Travelogues Panama
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Vacation in Panama : Highlights & Travel Tips
Panama packs remarkable variety into a relatively small country, making it especially rewarding for travelers who want big contrasts without long travel times. In one trip, you can explore the skyline and historic streets of Panama City, watch massive ships pass through the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal, then head to cloud forests, surf beaches, or Caribbean islands. The country’s blend of modern urban energy, tropical biodiversity, and layered Afro-Caribbean, Indigenous, and Spanish cultural influences gives it a character that feels both cosmopolitan and deeply connected to nature.
Highlights include wandering the colorful colonial quarter of Casco Viejo, visiting the Miraflores Locks to understand the canal’s global importance, and escaping into nature in places like Boquete, Bocas del Toro, San Blas, or Coiba National Park. Travelers can hike in cooler highlands, spot sloths, monkeys, and toucans in lush rainforests, dive or snorkel in clear waters, and enjoy excellent coffee grown in volcanic soils. For practical planning, the dry season is generally the easiest time to travel, intercity buses are affordable and widely used, and the U.S. dollar is accepted alongside the local balboa. Pack light clothing, rain protection for sudden tropical showers, and book island stays or popular high-season accommodations in advance.
Best time to travel Panama
The best time to visit Panama is from January through April, when travel popularity is highest and conditions are generally driest, making it easier to enjoy cities, beaches, islands, and outdoor adventures. April stands out slightly in the data, but the whole January-April period is a strong choice for reliable weather and broad trip planning flexibility.
Best travel reports from Panama
4. Boquete - in the Highlands of Panama
We started again very punctually, just before eight we started towards Boquete. Again, it went quite curvy through the Shire (Look-a-like), the taxi driver decided to drive...
Good bye Guatemala!
Thursday was the day to say goodbye. Goodbye to Hostel Tropicana, goodbye to Antigua, and also goodbye to Guatemala. Furthermore, my paths diverged from Andy's, who continued on...
3. Santa Catalina - Coiba National Park
At just after eight o'clock, we set off. By bus via Sona, change and then continue to Santa Catalina. The departure is on time, the bus is more rickety than expected but it will...
Ay que lindo esta Panama!
ENGLISH 'Look, how pretty Panama is!' This famous sentence from the Janosch book did not leave my head during our journey. After we landet in Panama City we took a bus to...
Panama - Isla Solarte
Goodbye Costa Rica & Hello Panama! From Puerto Viejo, we headed towards Panama - our first destination was Bocas del Torro. During our journey in the previous weeks, we met...
Back in civilization - Panama City
Our arrival at the bus station in Panama City was a real culture shock! Many people, a huge shopping center, everything polished to a high gloss. Only then did I realize that I...
A border crossing and a rainy Caribbean island
The border with Panama was the first one I crossed over land and even on foot. I left early in the morning to have enough time for the border crossing. Two young women from...
Panama Day 1
Meanwhile, we have been in Panama for 3 days and tomorrow we will continue to our final destination, Costa Rica, from where we will also take our nonstop flight back home - thanks...
Day 10 - From Boquete to Bocas del Toro
Today, after three beautiful days in the mountains of Boquete, it was travel day again. Departure from the B&B We opted for the public bus instead of the $30 tourist...
17. Tag Colon, Panama 11.12.2025
Colon on the Atlantic side and Panama City on the Pacific side of Panama. In between lies the 82 km long Panama Canal, considered a wonder of the modern world.Coming from Colon,...
Adieu Bocas del toro
We left Bocas del Toro this morning. To be honest, we are glad to move on. Yes, the accommodation has a nice view and is well located. Thanks to Valentin, we could easily get...
Oh how nice is Panama
The shuttle to Panama arrived at 7:50 a.m. According to the schedule, it took 3 hours (in reality, it took about 5 1/2 hours. Yippeeee) We drove relatively quickly to Sixaola....
5. Bocas del Toro - Dolphin Bay Hideaway
This time we traveled with a tourist shuttle. Ten tourists in a minibus as fast as possible to Almirante please! Of course, not everyone here follows the mask requirement. Feels...
Regeneration in Santa Catalina
Santa Catalina is located on the Pacific coast of Panama. I had heard from several other travelers that the climate there should be significantly warmer and the weather more...
Boquete and Panama
Beginning of October 2018 Boquete The border crossing from Costa Rica to Panama went smoothly. The first destination was Boquete in the mountains. Known, especially in the...
Panama City
Skyline from the bar
Panama City
On a hot stone
18th Day of Transit through the Panama Canal 12.12.2025
Transit through the Panama Canal with our ship, 294m long, 32.5m wide, and approximately 8.1m draft. Duration 8 - 10 hours.Under the Atlantic Bridge, to the 3-fold Gatun Locks,...
02/20/2023 to 02/22/2023 - Bocas del Toro / Panama
At 7:30 AM we were picked up by a driver who was supposed to take us to Bocas del Toro in Panama. First, we went to a meeting point and then continued with 12 people in a...
Panama - Santa Catalina & Isla Coiba
Wow, our time in Catalina was incredible! Santa Catalina is a little paradise for surfers, divers, or anyone looking to get away from mass tourism. The tiny village - the...
Waterfalls, butterflies, and (not quite) a sunrise
Choosing our next destination after Santa Catalina was difficult for Sofi and me. Finally, we decided on Valle de Anton. It is located on the way between Santa Catalina and...
Panama - Day 3
Today, we also dedicated ourselves to exploring the capital city. First, we walked along the waterfront towards the old town, until we stumbled upon a mobile bicycle rental and of...
Day 4 - Trip to El Valle de Antón
After a breakfast together without scrambled eggs a la Jesse Pinkman with our Aguti friends, it was time to pack. Aguti having breakfast We went to Albrook Station and...
Panama - Panama City
Love love love. Oh yes, I am totally impressed by this city and my hostel. I'm already advertising everywhere haha :D I chose the Casco Viejo Old Town of Panama City. I simply...
23/02/2023 to 25/02/2023 - Panama City / Panama
"That's brave," they all said to us beforehand, but the night on the bus was not bad at all. We often stopped for a pee break and still made good time. They had told us the...
2. Panama-City!
In the mornings, a sunny Panama City greets us. After a small breakfast and delicious coffee, we grab a taxi to go to the Albrook Terminal and get our ticket to Sona for...
Panama - Boquete
After our wild party day on the Bocas and an especially extensive hangover breakfast with some of the people we had met the day before, we left the Caribbean for now and made...
Finally a national park again
Lina is happy, it's time to go to a national park again. In the middle of Panama there is a relaxed 7 km hike where there are countless turtles, sloths, monkeys, birds and...
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal Zone had its own currency called 'Balboa', named after the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, but it was never really produced in large quantities....
Chichime
On Sunday morning, I set off for Islas San Blas in the Kuna Yala area. The path led straight through the Panamanian rainforest and was a challenge in terms of color perception....