Panama Highlights

Panama

Panama Highlights

Panama is most famous for its canal, an engineering marvel in its time, however the country of Panama offers so much more! Offering up sandy turquoise beaches, tropical rain forests, mountains of cloud forests, wildly diverse culture, and cities with beautiful architecture, Panama has it all. It’s a fantastic escape into a lovely Latin American country with friendly people and great vacation activities. You can consider combing a trip to Panama with one to Costa Rica if you want to extend your vacation to 2 weeks.

Length: 9 days

Transportation: Car

Best guide books: Frommers and Lonely Planet

Day 1 – Panama City: Casco Viejo

Day 2 – Panama City: Panama Viejo and Panama Canal

Day 3 – Boquete

  • Uber/cab to domestic Marcos A. Gelbert airport (14m drive)
  • Flight from Panama City to David (1h flight)
  • Pick up rental car or meet your driver
  • Drive from David to Boquete (1h7m drive)
  • Coffee plantation tour
  • Coffee plantation walk
  • Dinner – La Brulerie Restaurant
  • Lodging – Finca Lerida (night 1/2)

Day 4 – Quetzal Trail

  • Quetzal Trail Trek Cerro Punta (7-8 hours)
    • Early start of 6am is recommended so you finish hiking before dark 
    • 2 hour drive to trailhead, but a 15 minute drive back to hotel at the end of the trek
  • Picnic lunch
  • Dinner – onsite at La Brulerie Restaurant or venture into town (15m drive) and try The Panamonte, RetroGusto or one of the many other options
  • Lodging – same place, (night 2/2)

Day 5 – David to Bocas del Toro

  • Drive to Almirante via private driver, shuttle, or rental car as discussed under Day 3 Extended below (3h30m drive)
  • Drop off rental car if you have one
  • Almirante to Isla Colon by boat taxi (30m boat)
  • From Isla Colon, grab the hotel transfer boat
  • Lunch – at lodging
  • Snorkeling, sea kayaking, or pool in afternoon
  • Dinner – at lodging
  • Lodging – Popa Paradise Beach Resort or Tranquillo bay (night 1/3)

Day 6 – Bocas del Toro: Isla Popa

Day 7 – Bocas del Toro: Isla Popa

  • Morning relaxing at the pool, beach, or sea kayaking
  • Lunch – at lodging
  • Afternoon boat ride through mangroves, rainforest hike and visit to Ngobe Indigenous village
  • Dinner – at lodging
  • Lodging – same place, (night 3/3)

Day 8 – Bocas del Toro to Panama City

  • Morning Dolphin Bay tour
  • Enjoy beach or pool
  • Boat ride to Bocas Town
  • Last afternoon/evening flight from Bocas Town to Panama City’s domestic Marcos A. Gelbert airport (1h30m flight)
  • Uber/cab to hotel (14m drive)
  • Drinks – Amano
  • Dinner – Mahalo
  • Danilo’s Jazz Club
  • Lodging – American Trade Hotel (night 1/1)

Day 9 – Fly Home

  • Transfer to Airport
  • Fly home

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 – Panama City: Casco Viejo

Welcome to Panama City! Panama is an interesting country; it’s pricier than many other Latin American countries and can be difficult to find mid-range options. There are also large swaths of road between areas to visit that require a car, bus, or driver. One option is to go through a private tour. There are many Panamanian tour companies in the country and we ended up with Panama Trails (which was great) via Kensington Tours. The nice thing about a private tour is they arrange the transport and guides for you and you can tailor the rest to whatever you want. From talking with fellow travelers we had a much easier time getting to and from places than they did. Anyway, it’s something to consider and you can find a list of some of the Panamanian tour companies here.

That being said, there are a few options in leaving the airport: your tour will have a driver meet you, you can pre-arrange to have a driver meet you through your hotel, you can Uber (recommended to us by Panama Trails vs cab given not all cabs agree to metered fair), or hail a cab. Make your way to Casco Viejo.

