Travel Agencies & Tour Operators in Panama

Panama Travel Guide: Canal Locks, Chiriquí Highlands, Bocas & San Blas #

Panama sits at the southern end of Central America, the “Crossroads of the Americas” between North and South America. Indigenous peoples gave the name as “abundance of fish.” The isthmus is about 80 km wide at its narrowest, with roughly 2,500 km of Pacific and Atlantic shoreline. Professional operators who work here build around Miraflores and Agua Clara locks, Casco Viejo and Panamá Viejo, Boquete and Barú, Bocas del Toro or the Gulf of Chiriquí, and a hard no on the Darién Gap as an overland link to Colombia.

Why Choose Panama for Your Next Trip #

The isthmus joins two continents, which is why flora and fauna are so mixed. The source cites close to 900 bird species, and the Panama Audubon Society figure used later is over 960. Indigenous groups still live in comarcas. The IMF is quoted as praising a diversified economy and strong GDP growth; nearly 80 international banks (HSBC, BBVA, Citi named) sit in Panama City. The expanded canal still drives a service economy. Hospitals, airports and roads are described as more advanced than those of Central American neighbours. About 25,000 US citizens live here as expatriates.

Superlatives worth building an itinerary around:

• Panama Canal: Built 1904–1914 by the US Army Corps of Engineers; full handover by 31 December 1999
• Volcán Barú: Highest peak, 3,475 m; on a clear day both oceans are said to be visible
• Coiba National Park: Called the Galápagos of Central America for rare pelagic life; UNESCO
• La Amistad International Park: Panama’s second-largest park, over 850 square miles (207,000 ha) on the Panama side plus 193,929 ha in Costa Rica
• Colon Free Zone: Largest in the hemisphere
• 17 national parks; with reserves, 31% of national territory is protected

Panama abolished its military after the Noriega era and keeps a Fuerza Pública. It is nominally richer than Costa Rica and Colombia next door; inequality and corruption are still named.

Geography & Natural Wonders #

Interior: steep mountains and dissected upland plains. Coasts: beaches, islands, wetlands. Highest point Volcán Barú, Chiriquí.

Landscapes:

• Central Panama: Panama City, Colón, Coclé; canal corridor
• Caribbean West: Bocas del Toro, Ngöbe-Buglé, northern Veraguas
• Pacific West: Chiriquí (Boquete, Barú), Herrera, Los Santos (Azuero), southern Veraguas
• Eastern Panama: Darién forests and swamps, Panama Province, Kuna Yala / San Blas

Natural landmarks:

• Coiba — scuba and snorkel for rare pelagics
• Gulf of Chiriquí National Marine Park — Boca Brava, Isla Palenque, Islas Secas; sport fishing and whale watching
• Pearl Islands and Taboga (close getaway from the capital)
• El Valle — town in the second-largest inhabited volcanic caldera in the world
• Parque Soberanía, Chagres, Metropolitano — 15 minutes from modern Panama City; Pipeline Road birding at Gamboa; Gatún Lake fishing; Madden caves; Smithsonian tours to Barro Colorado
• Occasional severe storms and forest fires in remote Darién. Hurricanes are very unlikely given Panama’s position

Popular Destinations & Attractions #

Panama City:

• Three districts of interest: new city, old city, colonial city
• Day trip to Miraflores locks (old, smaller canal)
• Casco Viejo / Casco Antiguo: UNESCO colonial quarter; Canal Museum; jazz, music and dance festivals; boutique hotels, bars, restaurants
• Panamá Viejo: first Pacific city, founded 15 August 1519, destroyed by Henry Morgan in 1671
• Calle Uruguay nightlife; Zona Viva on the Amador Causeway
• Tocumen (PTY), 32 km east of the city; Albrook Marcos Gelabert (PAC) for domestic Air Panama

Canal and Caribbean coast:

• Agua Clara Visitor Center, Colón — new, expanded locks
• Balboa — former Canal Zone
• Gamboa — ecotourism
• Portobelo — colonial fortresses, UNESCO with San Lorenzo; Festival of the Black Christ
• Colón — monuments and Afro-Antillean culture; most of the city is considered dangerous. Colon Free Zone

Chiriquí and Azuero:

• Boquete — coffee capital of the highlands; Quetzal Trail; zip-lines; hot springs at Caldera (4WD); rock climbing; hostels from $5, five-star from $300
• David — economic hub; backpacker stop toward Bocas and Costa Rica; Pedregal port 5 minutes by cab into the Gulf of Chiriquí
• Boca Chica — Gulf of Chiriquí
• Cerro Punta and El Valle — cool nights
• Las Tablas — largest Carnival; summer music festival

Islands and east:

• Bocas del Toro — Caribbean diving, reggae, Guari Guari English creole
• San Blas / Guna Yala — autonomous Guna territory, hundreds of islands; sail-boat stop Colombia–Panama
• Darién — UNESCO park; unguided travel dangerous; Interamericana ends at Yaviza

Regions of Panama #

Central Panama #

Panama City plus Colón and Coclé. Canal, Casco, Panamá Viejo, Soberanía. Metro ($0.35) and Albrook Grand Terminal (also a mall).

