FAQ - The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Travel to Panama

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Is Panama safe?
Yes - Panama is one of the safest countries in the world. Info from the Pinkerton Intelligence Agency published in Newsweek magazine, in which countries all over the world were rated for tourist safety, Panama merited the most desirable category for tourist safety - the same category as the United States. Panama is much safer than Costa Rica. The purse snatchings and pick-pocketing common in other places are almost unheard of. As for all foreign travel, when going about it is advisable not to carry large sums of money, carry a photo copy of your passport, (not the real thing) and not to flash expensive watches etc. And like anywhere, there are poor areas of town that it is not wise to walk around in especially at night.

One area in Panama has a State Department warning - this is a remote part of Darien province that borders with Columbia where no tourists go- journalists and missionaries.

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When is the best time to visit?
Tourism in Panama is a year-around activity. The temperature never varies and the sun shines everyday, all year long.

However, there are two "seasons" in Panama and some people prefer to come in the "dry season" from mid-December through May when it doesn't rain. But the sun shines 325 days a year in Panama.

In the so called "rainy season" or "green season" from June until December, most days there is a one to two hour tropical rain storm in the late afternoon. Before and after the sun is out and most activities can be planned around it. Many hotels offer special "green season" rates.
A few recreational activities are better in the dry season, for example Caribbean diving and particular kinds of sport fishing and bird watching.

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I don't speak Spanish. Will that be a problem in Panama?
This will not be a problem. English is a second language-most Panamanians speak some English and many speak it fluently, especially those that cater to tourists. For 85 years there was a large English speaking community of 50,000 Americans living right in the middle of Panama in the Canal Zone. Panama has also always been an international business crossroads.

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Do I need a visa to visit Panama?
Citizens of most countries including the USA and Western Europe do not need a visa. Tourists from the USA, Canada and EU need only purchase a $5 tourist card from their airlines at the ticket counter on the day of departure for Panama. A tourist card gives you an automatic 90 day stay in Panama and can be extended for another 60 days.

If your children are traveling with one parent only, Panama, like many countries requires a notarized letter of permission from the other parent.

The following countries need to purchase a tourist card from their airline or upon arrival (it costs $5 and is valid for 90 days): United States, Canada, EF countries, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Curacao, Ecuador, Granada, Greece, Guyana, Jamaica, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Samoa Occidental, San Cristobal & Nevis, San Marino, San Tome & Principe, South Korea, Surinam, Sweden, Taiwan, Tobago, Trinidad, The United States of America, the Vatican City, and Venezuela.

The following countries can enter Panama without a visa: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Uruguay.

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What’s the Government Like?
Panama is one of the most stable democracies in the Americas. Since 1989, when dictator Noreiga was deposed (now languishing in a Miami prison), Panama’s presidents have been democratically elected. The current president Martin Torrijos began his five year term in September 2004. His government is investor friendly and is taking a number of effective measures to reduce corruption.

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What's the best way to get to Panama?
Panama is a 5 hour flight from Miami. There are direct flights to Panama from ten US cities: Newark, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. (See our Airlines & Car Rental page.)

If you are coming from Costa Rica, flights from San Jose cost about $275 round trip. But you can also come by bus over the border to West Panama to visit both Bocas del Toro and the Chiriqui Highlands. We don't recommend the bus route since the border crossing is long, tedious and unpleasant.

You may be one of the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit Panama on a shore tour off a cruise ship. Indeed because of the great variety of its attractions, Panama shore trips are the most popular in the cruise ship tours in the region.

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What is the currency?
The US dollar is the currency. Yes - that’s right-no currency exchange hassles! Indeed, the US dollar is one of Panama’s great tourist conveniences. This is one country where you don't have to be a mathematical genius to figure out what that meal just cost.

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Which Airlines fly to Panama from which US and Europe and from which cities?
There are direct flights to Panama from ten US cities: New York (Copa and Delta ) Newark (Continental) Miami (American and Copa), Los Angeles, (Copa) Houston (Continental) Atlanta (Delta) Orlando (Copa) Washington D.C. (Copa) and Ft. Lauderdale (Spirit)
KLM flies direct from Amsterdam.
Copa, a partner with Continental Airlines is Panama's international airline. Flight times from US cities range 4-5 hours.

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How do I get from the airport to my Panama City hotel?
Tocumen International Airport is just 15 minutes by a super highway from downtown Panama City. There is a taxi booth as you come out from customs. Taxi drivers are both safe and reliable. The fare is around $20. If you ask to share a taxi, it is less. No bus service is available.

Hire a Private Taxi to get around Panama City: If your Spanish is not great or you just want to relax and leave everything in capable, friendly hands, we recommend you contact Judy of Easy Travel Panama who specializes in "personalized" ground transportation and sight-seeing service by private taxi. From the minute you touch Panamanian soil, you will have a knowledgeable and English-speaking driver/guide at the Tocumen International airport to receive and assist you. Their rates are very reasonable - for example $25 an hour for your private taxi with an English speaking, knowledgeable guide. Easy Travel offers transportation throughout Panama City and other nearby popular destinations.

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How are the prices in Panama?
Tourism in Panama is just beginning and so prices are reasonable . Then again, with a few exceptions, Panama is not the place for "bargain basement" mass beach vacation offerings like Cancun. Panama is the "affordable exotic destination", meaning it offers exotic, unique and off-the-beaten-path kind of experiences with no tourist hordes and plenty of priceless pristine nature.
It is also a backpackers paradise-for a backpacker on a shoe-string budget , buy Lonely Planet Panama for budget travel and hotel info.

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Can I drink the water? Are there any health concerns?
Panama is the only country in Latin America where you can drink the tap water. The "Montezumas Revenge" that is so common in the rest of Latin America is almost unheard of in Panama. Sanitary conditions are excellent. There are no special other health concerns and no shots or special pills are necessary unless you are going to hike in the Darien jungles or other remote areas.

