Panama Travel Guide

A small corner of Central America best known for being home to the world’s most efficient shortcut, Panama is home to rich coffee and vibrant parrots (yes, and hats), as well as notoriously corrupt politicians and an almost Swiss-sized collection of international banks. You won’t find many tourists crawling the underdeveloped streets, but you will find a number of sublime sites accessible on an impressively tiny budget. If you plan on passing through by boat, though, you best be ready to mortgage your house.

Canal aside, Panama City is perhaps the only exception to the low … read morebudgetary requirements (unless you’re boating through the canal, that is), being a surprisingly cosmopolitan capital with an animated nightlife. Step away from the major cities, though, and you’ll find destinations like Boquete, where you can wallow amongst the coffee plantations, high in the cloud forests, where a simple gasp of uber-fresh breath refreshes weary legs.

In Santa Catalina you’ll find gnarly waves widely regarded as amongst the best on the continent, without the usual commercial accompaniments: this is a true future package tour destination; get there before the development starts. There’s plenty more sun-drenched havens where that one came from, too, like the white sands of Archipelago de Bocas del Toro, which has already undergone the touristic transformation, serving up incredible relaxation and Caribbean vibes amongst the offshore stilted huts.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Panama without the canal, which stretches through swathes of dense jungle, carrying oversized cargo ships on a surreal ride across this watery motorway. Then there’s a real out there surprise: the San Blas Archipelago, run by the Kuna Indians as an entirely autonomous province, with its own distinctive culture, dress code, traditions and even currency. The rest of the country revolves around a staple of sancocho (spicy chicken stew) and chicheme (an alluring blend of milk, sweet corn, cinnamon and vanilla).

Some areas of Panama are famously dangerous for travelers, so it’s always worth checking the latest security situation before leaving. Stay away from those small corners, though, and you’ll find tropical natural wonders galore.