Caribbean West #

Bocas del Toro, Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca, northern Veraguas. Afro-Antillean and Ngöbe-Buglé languages. Sixaola/Guabito crossing to Costa Rica.

Pacific West #

Chiriquí attractions, Herrera, Los Santos, southern Veraguas. Barú, Boquete coffee, Gulf of Chiriquí marine park, Azuero Carnival. Paso Canoas and Río Sereno crossings.

Eastern Panama #

Darién, part of Panama Province, Kuna Yala and San Blas. No road to Colombia. Emberá named among Indigenous peoples; do not photograph traditional dress without permission.

Activities & Experiences #

Canal #

• Miraflores museum and restaurant balcony; Canal Museum in Casco Antiguo
• Partial transit about four hours, full about eight; hire a history-knowledgeable guide
• Regular Panama Canal Railway passenger service is suspended since Covid-19; only occasional special trips

City and ruins #

• Panama Viejo, Casco Antiguo, canal-area jungle — named as the four must-dos in the capital
• Smithsonian Barro Colorado

Highlands and coffee #

• Boquete estate tastings (Ruiz named; multi-estate like a wine tour with Boquete Safari Tours)
• Quetzal Trail — easy to walk, hard to spot the bird without a guide
• Barú: rain-proof jacket above 3,000 m
• Zip-lines in Panama City, Coclé, Bocas, Boquete
• White water: Chagres (1–2 hours from the capital), Río Chiriquí Viejo, Río Grande (Coclé); highest water November, lowest May. Panamanian class III in rain compared to US class IV
• Kayak and rock climbing (30+ basaltic routes, Cesar Melendez) in Chiriquí

Water #

• Atlantic (Bocas) for coral and reef fish; Pacific (Gulf of Chiriquí) for pelagics and whale watching
• Sport fishing; Saltwater Sportsman once named Panama the best place on earth for black marlin; Piñas Bay and Zane Grey Reef; Tropic Star Lodge
• Cruises through the canal; private sails Cartagena–San Blas, US$450–700, typically 5 nights/5 days with a 3-day San Blas stop
• Cheapest Colombia boat: Turbo–Capurganá (COP$55,000) then Capurganá–Puerto Obaldía (COP$25,000), then plane to Panama City (US$95) or boat to Colón/Cartí. Banana boats from Ecuador/Colombia/Venezuela only for the truly adventurous (unsound, often drug-smuggling)

Cultural Heritage & History #

Spanish colonisation; a failed Scottish colony in the late 17th/early 18th century bankrupted Scotland and led to union with England. Administered with Colombia; independence from Spain as part of Gran Colombia; Panama seceded from Colombia on 3 November 1903 with US backing and signed the canal treaty (called “the treaty no Panamanian ever signed”). Canal Zone returned by 31 December 1999. Last strongman: Manuel Noriega, deposed by the US operation “Just Cause”; National Day of Mourning is 20 December 1989. Approach the invasion with older people carefully.

November is patriotic month: Separation from Colombia (3rd), National Symbols (4th), Colón commemoration (5th), La Villa de Los Santos (10th), Independence from Spain (28 November 1821). Also Martyrs’ Day 9 January 1964; Black Ethnicity Day 30 May; founding of Panama La Vieja and canal opening both 15 August; Carnival before Lent (largest in Las Tablas).

Music: salsa in Latin areas; reggaeton originated in Panama (plena); Bocas reggae in Spanish. Over 100 radio stations.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites #

• Casco Viejo (historic district of Panama City)
• Fortifications on the Caribbean Side: Portobelo–San Lorenzo
• Darién National Park
• Coiba National Park
• La Amistad International Park (with Costa Rica)
• The Colonial Transisthmian Route of Panamá, inscribed 2025: three sections of Camino de Cruces plus San Lorenzo, Casco Viejo and Panamá Viejo

Travel Tips for Panama #

Language #

Spanish is by far the most common. Panamanian Spanish is closer to Puerto Rican than Costa Rican; speakers often turn “s” toward “h” and drop final “d”. Panama City mixes English words into Spanish. Caribbean Guari Guari (Jamaican-patois related) on the coast settled from Jamaica and Barbados. Kuna in Kuna Yala; Ngöbe-Buglé (Guaymí) in the comarca, Chiriquí and Bocas — people may point rather than speak. English is a first or second language for many near the former Canal Zone, but shop and street English is not as common as the long US presence suggests.

Climate & Best Times to Visit #

Less than 9° north of the equator. Daytime 30–33°C, nights 21–23°C in most lowlands.

• Dry season / verano: December–April. Named as the most popular travel window: little humidity, nearly zero percent chance of rain
• Rainy season / invierno: May–November. Mornings and early afternoons usually sunny; late afternoons and evenings intermittent rain
• Boquete, Cerro Punta and El Valle can be chilly at night
• Barú above 3,000 m: heavy rain-proof jacket

Safety Considerations #

Most of the country is very safe; rural people are extremely friendly. Exceptions:

• Darién Gap / Colombia border: paramilitaries and cartels; no roads; hiking it with guides is still among the most dangerous routes in the world; police will not come looking. Do not go naked into water (protozoans); do not drink untreated water; never leave the group
• Colón: most of the city considered dangerous
• Panama City: El Chorrillo, Curundu, El Marañón sketchy. Casco Viejo/San Felipe is fine by day; at night stick to main streets, plazas and the point; caution north along Avenida Central toward Chorrillo
• Carry a photocopy of passport and tourist stamp
• $50 and $100 US notes often refused (counterfeits); businesses that take them copy passport and serial numbers
• Motels are short-stay rooms, not family hotels

Currency & Money #

US dollar has been the only currency since 1904; locals also say balboa (100 centésimos). Panamanian coins match US sizes and circulate mixed with US coins; half-dollars may be called pesos. No $50/$100 at many shops.

• ATM Cirrus/Plus; Interlink may fail. Visa cash-advance ATM fee generally $5.25 — withdraw larger amounts. Traveller’s cheques not widely used
• Highway buses about US$1 per hour; Tocumen buses and taxis charge much more
• Taxi shorts $2.50, across town about $5; Tocumen to city minimum $30, shared about $12
• Metro $0.35; card $2 at busier stations (5 de Mayo, Albrook); works on Metrobuses. Hours: M–F 05:00–23:00, Sat 05:00–22:00, Sun 07:00–22:00
• Plate at a humble restaurant $1.25–$5; fondas $4–8 with chicken; 5-star-equivalent with drinks $8–30
• Domestic beer $0.30 in a supermarket to $2.50 in upscale bars
• Boquete hostels $5; five-star $300+

Transportation #

Air: PTY well connected via Copa (Star Alliance) across the western hemisphere; American, LATAM, Avianca. Colombia: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena daily. David from Costa Rica on Air Panama. Bocas via Costa Rica. More private airstrips per square mile than any other country. Charter tails must end in letters (e.g. HP-0000TD). San José–Changuinola bus then ~1-hour flight $110 (Nov 2011) vs ~$280 SJO–PTY.

Bus: Panaline and Ticabus San José–David or Panama City, about 18 hours. Return ticket originating inside Panama required by law (SJO/Bogotá/Abu Dhabi returns may not count); you can buy a return from the bus driver. Paso Canoas closes 23:00 Panama / 22:00 Costa Rica; hire a tramitador if you lack Spanish. Río Sereno is quiet and strict. Point at the ground to flag a highway bus; yell parada! to stop. Never ask the driver the fare — they round up; know it from locals.

Car: No roads to Colombia. Costa Rica: Paso Canoas, Río Sereno, Sixaola/Guabito. Cannot fly home and abandon a car without an import-tax stamp. Panapass sticker required on Corredor Sur and Norte or you are fined. Speeds 40 / 80 / 100 km/h. International licence recommended. City driving is chaotic; the rest of the country is mostly stress-free. Pan-American Highway paved the length of the country.

Boat: Canal cruises; Cartagena sails via San Blas; Darién Gap is not a bus.

Planning Your Panama Trip #

Look for operators who can handle:

• Miraflores vs Agua Clara vs partial/full transit timing
• Casco and Panamá Viejo as separate historic layers (1519 vs 1673 rebuild)
• Licensed canal and rainforest guides (Pipeline Road, Barro Colorado)
• Boquete coffee, quetzal guides, Barú weather
• Guna Yala permits and photography consent; Ngöbe pointing etiquette
• A written Darién/Colombia overland refusal
• Yellow-fever certificates if arriving from South America or Africa
• US$500 solvency and in-country onward ticket at land borders
• Colón and Chorrillo routing that does not leave clients in unsafe neighbourhoods
• Panapass for self-drive groups; tramitador at Paso Canoas

Popular Panama Tours & Itineraries #

Canal and capital #

• Miraflores, Casco Antiguo, Panamá Viejo, Soberanía or Gamboa
• Optional Agua Clara from Colón if security is managed
• Amador Causeway / Taboga

Highlands and Pacific #

• David–Boquete–Barú–Quetzal Trail
• Gulf of Chiriquí islands, whales, fishing
• Azuero Carnival (Las Tablas) in season

Caribbean #

• Bocas del Toro
• Portobelo forts and Black Christ festival
• San Blas with Guna hosts or as a sailing leg from Cartagena

Multi-country #

• Costa Rica via Paso Canoas, Río Sereno or Guabito; Bocas is next to the line so a 30-day exit-and-return for another 180 days is easy
• Colombia only by air, cruise or organised San Blas sail — not the Gap

Panamanian Cuisine & Dining #

Cities: French, sushi, Arabic, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Mexican. Outside: seafood and beef. More plantain than beans compared with the rest of Central America; coconut rice; squash; the herb culantro (stronger than cilantro). Typical plate: mondongo, fried or baked chicken, pork, beef or fried fish; rice, beans; cabbage-carrot-mayo salad; beet or green salad; potato or macaroni salad; patacones. Chichas: tamarind, maracuyá, mango, papaya, jugo de caña, agua de pipa. Heat is not the point despite hot sauces. Fondas near schools and industrial areas; longest line wins; glass-bottle soda to return.

Drink: Balboa (best domestic named), Atlas (most bought), Soberana (favoured by many women), Panamá. Rums Carta Vieja and Ron Abuelo; seco (raw white rum), seco con leche in the countryside.

Practical Information for Travellers #

Entry Requirements #

• Visa-free up to 180 days for a long treaty list including the US, UK, EU states, Canada, Australia, most of Latin America, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and many others; passport valid 6 months. Residents of those countries (e.g. an Indian with US residence) usually qualify too — confirm with an embassy
• Extensions 30/60/90 days, case by case; apply at least a week before expiry. Or leave 30 days (Costa Rica from Bocas/Boquete) and return for another 180
• Proof of return ticket out of Panama originating in Panama, US$500 cash/cheques/card, yellow fever if coming from a country where it occurs (most of South America and Africa, not the US). EU/US/developed-country travellers may find checks lax
• Chinese “public affairs” passports 180 days visa-free; diplomatic/official/service of China, Cuba, Haiti, Philippines visa-free

Health #

• Excellent hospitals; medical-tourism reputation. 911 for medical emergencies, mainly Panama City; festival coverage in Las Tablas, David, Chitré, Santiago
• Yellow fever recommended over 9 months for Darién, Kuna Yala/San Blas and Panama province excluding the Canal Zone; many countries require the certificate after Panama
• Malaria in rural Bocas del Toro, Darién and San Blas; none in Panama City or the former Canal Zone. Chloroquine no longer works in San Blas
• Dengue endemic, particularly Darién
• Tap water safe except Bocas del Toro (bottle it). Rest of Panama drinkable except that exception
• Toilet paper in the bin, not the pan, especially on coasts
• Medevac: David–Panama City twin about $4,000; out-of-country Miami air ambulance $18,000–30,000+; tourist air-medical membership $10 for 90 days. Credit-card travel insurance often caps at $1,000

Communication #

• Country code +507. Mobiles 8 digits starting with 6; landlines 7 digits, no area codes
• WhatsApp is the main call/message app; Telegram less so
• Undersea cables; use VoIP for cheap international calls

Holidays #

See National events. Carnival Friday–Wednesday before Ash Wednesday (between 4 Feb and 10 Mar); drinking in the streets legal; Las Tablas two competing streets.

Etiquette & Respect #

• Direct speech in the capital is pace, not rudeness; interior is slower and hospitable
• Do not call Indigenous people “Indian”; use Guna, Emberá, Ngäbe
• Foreigners should not use moreno, chombo or chino for shopkeepers
• 1989 invasion is painful; US visitors are still generally welcome
• Dress neatly; shorts that show knees may be barred in banks and institutions. Banks: no shorts or flip-flops to enter
• Boquete rainy season: layers and waterproofs

Shopping #

Molas (Guna reverse appliqué), tagua nuts, cocobolo animals, palm-fiber baskets; REPROSA in the capital; YMCA Balboa and Panama Viejo markets; El Valle soapstone. Albrook Mall cheap; Multiplaza designer. Electronics, clothing, cosmetics.

Onward Travel #

Costa Rica by road. Colombia by air or boat, never the Gap. Canal cruises continue to Caribbean or Pacific ports.

Sleep #

Casco apartments (Los Cuatro Tulipanes named). Bocas overwater cabanas. Chiriquí jungle hammocks at Chorcha. David as a backpacker hub. “Motel” means short-stay, cash, anonymous.

Panama is a two-ocean, two-lock, two-city-history destination with a paved spine to Costa Rica and a jungle wall toward Colombia. Operators who book Miraflores or Agua Clara on purpose, keep clients out of Colón after dark, and never sell the Darién Gap as a hike will match what the country actually offers.