A thousand reasons to visit Panamá
March 2016, Panamá
Tourist numbers are increasing even at the Darien Gap between Panama with Colombia, one of the most dangerous borders in the world.
There are at least one thousand reasons to visit Panamá. I am visiting the country in March 2016 and the scandal with leaked documents just erupted, so the focus of international attention was on the reason for tax evasion. However, there are many other reasons to visit the country. The good business environment attracts foreign visitors, from investors to economic migrants. Housing markets remain stable with growing number of European and American buyers. Panama is doing its best to prevent any negative effect to the growing tourism industry, which became a national priority for this small nation with population of 4 million inhabitants. Every year, Panamá welcomes more than 2 million tourists (2.11 M international tourist arrivals in 2015 and 2.01 M in 2016). There are significantly lower crime and poverty rates in Panama, compared to the average for Central American countries. Meanwhile, its Caribbean and Pacific resorts can even challenge the ones in neighboring Costa Rica, considered as the best in Central America. So yes, the reasons to visit are really quite a lot.
Mine reason for visiting Panama is due to the opportunity it gives for a greater Central and South American experience. In Panama City, country’s capital, there are 3 international airports and plenty of options to visit neighboring Costa Rica or Colombia. So even the travelers could benefit from Panama’s strategic location. The country itself offers very beautiful beaches in the archipelagos of Bocas del Toro and San Blas. There are also many hidden mountain gems like Boquete, located nearby an active volcano.
Getting there
The first step is to deal with the flight tickets. As a regional hub, there are several options to get there from Europe – flying from Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, Istanbul or Amsterdam. I flew from Frankfurt and by accident got on their inaugural flight to Panamá. The long 12 and a half hours flight ended in quite exciting atmosphere for the passengers, as we was welcomed with water salute upon landing. We saw traditional dancers at the airport and received gifts from Lufthansa and Panamanian Government, represented there by their CEO and Minister of Tourism. Then comes the passport control and here we are in Panamá, officially. Keep in mind the entry requirements in Panamá – you could need to present yellow fever certificate or demonstrate prove of at least $500, either in the bank or cash. In most of the cases, they ask Europeans only for return flight and hotel reservation, but anyway you need to carry everything, in case of request from the immigration officials.
Getting there
The first step is to deal with the flight tickets. As a regional hub, there are several options to get there from Europe – flying from Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, Istanbul or Amsterdam. I flew from Frankfurt and by accident got on their inaugural flight to Panamá. The long 12 and a half hours flight ended in quite exciting atmosphere for the passengers, as we was welcomed with water salute upon landing. We saw traditional dancers at the airport and received gifts from Lufthansa and Panamanian Government, represented there by their CEO and Minister of Tourism. Then comes the passport control and here we are in Panamá, officially. Keep in mind the entry requirements in Panamá – you could need to present yellow fever certificate or demonstrate prove of at least $500, either in the bank or cash. In most of the cases, they ask Europeans only for return flight and hotel reservation, but anyway you need to carry everything, in case of request from the immigration officials.
Panama City
Arriving at Tocumen International Airport, you can take the Metrobus via “Corredor Sur” or get a private transfer. There was no metro to the airport at the time of my visit, but in 2019 it should be connected to Line 2 of the urban rail. The first thing you will notice when entering Panama City is the impressive skyline on its Pacific coast, built in the past 15 years. The tallest building – Trump Ocean Club, is a copy of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab, which correspond to the ambitious plans of local architects to build giant skyscrapers. I stayed in San Francisco, a popular residential area with modern architecture and plenty of food & drink options. It is in a high contrast with the colorful colonial buildings in the Old City, known as Casco Viejo.
Casco Viejo is among the most popular tourist places in Panama City. It is the famous Old City, where Spanish built their homes during the colonial period between 16th and 19th centuries. This kind of architecture is popular all over Latin America, but in Casco Viejo it is mixed with French balconies and French architecture. Between 1880 and 1889, a French company made attempt to build the Panama Canal, but they only completed about two-fifths of the canal, before the US took control over the zone. More than 22,000 people died and hundreds of millions USD have been lost during the French failed attempt to build the canal. However, this influence continued even after the French stopped the construction. Today, many buildings in Casco Viejo like Museum of the Canal at Cathedral Plaza remind us for the French presence here. This influence is even stronger in the city of Colón, located at the Atlantic’s side of the canal.
The Panamanian cuisine is also mixed and you will hardly find restaurants with traditional dishes in Panama City. However, if you want to taste the local food, it is a great option to visit the fish and seafood market, or Mercado de Mariscos. There are a restaurants here offering dishes like ‘Corvina’ fish – a local sea bass, with plantain (a cooking banana), which is probably the most traditional food. There are also local producers of chocolate and coffee, so Panamanian cakes and coffees could be find in places like Super Gourmet, a small and cozy restaurant in Casco Viejo.
Outside the city are located 3 of the fifths Panama Canal locks – Pedro Miguel, Miraflores and Cocoli (the new one). Only Miraflores locks are open for tourist visits – there are a museum and even 3D cinema inside to help understand more about one of the greatest construction projects in twentieth century. You could reach Miraflores easy by public bus from Albrook Bus Terminal or by many tourist agencies, which offer also an additional visit to the nearby Gatun lake, located between Atlantic and Pacific locks of the canal.
Panama is cheaper than US or Europe, but more expensive than other Latin American countries. The public transportation is very cheap (35 cents for the metro) and Uber is also an preferred option to travel around. The official currency is Panamanian Balboa (PAB), but it is only available in coins up to 1 PAB. In fact, the US dollar is a preferred option for payments, as the exchange rate is fixed 1:1 to the Balboa.
Around the country
It is mandatory to leave the capital as soon as possible, and spend couple of days around the country. You can chose between paradise islands, extinct volcanoes (, nearby Boquete) or inaccessible jungles (Darien Gap).
The best beaches are in Bocas del Toro and San Blas archipelagos. I spent my time in Bocas, which includes around 10 beautiful islands. There are plenty of bars here and many backpackers are stopping by, while the San Blas archipelago is more honeymoon oriented. To Isla Colon, the main island, there are daily flights from Panama City, or ferry service from Almirante on the mainland. Once there, its easy to explore the beauty around. The best experience is to make a day trip to Cayo Zapatilla and dive into the crystal turquoise waters of an uninhabited island. Another paradise island is Isla Bastimentos where you can even spend the night as there is a village on the coast. However, these small islands has a long history. The archipelago was discovered first by Christopher Columbus who arrived in Almirante Bay on 16th of October 1502 during his fourth and last New World voyage. Isla Colon, named on Columbus, soon became a pirate heaven, before the following Spanish colonization.
Unfortunately I didn’t had time to visit another places in Panana. However, if you want to enjoy the extinct volcanoes, the most popular one is Barú. This volcano is located close to the town of Boquete, where is situated the largest expat community in Panama. There is no direct flight or bus route to here, so you need to reach first David and proceed with a bus or taxi. In the last years, more and more people are heading to Darien Gap, an inaccessible jungle area on the Colombia border. In fact, this is one of the most dangerous borders in the world, controlled by drug traffickers and guerrillas. Darien Gap is the sole exception of Pan-American highway from Alaska to Chile, where a total distance of 90 km is dividing the longest American highway on two parts. It is strange how Panama could link two oceans and not two highways, but beside the difficult trace, it could also harm the environment so literally South America is divided to the North by Darien Gap. However, many tourists are wishing to cross one of the most density rainforests so there are agencies organizing special expeditions. Of course they need to notify the local authorities on their route and receive an official permission.
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