This post gives an overview of our visit to Panamá and how we perceived it. This can only be a very subjective opinion from the perspective we got and we also expect that our measure will change over time while we adapt our expectations, gather more experiences, and get used to how things are going on another continent.

Our Route

Panamá is where we started our journey. We stayed in Panamá for around two weeks in January and February 2023 and visited three very different locations. The busy metropolis Panamá City, the peaceful Santa Fe, and the adventurous Lost and Found hostel between David and Bocas del Toro.

The temperature on sea level was quite hot (Panamá City) and much more moderate in the mountains (Santa Fe and Lost & Found). We mainly traveled by local and long-distance buses.

Our impressions

We conceived Panamá as a very friendly, green, and picturesque country. We especially liked the countryside with the nature ranging from beautiful mountains, over grassland to thick jungle. Because our sailboat trip got canceled we, unfortunately, have seen neither the pacific nor the Caribbean ocean. But from what we heard there are a lot of amazing beaches, snorkeling, and surf spots. Another thing that stood out, was the constantly present wind, which was welcome on hot days but also bestowed us with some noisy nights.

In comparison to Costa Rica, which has a similar nature and provides similar experiences and activities, Panamá is cheaper and less touristy. So for another visit, we would probably choose Panamá over Costa Rica. At least as long as we travel without our paragliders.

Food

The first local dish we tried was Empanadas from a bakery. They are usually filled with meat, most commonly chicken (pollo) but are also often offered with cheese (queso) and/or beans. The dough is made out of corn. Unfortunately, they don’t use as much spice, so we weren’t fully convinced. The bakeries usually have a very similar offering. Most products are made out of some kind of sweet white bread, sometimes filled with meat or cheese (also somehow sweet) or sugary things like doughnuts and cake.

At a lot of places, you can get Patacones which are double-fried green cook bananas. You can have it as a side dish or as a little meal, comparable to french fries. If you go to a restaurant you can choose between different meat dishes with rice and patacones or beans (soup) and sometimes fish. We tried a few things and once had some delicious meatballs. But the rest (especially the meat) was rather unspicy and dull.

Because most of what you get as convenience food (for a quick lunch, or as takeaway to take with you on a tour) is either fried (empanada, patacones, chicken pieces) or something from the bakery, we bought and ate a lot of bananas. Already on the third day, we went to a hip cafe serving bowls, to have something fresh and healthy. Later we discovered that in a lot of places, you can get Nachos, which are usually served with chicken or minced meat (because of which we ignored it at first). But also it comes with beans, salad, and usually tomatoes (or tomato salsa) so it was a good compromise and sometimes they offered vegetarian options as well (which we are always looking for).

Mobility

Except for Panamá City where we went around by metro, we mainly used buses, from small local ones to big overland buses, comparable to a Flixbus. We always simply went to a bus station and waited for the next bus and rarely waited longer than 15 minutes. Only once we waited 1.5 hours for a big overland bus (which might have been only luck).

Taking buses in multiple succession was therefore also stressing us out a bit, because usually when getting off the bus somebody was waiting already and approaching the tourists asking for their next destination. We were then guided to our next bus, most often in a hurry. It was common to fill up the bus with as many people as could fit. Which was sometimes quite uncomfortable.

People

Most of our contacts were limited to daily errands, accommodation, and ordering food. Whoever we approached, though, was very helpful, and a few times people even helped us without us asking for it.

For example, once a woman saw that we were a bit confused with the metro payment system and she offered help and guided us through. Another time when leaving the metro my exit was declined because somehow we hadn’t had anymore enough money on our metro card (we didn’t know that you also pay upon exit) and another person was just holding his card in front of the reader so I could exist. He was hurrying on after that so I had barely time to thank him.

When we went from David to Dominical in Costa Rica, we, more or less intentionally, managed to order a whole bus for us alone. Simon wasn’t well on this day (damn you chicken empanada we only ate on the second day 🤦‍♀️) and we had already one bus ride behind us. Therefore we were searching for an express bus from David across the Costa Rican border to Uvita (we had read that this exists on the internet).

One bus driver I approached was very helpful and patient with my many questions uttered in broken Spanish. He explained, that there is some kind of express, but it is costly ($40) and we should better take the local bus for just a few bucks. It was clear that this “express” would terminate at the border. But somehow during the discussion, I lost track of that and when I went to Simon to ask if we should go for it, he also didn’t realize the mistake and agreed. He then brought us to his bus and only after heading out of the bus terminal we really realized that we would get a solo ride to the border 40 minutes away (the standard bus would take 1:20h).

We told ourselves that we probably made the day of the bus driver and put a smile on his face when telling the story to his family. And you couldn’t say that he was talking us into it. He actively recommended against it for some time, saying it is too expensive. Also, how often can you say that you rented a bus just for yourself 😉

Safety

With some common safety measures, we felt very safe wherever we went. Sure, in crowded areas like the bus terminals we were cautious, and at the beginning, we also didn’t go out at night in Panamá City, which was recommended. When we came back after 2 1/2 weeks in Costa Rica, we were so acclimatized and felt safe, that I was even going out alone in the evening to get dinner.

In Panamá City we also deliberately spared the poorer and more dangerous areas, which I did look up on a map beforehand. I had also read, that you wouldn’t run into these quarters by accident because they really look and feel different, with a lot of poverty and destitution. When we drove to the Panamà City Airport by Uber, we went by such a quarter and it was shocking. It showed me the stark difference compared to the richer quarters and I understood why you wouldn’t go there by chance.

Cost

The prices in Panamá can vary quite a bit. If you go full local (local food, local accommodation, local buses) it is comparatively cheap. But if you go to just a bit more fancy restaurants and look for hostels on booking, you have to pay a bit more. We went for the cheaper accommodations and paid on average $35 per night for a double room with breakfast. There were good and just okay ones at this price, so it can be worthwhile spending a bit more.

You can get a simple bean, rice, and meat dish for $3 and an ordinary pizza for $10. Transportation is cheap and a 4-hour bus ride only cost us $9, shorter distances within the city were well below a dollar.

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