no justice.
Full country name: Republic of Panama
Area: 75,500 sq km (29,157 sq mi)
Population: 2.8 million (growth rate 1.3%)
Capital city: Panama City (pop 700,000)
People: 65% mestizo, 14% African descent, 10% Spanish descent, 10% Indian
Language: Spanish, English and Indian languages
Religion: 85% Roman Catholic, 10% Protestant, 5% Islamic
Government: Constitutional republic
President: Martin Torrijos
GDP: US$8.8 billion
GDP per head: US$3200
Annual growth: 4.1%
Inflation: 1.1%
Major industries: Banking, construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling, shipping and agriculture
Major trading partners: USA, EU, Central America & Caribbean, Japan
Visas: Every visitor needs a valid passport and an onward ticket to enter Panama, but further requirements vary from country to country and occasionally change. UK, Germany and Switzerland citizens and many other nationalities need only a passport, while people from Japan, New Zealand, USA, Venezuela and more need a tourist visa or tourist card (US$5) as well. Contact an embassy or consulate for current details.
Health risks: Dengue fever, hantavirus (Los Santos province), malaria, rabies and yellow fever
Time: GMT/UTC minus 5 hours
Electricity: Variable - either 110V or 220V
Weights & measures: Metric
When to Go
Panama's tourist season is during the dry season from around mid-December to late March. The weather can be hot and steamy in the lowlands during the rainy season, when the humidity makes the heat more oppressive than otherwise. Rain in Panama tends to come in sudden short downpours that freshen the air and are followed by sunshine. If you'll be doing any long, strenuous hiking, the dry season is the most comfortable time to do it; the Darien Gap can be crossed only at this time.
If you like to party, try to be in Panama City or on the Peninsula de Azuero for Carnaval, held each year on the weekend before Ash Wednesday. Panama City's Carnaval celebration is one of the world's largest.
Events
Carnaval is celebrated over the four days preceding Ash Wednesday and involves music, dancing and a big parade on Shrove Tuesday. The celebrations in Panama City and Las Tablas are the most festive. The Semana Santa (Easter Week) celebrations at Villa de Los Santos, on the Peninsula de Azuero, are equally renowned. The Festival of the Black Christ at Portobelo on October 21 includes a parade of the famous life-size statue of the Black Christ, and attracts pilgrims from all over the country.
Money & Costs
Currency: US dollar (known as 'balboa')
Meals
Budget: US $3-7
Mid-range: US $9-15
Top-end: US $20+
Lodging
Budget: US $19-29
Mid-range: US $39-59
Top-end: US $90+
Attractions
Panama City
The capital of Panama is a modern, thriving commercial center stretching 10km (6mi) along the Pacific coast from the ruins of Panama Viejo in the east to the edge of the Panama Canal in the west. The old district of San Felipe (also known as Casco Antiguo or Casco Viejo) juts into the sea on the southwestern side of town. It's an area of decaying colonial grandeur, striking architecture, peeling paint and decrepit balconies. Attractions include the 17th-century Metropolitan Church, the Interoceanic Canal Museum of Panama, the Plaza de Bolivar, the Presidential Palace, the History Museum of Panama and the sea wall built by the Spaniards four centuries ago. Via Espana's banking district is the complete opposite to this yesteryear charm, with aggressively modern buildings and sophisticated entertainments.
Attractions on the fringes of the city include the Panama Canal, the 16th-century ruins of Panama Viejo, the Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo, the tropical rain forest of the Parque Nacional Sobrerania and the 265-hectare (655-acre) Parque Natural Metropolitano.
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal (click for more info) is both an engineering marvel and one of the most significant waterways on earth. Stretching 80km (50mi) from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colon on the Atlantic side, it provides passage for over 12,000 oceangoing vessels per year. Seeing a huge ship nudge its way through the narrow canal, with vast tracts of virgin jungle on both sides, is an unforgettable sight. The easiest and best way to visit the Canal is to go to the Miraflores Locks, on the northeastern fringe of Panama City, where a platform offers visitors a good view of the locks in operation. There's also a museum with a model and a film about the Canal. Boats leave Balboa, a western suburb of Panama City, for a five-hour tour through the locks to Miraflores Lake.