Casco Viejo

Panama city is a very cool blend different cultures influencing its food, architecture, and history. You’ll feel touches of Spain, France, China, US, indigenous tribes, and the influence of other Latin American countries all blending to create a lovely city. Much of Panama City is very modern with shiny high rises, contemporary architecture, and a bustling metropolis. For charm, head to Casco Viejo, the historical UNESCO world heritage center of the city, where you’ll be treated to colorful colonial architecture, quaint restaurants and bars, and a taste of history. While this area is more expensive, it’s definitely worth it. The highest rated, best word-of-mouth hotel in Casco Viejo is the American Trade Hotel. Pros: it’s amazing. Cons: it’s a splurge.  There are definitely cheaper and nearly as beautiful options, but if you want a really amazing experience go for this one. Central Hotel Panama also had great reviews and is in a good location.

After you check in and drop your bags, meet for a tour of Casco Viejo. If you’re going with a tour company, arrange for an afternoon/sunset tour. You can also hire a private guide or there are some group walking tours you can book discussed in the link above. Enjoy wandering around the colonial houses, bougainvillea covered roads, and ancient churches while learning about Panama’s history.

After your tour, stop by Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar, just steps away from your hotel, for great happy hour deals on Panama City’s artisanal rum distillery.

Grab dinner at Maito, Azafrán, Fonda Lo Que Ha, Íntimo, Riesen, or Restaurante Makoto. 

If you aren’t tired yet, enjoy the pool at your hotel for a swim under the stars, or make your way to a local brewery like La Rana Dorada or one of the many rooftop bars, like Tantalo, that are open late.

Casco Viejo

Day 2 – Panama City: Panama Viejo and Panama Canal

Enjoy breakfast at your lodging, included if you’re staying at the American Trade Hotel.

Meet a guide  or grab an uber out to the old historic city of Panama, Panama Viejo. Enjoy exploring the ruins of the original old town from the 16th century and take a quick visit to the small museum on site which was very informative.

After you see Panama Viejo, grab lunch at Mercado de Mariscos. More than a lunch stop, this enchanting fish market is bustling with local activity with fish supplied from a thousand fisherman from villages up and down the Pacific.

The afternoon is for visiting the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center, ie the Panama Canal. Enjoy watching ships pass slowly through the locks and marvel at the engineering that created such a feat in 1913. If you’re on a tour, you’ll make your way to the Amador Causeway where you’ll get more views of the canal.

Panama Canal

Make your way back to Casco Viejo where you can wander the Paseo Las Bovedas, a pretty bougainvillea covered outdoor market with a great view of the city’s skyline selling indigenous tribe ware including molas, or their textile art and woven baskets and masks. If you want to do more shopping, Galeria de Arte Indigena is a lovely stop for hand crafted indigenous items or Lupa which supports contemporary local artists.

Grab a pre-dinner drink at Casco Casco‘s rooftop bar and watch the sun set with the bar’s unprecedented views. Or instead enjoy a swim at your hotel or get a locally famous shaved ice at Rass Panama. You’ll see shaved ice carts throughout Casco Viejo but this one offers creative flavors. 

For dinner, select a restaurant you didn’t try the night before. 

Stay in the same hotel as the previous night.

Day 3 – Panama City to Boquete

Have breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast meet a driver or uber for transfer to Panama’s domestic Marcos A. Gelbert airport (14 min drive). Fly from Panama City to David – about a 1 hour flight. Once you arrive in David there are few options:

  • Easiest – hire a driver
    • If you’ve gone through a tour company to arrange your tours and transport, have them meet you in David and drive you to Boquete. They will arrange for a driver for the next day for the Quetzal Trail as well. The downside: it will be harder to explore Boquete/ go to dinner in Boquete if that’s important to you. Though you may be able to get your lodging to call you a cab.
  • Middle – rent a car + shuttle
    • You can pick up a car in David and drop it off later in Boquete or Changuinola.
      • If you drop it off in Boquete you’ll have to plan to grab a shuttle or bus (spend the money and go with the shuttle) to Almirante to get to the Bocas del Toro area. The shuttle includes the boat fee to Bocas Town. This option gives you flexibility if you want to explore the area of Boquete, drive to trailheads, or meet a guide for the Quetzal Trail at the trailhead.
      • If you drop it off in Changuinoloa you will drive most of the way to Almirante (about 3 hours), drop the car, and then grab a cab for the 30ish minute drive to the boat dock.
  • Hardest – cab or bus
    • Bus from David to Boquete leaves from the David bus terminal every 25 minutes and takes approximately 1 hour
    • Cab from David to Boquete (approximately $20 one way, make sure they meter the fare)
    • Bus from Boquete to Almirante (5+ hours)

Once you make it to Boquete, check into your lodging. There are many hotel options in Boquete proper, but we really liked Finca Lerida Botique Hotel and Plantation located in the middle of a coffee plantation about 10 minutes outside of town. Boquete town doesn’t have a lot of charm, and while it has a nice smattering of restaurants, we preferred to stay on a beautiful property in the midsts of birds and nature. Since you’ll arrive early (there are only 2 flights a day from Panama City to Boquete), grab lunch either at the cafe at Finca Lerida or a restaurant in town.

Boquete is trying to rebrand themselves as the coffee equivalent to Napa Valley–which if you’re coffee lovers like us, is amazing. Even if you don’t like coffee this area is a beautiful experience into cloud forest, great hiking, and exotic bird species (bring your binoculars!). You’re near VolcanBaru National Park which hosts Panama’s only volcano and La Armistad International Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Coffee Plantation

You can spend the afternoon driving to a trailhead and hiking one of the regions many waterfalls, or enjoy exploring one of the coffee plantations that peppers the area. We of course recommend Finca Lerida’s coffee plantation tour which was an excellent and informative experience into learning about small batch coffee growth and production and a fun and thorough tasting at the end. After your caffeine buzz hits, you can opt to hike the 10km of trail surrounding the property and visit a waterfall.

If you’re in the mood for a drink before dinner, stop by Finca Lerida’s bar, and then make your way to La Brulerie Restaurant on site.

Day 4 – Boquete and the Quetzales Trail

You need an early morning start. Trust us. By early we mean 6am (providing you don’t want to finish your hike in the dark). So grab a to-go breakfast (your hotel should oblige) and set out with a pre-arranged tour to the Cerro Punta trailhead (2 hour drive). To be clear, do not underestimate this trek .

You can hike the Los Quetzales Trail either direction. Starting at Cerro Punta allows less direct uphill and a shorter drive on the tail end. But either way, it’s your choice. We highly recommend a guide for this trail. You can do it by yourself, and many people we passed were, but with our guide we got to see the famous Quetzal bird (the reason this trek is famous), and no one else we met had managed it. Logistics of getting to and from different trail heads are also more complicated without a guide (evidently you can take a bus or pre-arrange a taxi – of note you can’t drive straight from Cerro Punta to Boquete). Our guide also did awesome bird calls to bring the birds down to us. We used Panama Trails for our trip, and truly our guide was a bird whisperer. He also was well-versed in the botany of the region.

Quetzales Trail

The trek itself: The Los Quetzales trail bridges Boquete and Cerro Punta. You will start at one trailhead and finish at the other 7-8 hours later. It is one of Panama’s most visited and popular hikes and named after the bird, the Resplendent Quetzal. The bird itself is really remarkable to see. It’s bright green/turquoise and red and very elusive (typically you have to call to them). The official hike is about 10 km, changing altitude throughout from 1951m to 2500m, and an additional 3ish km walk from the ranger station in Cerro Punta to the trailhead. It’s a narrow path, though easy to see and follow with certain branch out points for views. If you’re with a guide the hiking will be a bit split up by bird watching. While it doesn’t seem to make sense at a 13 km hike could possibly take 7-8 hours, the amount of up and down make it a steady hike.

Your trek ends at the Boquete trailhead. If you’re on a guided tour, a driver will be waiting for you to drive you the 15 minutes back to your lodging.