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What’s the Weather Like?
Panama has two climates-the lowlands including Panama City which are tropical and humid and the highlands which have spring-like temperatures year round.

In the lowlands, temperatures during the day range between 80 F and 90 degrees Fareinheit (25-30 degrees Celsius). It cools off in the evenings which are invariably pleasant. In the Highlands the day range is between 45F and 85F.

Panama has two seasons - the "dry" season and the "green" season. The dry season is from mid-December until May and green season from May until December. "Dry" means it rarely rains and the green season means typically a refreshing tropical shower late each afternoon. It rarely rains all day, which means that rain is no obstacle to tourism activities. The exception to this rule is Bocas del Toro, where it does rain all day from time to time and occasionally in the Highlands as well.

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Where Do I Take Domestic Flights?
Panama’s domestic airport is in Albrook about 15 minutes from downtown Panama City and 45 minutes from Panama’s Tocumen International Airport.

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What are the Transfer times between Panama City and the most Popular Destinations?
Panama City-Costa Blanca: 1 ½ hours by bus or car.

Panama City-Gamboa Rainforest Resort or Canopy Tower: 45 minutes by car.

Panama City-Panama Canal Miraflores Lock and Visitor Center: 20 minutes by car.

Panama City-Contadora Island: 15 mins. by plane.

Panama City-San Blas Islands: 30 mins. by plane.

Panama City-Isla Grande: 2 hours in car, longer by bus.

Panama City-Bocas del Toro: 1 hour by plane.

Panama City-Boquete: 1 hour flight to David, then a 45 minute drive by car. .

Panama City-Anton Valley (El Valle): 2 hours in bus or car.

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What sort of souvenirs and gifts can I find?
Panama has the greatest variety of indigenous-made souvenirs of any country outside Mexico. Panamanians have an innate sense of beauty that shows in their handicrafts. ‘Molas", intricate hand-sewn tapestries of the Kuna indians are the most popular souvenirs - you can buy little girls dresses, women’s clothes and handbags decorated with molas. Native jewelry, Panama hats, fine woven baskets from the rainforest palms and natural dyes, tropical wood carvings and pre-Colombian and Spanish Colonial style jewelry are some of the other most popular items.

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What Type of Wildlife can I see in Panama?
Panama’s position as a narrow land bridge connecting two continents has endowed it with some of the world’s most pristine and biodiverse rainforests. It’s national parks cover five million acres. One key indicator of its biodiversity: Panama (the size of North Carolina) has 944 recorded bird species, more than the US and Canada combined.

One of the most exciting aspects of nature hiking in Panama is the many kinds of animals that can be readily seen: monkeys, sloths, the tropical neque and gato solo, alligators, armadillos and an unparalled variety of birds. One American travel writer told us that she saw more nature in one afternoon in Panama’s Soberania National Park just 45 minutes from downtown Panama City, than she saw in two weeks in Brazils Amazon.

Panama is also home for ninety years to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), an ecological treasure and the world's top tropical scientific research institute. No country outside the developed world has a flor and fauna that has been as studied and cataloged as Panama, thanks to STRI.

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Where are the Best Places to See Wildlife?
In Panama's national parks-Soberania National Park ,Barro Colorado Island, Monkey Island, Pipeline Road, (there first four are just outside Panama City,Plantation Road, Achiote Road, Bocas del Toro, Amistad National Park in Chiriqui (on the border with Costa Rica), Pearl Islands, Darien National Park, Coiba National Park.

Hotels and ecolodges in these areas include Gamboa Rainforest Resort and Canopy Tower (Panama Canal Rainforest/Soberania National Park, Hacienda del Mar (Pearl Islands), Punta Caracol and Al Natural (Bocas del Toro) and Los Quetzales in Chiriqui’s Amistad National Park.

 

If you won’t have to rough it to see wildlife, have lunch at Los Lagartos Restaurant over the historic Chagres River at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort - from the terrace you can see trove of tropical wildlife - alligators, turtles, fish, birds in the river and even an occasional mammal on shore.

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What is the electrical voltage? Can I use my electrical appliances?
Yes - all your appliances will work here. The voltage is the same as the United States and Canada: 110V.

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In case of an emergency, what are the medical facilities like?
As a by-product of its long association with the United States, many Panamanian doctors are U. S. trained and the standards of the top hospitals compare favorably to US standards. For medical treatment we recommend the Hospital Nacional in Panama City (Tel: +507-204-8100) which has a special department for tourists with a multilingual staff. They accept most insurance policies. Their medical staff is mostly US trained and English speaking and the facilities and service are excellent.

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What about mosquitos?
Believe it or not,you are unlikely to see a mosquito your whole trip! Panama may be a tropical country but mosquito control is effective. Exceptions would be if you are in the rainforest after dusk or hiking or overnight in the jungle, in which case insect repellant is advised.

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Is it safe to drive in Panama? Can I take a "fly and drive" vacation?
Yes, especially outside Panama City. (Panama City traffic is chaotic and tricky - we recommend you take the inexpensive taxis until you get oriented.) Outside Panama City, Panama has one of the best road infrastructures in Latin America. The Panamerican Highway, the main highway across Panama is in excellent condition - 50% of it is a modern new four lane highway. Feeder roads off this main highway to the various top destinations are also excellent. American style gas stations and fast food restaurants are all along the way. As with driving in any unfamiliar country, we strongly recommend you plan to drive only during the day.

For Panama City, you won’t need to rent a car. Getting around city by car is confusing to the newcomer. Better to go by taxi - they are plentiful, safe and inexpensive, or hire personal driver.

See Car Rental.

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How Much Should I Tip?
10% is normal. