A Guide to Exploring Panama City, Panama
Where’s Panama City?
Panama City is the capital and largest city in Panama. The city is located at the Pacific entrance of the famous Panama Canal.
When is the best time to visit?
The best time to visit Panama City depends on your preference. For sunny weather and outdoor activities, go during the dry season from December to April. If you don’t mind occasional rain and want lush landscapes with fewer crowds, the wet season from May to November is a good choice. Shoulder seasons (April, May, and November) offer a mix of sunny days and occasional rain, with potentially better travel prices.
Carnival season (February/March) will have some of the liveliest celebrations but busier tourist spots. (We went in February the week before Carnival and the city was already getting crowded in preparation for the festivities).
Is It Safe to Visit Panama City, Panama Right Now?
We felt very safe traveling around the city at all times of the day and the evening. The best way to gauge travel conditions in any country before your visit is to check in with the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs. On their website, you can enter your destination and receive the most recent travel advisory.
Quick Tips
- If you plan to primarily stay in and around the city, cabs and Uber are widely accessible. No need to rent a car.
- Metro train and bus service is pretty decent and not hard to navigate.
- The U.S. dollar is the official currency. Be sure to have small denominations on hand for convenience.
- Support local vendors and businesses whenever possible!
Where to Stay
We stayed at Hotel la Compania, in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt. Loved. it. It’s a boutique hotel in the historic Casco Antiguo area that has five on-site restaurants, a rooftop pool and bar. It’s conveniently close to historic sites, shopping and nightlife. The hotel was exquisite. We booked a King room with a city view that was small, but cozy. (Next time I visit, I’ll upgrade and splurge for the King suite).
We enjoyed the breakfast buffet at El Santuario as well as drinks after long days of exploring at Exilio bar. We went to the pool just about every day of our stay and also enjoyed the rooftop bar which had a live DJ and fantastic vibes. My only complaint about our stay is that the hotel was such a vibe, it made us want to stay onsite instead of exploring some days! It definitely gets my vote as one of (if not the) best hotel in Panama City.
Search for other options here.
What To Do
In the City
- Spending a half-day on the Amador Causeway is a must. We rented bikes and had lunch on an absolutely gorgeous day.
- Tour the Panama Canal. Learning (and watching) how ships pass through the locks was cooler than I expected. (And seriously, did you even really visit Panama if you didn’t visit the canal?
- Walking tour of the Old City. One of the first things my husband and I do on any given trip is take a tour of the city with a local. It’s the best way to quickly get acclimated to a new city. We toured historic buildings, cathedrals
Day-trips and Excursions
We were super-excited for our day trip to El Valle Anton, but it was canceled due to the extreme traffic to and from the city in preparation for Carnival. We’ll definitely add this to our itinerary again next time. Here are a few options to consider for your trip:
Where To Eat
When it comes to Panama City restaurants, there is no shortage of great choices. Here are just a few of our favorite/most memorable dining spots:
Cafe Sucre Coffeehouse
Cuisine: Cafe, Quick Bites, Coffee
Meal: Breakfast
We wandered into this charming coffeehouse and had a wonderful conversation with one of the owners. She was lovely and we felt like we were speaking with an old friend. The coffee and our food were delicious.
Nomada
Cuisine: Latin, Bar/Pub
Meal: Brunch
Cozy, cute, tasty food. Service was excellent and the vibe was vibin’.
Santa Rita
Cuisine: Spanish and Argentinean
Meal: Dinner
We had our Valentine’s Day dinner here and it did not disappoint. The food was tasty, the ambiance cozy, and the service was excellent!
What to Bring
A few handy travel accessories I always use:
Sensyne 68″ Tripod/Selfie Stick
Charmast Portable Charger
Doxerfit Compression Packing Cubes
Mini First Aid Kit
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Visit Squaremouth for the best quote to safeguard your trip.
Summary
We really enjoyed our 4-day trip to Panama City.
If you really want to get a feel for the surrounding regions and do some day trips, I’d recommend at least a week to really explore. How much you enjoy Panama City will really depend on the type of traveler you are. If you’re primarily looking for amazing beaches, you’ll want to head out to San Blas Islands, or Playa Venao. If you don’t plan on going far being the city, fear not. You will find plenty of things to do in Panama City. And there will be on shortage of great places to eat.
We’re already planning our return for a longer stay!
Have a question or collaboration request? Get in touch.
Find your next adventure.
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