Spend a second night at Finca Lerida Hotel. For dinner, enjoy La Brulerie Restaurant again, or venture into town (15 min drive) and try The Panamonte, RetroGusto or one of the many other options.

Day 5 – David to Bocas del Toro

After breakfast where you’re staying, make your way to Almirante. You have a few options in how to do it, discussed under Day 3 Extended. If you drive yourself or have a driver it’s approximately 3.5 hours in total. However you choose to go, you need to get to the boat dock in Almirante that will take you Isla Colon. This is your jumping off place for Panama’s Caribbean archipelago of Bocas del Toro, a set of beautiful islands with stunning turquoise water and sandy beaches.

There aren’t exactly street signs to the docks of your 3 boat options, but your driver or a taxi driver should know where to go. The bus terminal is really close. Your choices are Taxi 25, Bocas Marine Tours, and Transporte Torres. It doesn’t matter which one you choose, they all run from 6AM to 6PM, depart about every 30 minutes, and the ride takes about 25 minutes. Go up to the ticket counter at any of these taxi stations and purchase your faire. The taxis fit about 20-30 people for the ride, but can accommodate your luggage (they throw it in the back). A few things to note: someone will rush you once they see you with luggage and offer to help. However, they only take it about 5 feet and not down to the boat dock and then expect payment for the service. The ride itself is very windy and can be choppy and you might get your hair/clothes/bag sprayed.

Bocas Del Toro

Once you make it to Bocas del Toro you need to get to your lodging. Usually your lodging will either have a boat to get you or give you explicit instructions how to get to them. The Bocas del Toro area is host to many nearby islands. You have some options of where you can stay. After an hours long search for lodging on each of these islands, we learned you can get by cheap, with not super great accommodations, or you can splurge a little for an eco lodge and literally stay feet from a pristine beach. You can pick both your island and your lodging. Each lodge has vaguely the same activity options – so for what we’ve listed you can pretty much do at any eco lodge you choose to stay at. We ended up choosing Isla Popa, staying at the Popa Paradise Beach Resort. Isla Popa is about 40 minutes away from Bocas Town and has pretty untouched beauty. You share the island only with locals, indigenous tribes, and expat houses (no other resorts). We liked it for the “off the beaten path” feel, for instance the very friendly local neighbors brought over their chicken one day, and their pigs are known on occasion to swim over to the resort as well. That being said, if you want to be closer to Bocas Town this is not a good option for you. Isla Bastimentos is probably the best of both worlds, giving you quick access to Bocas Town without actually staying amongst hostels and loud night life. Tranquilo Bay was recommended to us and gets great reviews. Viceroy Bocas Del Toro Panama looks phenomenal. Other options to consider include Red Frog Beach Resort, Punta Caracol Acqua-Lodge, Isla Secas, Sweet Bocas, and La Loma Jungle Lodge and Chocolate Farm. We recommend leaving Boca Town and finding a place on one of the surrounding islands with great access to swimming and nature driven activities. Given the water taxis, and many of the hotels and eco lodges having their own private boats, transfer back to Bocas Town on Isla Colon to get to the airport at the end of your stay is easy.

Once you arrive at your lodging, there are many activities for the next few days and you can pick which order or which ones you do. These are listed fully under Popa Paradise Beach Resort, however, as stated before, every lodge offers pretty much the same array of activities. You’ll be considering jungle walks, dolphin watching, snorkeling, chocolate farms, visits to indigenous villages, snorkeling, sea kayaking, swimming, zip-lining, and seeing wildlife.

After arriving at your lodging, have lunch. We recommend spending the afternoon relaxing and enjoying your lodging’s pool, swimming in the ocean, or snorkeling/kayaking right off the beach of where you stay. Another great option is a jungle walk with a local guide around the property of your lodge. They can point out local wildlife including toucans, parrots, sloths, cayman, frogs, etc.

Dinner at most eco lodges is on site.

Day 6 – Bocas del Toro: Isla Popa

Have a leisurely breakfast at your lodging.

