What do panamanians do for fun

If you have been to San Blas it will seem like more of the same. He was also called Henry the Terrible and he raided and attacked Panama City in They are actually what the Panamanians wear and are not just made for tourists. Be ready to work to break these in because they are not comfortable at first! There are surf shops and dive shops all over the main strip so just walk around and compare prices. Diving will be good here because the visibility is great in the peak-season.

You can even dive with whale sharks in some parts of Panama not Bocas so look into where you might like to dive most — since diving is all over the country. For our last meal on day 5 of being in Panama City — and already trying a lot of local food — we wanted to really make sure we tried the best of the best for a truly authentic local cafe.

I found El Trapiche online and it was fantastic! You must have a lunch here. Then get either a sandwich they are AMAZING and on this fluffy deep-fried bread or a plate of local food like beans, rice, and pulled chicken or pork. This is away from Casco Viejo and we took an Uber here. Magical, yes, but not like you see in some other places in the world where they jump up, show off, and bring on happy tears to the people watching.

Of course, our sailing trip in San Blas was also with a cute, young couple more on that later! When you head down to the Gulf of Chiriqui, there are usually transportation options from the hotel that you book and some people choose to stay inland in the Chiriqui region or at the luxe eco-resort, Isla Palenque which is where I stayed. But Boca Chica itself is kind of the hub, right on the water, and it was cool vibes. Panama City actually has some amazing creative street art.

Get into water sports! Kayaking is great everywhere and even in the Pacific — who knows you might see a whale while you are out there. They are little cafeteria style places. You can just get whatever tickles your fancy on our tray and add a cup of coffee or tea, sit in the little school cafeteria style seats and enjoy!

People come here from all over to do bird-watching. On our tour, we learned about the natives who once lived there; we found their burial sites and even pottery. The whole area of Casco Viejo has been renovated and this hotel was one of the first ones. Later, as this part of the city was abandoned it was taken over by gangs and really the whole area was dangerous. To narrow it down more, Tantalo is the most famous rooftop bar in Panama City. Starfish back down where he was. I had never seen one before and loved this experience!

Chocolate and coffee are the big food items in tourism in Panama and you can find chocolate making classes or coffee plantations tours around different areas. I saw chocolate making classes several times but it seems Boquete is the top place for this.

There are so many and we tried several on our tour with PTY Life. You can take his tour to include this along with so much more in Panama City or check out his article on the best food truck in Panama City.

News Alert: There are crocodiles and Boas in the water! I am particularly nervous of crocs as a friend lost his girlfriend to one while snorkeling at a 5 star hotel, and I think about this a lot when I travel and get in the ocean — anywhere that fresh water meets the sea near rivers that flow in and brackish water or even in the middle of the sea where they can swim from island to island.

A quick search shows many people who spotted crocodiles all over Panama even in San Blas. While sleeping on our catamaran in San Blas, a storm washed a 5-foot boa constrictor onto the dingy. He could have easily come onto the boat and found a warm place to sleep right next to me, lol! You are really in the jungle here. All those hats with the black ribbon? They are actually Ecuadorian. Can this be my life forever? So try to save the best for last, if you can. Whereas if I had saved it for last I would have realized that it was the best part of Panama.

I would also avoid booking accommodation in Bocas del Toro on Airbnb. I usually love Airbnb, but I had a bit of a nightmare experience trying to book this place , and I heard from other travelers that they had similar problems in Bocas del Toro the rest of Panama is totally fine for Airbnb though! It was just such an unnecessary stress in an otherwise totally stress free trip planning process. When I first started planning my Panama trip I figured the best of Panama would be at the beach, but now I know that the country has amazing things to offer from beaches to cities to highlands to the rainforest — you really will fall in love with Panama if you give it a chance.

When you exit the airport there will be a lot of people trying to get to take their taxi. And I really loved flying out of PTY.

I definitely had my fill of bagel sandwiches at their Dunkin Donuts! Panama is super laidback, so you can really wear whatever you want here. I lived in dresses and shorts, as it was so hot here. Oh and be sure to bring sunblock and a hat or buy a hat in Panama City! I got so burnt on San Blas, it was really bad. Want to see more of my travel photos? Want to see more of my travel videos? Subscribe to my newsletter for exclusive updates and stories from my world travels and life in Norway!

But Panama has always called my name. Ooooh I want to go to Panama too now! Your statement about Spanish made me laugh! As in, how hot and how wet? It was very hot — like around 30 I think — but also quite cloudy so it rarely felt unbearably hot.

I was there in rainy season but most days it only rained for part of the day and then the sun would come back out. Nice post!! Portobelo is a small town, 1. This is where all de treasures from latin america were shipped to Spain in the colonial times, so it has a lot of history about the conquest, the treasures and the real pirates of the caribbean, such as Francis Drake who died in Portobelo and Morgan. It was declared as Unesco World Heritage Site and the Congo Culture Art expressions of the slave descendants was declared by Unesco as intangible world heritage.

The crystal caribbean beaches, the nature, adventures, hiking on the ruins of old forts, the culture.. Its a place you should visit on your next trip. Loved your advice and read this just before my last trip to Panama. My boyfriend and I took your advice and bought some Panama hats but they got totally destroyed in the rain on the way to an island by boat lol. Probably best to save the Panama hats for dry season! Thanks for your post, I wanted to show you everything we did during our time in Panama, thanks to what you shared here!

I wanted to say that you guys were lucky with the Taxi drivers. It is better for a tourist to take a uber or consult the prices with their local hostel, hotel, or BB before taking them.

Planning to visit Panama for the momth of Feb. Can I wing it , or should I make reservations in Panama City and other touristed areas?

Thanks, Glenn. Is a great month to visit if you enjoy golf. The North American Korn Ferry your is in town near pty. Besides golf still a great time to visit.

Bocas del Toro is Panama's main beach destination on the Caribbean. This collection of low-lying tropical islands, not far from the border with Costa Rica, is known for its outstanding soft-sand beaches lapped by crystal-clear, azure-colored waters. The atmosphere here is beyond relaxed, with many young travelers coming to the area and, in some cases, staying for months or years.

Things to do in Bocas del Toro include surfing, swimming, diving, or just lazing on the beach. Activities are generally cheap. Although you can find luxury resorts with infinity pools, this is a budget-friendly destination, frequented by mainly singles or couples. The town itself is not known for beaches, but you can find lovely stretches of sand on other parts of the island or by taking a boat to nearby islands.

Bocas del Toro has an airport on Isla Colon, which is how many travelers get to the islands. If you are exploring Panama by car or public transport, most people come here after a stop in Boquete.

From Boquete, you can drive about 3. Boat trip pricing is set by the government, and all boats charge the same amount. Parking in Almirante is safe and not expensive. Don't worry about finding the parking lots, touts will flag you down and direct you to their preferred lot, thereby earning themselves a small commission.

This is a good investment if you are not familiar with the town. One of the very few places in Panama where you can watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean, the Sunset Coast is an undiscovered area with small towns, wide open beaches, and a small number of lodges and inns where you can get away from the tourist scene. This is rural Panama, home to rolling hills, small villages, family farms, and huge beaches lined by palms and forest.

Foreign tourists are not plentiful the way they are in other areas of the country, and many of the visitors are Panamanian. The road down to the Sunset Coast from the Pan-American Highway is twisty and has a few potholes to dodge, but every mile takes you further off the beaten track. This area is also popular with surfers. The wide-open beaches take the brunt of the Pacific Ocean rollers, and it's rare that you'll need to share a wave.

If you want a beach all to yourself, this is the place to come. The mountain town of Boquete has a wonderful climate, where you can escape the sometimes oppressive heat of the coast and lower areas. The town is relaxed and safe, catering to expats and people escaping the winters in northern climates, and local Panamanians looking for a weekend getaway. Some of the appeal here is the variety of good restaurants, as well as a mix of quality hotels and luxury inns.

It's also one of Panama's most important coffee-growing areas, and known as a hot spot for nature and wildlife, particularly hiking and birdwatching. Having a vehicle here is quite handy for touring the surrounding mountains and reaching trailheads and nearby sites, but you can also arrange tours with transportation to the coffee plantations. One of the best short drives in Panama leaves from the outskirts of Boquete. This scenic loop of about 15 miles passes the main hiking trails, a beautiful river, an abandoned castle, and waterfalls.

The road also provides amazing views down the valley and up the slopes of Volcan Baru. Along the loop is Finca Lerida Lodge , with an outstanding restaurant. It's also one of the best places to visit to see birds in the area. This makes a nice lunch stop, where you can watch the non-stop hummingbird action. Serious hikers can arrange to hike up Baru volcano, leaving in the wee hours of the morning with a guide to be at the summit for sunrise. You can also tackle hikes like the popular Quetzal Trail Sendero Los Quetzales , leaving from nearby Volcan Baru National Park, or one of several waterfall hikes off the loop road.

Panamanians have their preferred teams but are usually more interested in their favorite players in the US major leagues. A dozen Panamanian players currently play pro ball in the USA. Try counting the Yankees caps you see around Panama City. Carlos Lee from Aguadulce was an outfielder for the Miami Marlins. Roberto Kelly, who played for the Yankees for many years, is also fondly remembered. He went on to become the world champion in the welterweight , light middleweight and super middleweight categories.

Panama has a rich mix of cultures, with immigrants from around the globe as well as a diverse indigenous population. Subsequent waves of immigration coincided with the construction of both the Panama Railroad in and the Panama Canal — the French effort in the late s and the American completion in the early s. During these times, thousands of workers were brought to Panama from the West Indies, particularly Jamaica and Trinidad.

Workers also came from the East Indies and from China to labor — and many to die — on these massive projects. There are two daily Chinese newspapers and even a private school for Chinese. Mixed-race offspring — and mixed marriages — are increasingly common. Among the East Indian community, Hindus complain that their culture is disappearing: where once it was common for young men to return to India to find a bride, this is no longer the case.

This intermixing of races happens across the nation, although indigenous groups and whites — representing each end of the economic scale — are least likely to marry outside of their group. Although Panama is a much more racially tolerant society than many other Latin American countries, there is distrust among groups, particularly between indigenous groups and mestizos.

This stems largely from mestizo land grabs — by loggers, ranchers and settlers — that have pushed indigenous communities off their lands.

Indigenous communities also view the government as corrupt and largely indifferent to their plight — and to some extent, they are correct. Class distinctions also persist. While politicians from the president on down take pride in mingling with the public and maintaining some semblance of a classless society, the rabiblancos whites control the majority of the wealth and have nearly all the power. Class divisions and racism exist in Panama.

Generally, members of a certain class marry only members of that same class. And at the Union Club the social club of Panama City , memberships are rarely given to people with dark skin. Panama has a number of daily newspapers, ranging from sensationalist rags to astute independents. However, in Panama City the most popular form of mass media is television.