Boquete
Known for its cool, fresh climate and pristine natural environment, the small alpine town of Boquete is nestled into a craggy mountain valley 35km (22mi) north of David. It's a fine place for walking, bird watching, horse riding and enjoying a respite from the heat of the lowlands. Flowers, coffee and citrus fruits are grown in the area and the town's Feria de las Flores y del Cafe is a popular annual festival held in January. Boquete is a good base for climbing 3475m (11,400ft) Volcan Baru, 15km (9mi) west, or visiting the volcano's 14,300-hectare (35,320-acre) national park.
Archipielago de San Blas
The islands of the San Blas Archipelago are strung out along the Caribbean coast of Panama from the Golfo de San Blas nearly all the way to the Colombian border. The islands are home to the Kuna Indians, who run the 378 islands as an autonomous province, with minimal interference from the national government. They maintain their own economic system, language, customs and culture, with distinctive dress, legends, music and dance. The economy of the islands is based on coconut sales, fishing and tourism, and they offer travelers good diving, snorkeling and swimming; the best diving conditions are between April and June. The most interesting islands are Achutupu, Kagantupu and Coco Blanco. There are flights to several of the islands from Panama City or you can catch a ride with Kuna merchant ships from Colon.
Isla Grande
It would take all the exotic Caribbean cliches to describe this remote and beautiful island off the Caribbean coast near Portobelo. Only 7 sq km (3 sq mi) in size, it's inhabited by 300 people of African descent who make their living from fishing and coconuts. There are a handful of places to stay on the island and boats for rent, but no dive operators or places to rent snorkeling equipment. Visitors are often attracted by local festivities, which include San Juan Bautista on June 24, celebrated with canoe and swimming races; the day of the Virgen del Carmen, on July 16, is marked by a land and sea procession; and Carnaval, before Ash Wednesday, is f?d with Calypso dancing and songs.
Culture
Panama's arts reflect its ethnic mix. Indian tribes, West Indian groups, Mestizos, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Swiss, Yugoslav and North American immigrants have all contributed ingredients to the cultural stew. Traditional arts include wood carving, weaving, ceramics and mask making.
Spanish is the official language, though US influence and the international nature of the canal zone reinforce the use of English as a second language. West Indian immigrants also speak Caribbean-accented English. Indian tribes have retained their own languages. Panama is predominantly Roman Catholic, but there are sizable Muslim and Protestant minorities and small numbers of Hindus and Jews.
Environment
The Isthmus of Panama is the umbilical cord joining South and Central America. It borders Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east. Panama's arched shape reflects both its role as a bridge between continents and as a passageway between oceans. At its narrowest point, it is only 50km (30mi) wide, but it has a 1160km (720mi) Caribbean coastline on its northern shore and a 1690km (1048mi) Pacific coast to the south. The famous canal is 80km (50mi) long and effectively divides the country into eastern and western regions.
There are hundreds of islands near the Panamanian coasts. The two major archipelagos are the San Blas and Bocas del Toro chains in the Caribbean Sea, though the best snorkeling, diving and deep-sea fishing are to be found in the Pacific near Coiba Island and the Pearl Islands. Panama has flat coastal lowlands and two mountain chains running along its spine. The highest peak is Volcan Baru at 3475m (11,400ft).
Rainforests dominate the canal zone, the northwestern portion of the country and much of the eastern half. Although Costa Rica is widely known for its fantastic wildlife, Panama has, in fact, a greater number of flora and fauna species, more land set aside for preservation and far fewer people wandering through the jungle looking for wildlife and inadvertently scaring it away. There's much truth in the Panamanian saying that in Costa Rica 20 tourists try to see one resplendent quetzal, but in Panama one person tries to see 20 of these exquisite birds.
Panama has two seasons. The dry season lasts from January to mid-April and the rainy season from mid-April to December. Rainfall is heavier on the Caribbean side of the highlands, though most people live on or near the Pacific coast. Temperatures are typically hot in the lowlands (between 21?C and 32?C/70?F and 90?F) and cool in the mountains (between 10-18?C/50-64?F). These vary little throughout the year.