Now you can consider your options for the next few days. Most eco lodges organize tours, typically offering the same type of activity. Some of the best options you have in Bocas del Toro:

  • Dolphin Bay: an area near Isla San Cristobal where you can watch dolphins in their natural habitat from a boat
  • Organic Chocolate Farm: the Bocas region produce a lot of chocolate. You can visit one of the chocolate farms, learn a lot about the production of chocolate and enjoy sampling as well. You can even stay at a chocolate farm, La Loma Jungle Lodge and Chocolate Farm, on Isla Bastimentos.
  • Jungle Hike: Most of these islands are made up of tropical jungle. Enjoy a hike to see native birds and wildlife including sloths and cayman.
  • Indigenous Village: The Bocas region hosts the Ngöbe–Buglé tribe. There is a reserve on the mainland as well as scattered villages throughout the islands. You can visit the villages, talk with an indigenous guide, and enjoy their craftwork.
  • Snorkeling: This area is amazing for snorkeling. Some of the best options include the world-renowned Zapatilla Keys (Cayo Zapatillas), Crawl Key (Cayo Coral), and Cayo de Agua.
  • Zip-Lining: Like in Costa Rica you can enjoy zipping through the rain forest on Isla Bastimentos.
  • Surfing: There is some surfing off the coast of Isla Bastimentos with decent waves
  • Paddle boarding and sea kayaking: Borrow or rent a paddle board or sea kayak and go out for as far and long as you like.
  • Diving: Bocas offers amazing diving in the Zapatilla Keys. If this interests you check out La Buga Dive & Surf or Bocas Diver Center,  both PADI 5 Star IDC Centers.
  • Urraca Island (aka Monkey Island): Francine Roy founded monkey sanctuary in 2016. It hosts monkeys who have been rescued from illegal captivity or orphaned in the wild due to habitat loss or hunting. It’s the only sanctuary in Panama for rehabilitated white-faced capuchins, Geoffrey’s tamarins, and squirrel monkeys, all species native to Panama. *Please always make sure any animal interaction you have is a legitimate vetted sanctuary or rescue situation. There is a real and growing problem of wildlife exploitation that is driving illegal practices and extinction in the wild. Check out this article for more information.*

So now you have some options. I’m going to list my recs based on what we chose to organize with a few days in Panamanian paradise, but sub in your choices instead.

Popa Dos Indigenous Village

After breakfast, weather providing, head out for snorkeling. We snorkeled Cayo Coral though another fantastic option is the Zapatilla Keys which are world renown. It’s a really easy and calm place to snorkel and you’ll see a wide variety of colorful fish and coral.

Once you make it back to your lodge, enjoy lunch.

In the afternoon visit a chocolate plantation and go on a chocolate tour .

Once you get back, jump in the pool and enjoy plenty of cocktails made from local ingredients before dinner.

Dinner at your lodging.

Day 7 – Bocas del Toro: Isla Popa

Enjoy your morning with breakfast at your lodging.

Take a paddle board or sea kayak out before lunch. Cool off in the pool.

After lunch go on a boat ride through mangroves and a jungle hike to visit the Popa Dos Indigenous Village.

Once you return, hang out in the pool or at the beach before dinner at your lodge.

Day 8 – Bocas del Toro to Panama City

After breakfast, head out for a boat ride, preferably a sail, to Dolphin Bay where you can spot the resident bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat.

Return to the lodge, and enjoy the pool or beach a final time before lunch and a transfer to Bocas Town via boat. Grab your flight back to Panama City’s Marcos A. Gelbert airport (approximately 1.5 hours). Uber or cab to your hotel (14 min drive).

Grab a casual dinner at Mahalo, followed by a concert at Danilo’s Jazz Club. If you’re not yet tired, visit a new rooftop bar or re-visit one of the ones you enjoyed at the beginning of your trip.

We recommend staying at the American Trade Hotel for your final night.

Day 9 – Fly Home

Have breakfast at your hotel. Catch and Uber, cab, or your arranged driver to the airport. Bid Panama farewell and make your way home.

Sunset on a Panamanian beach

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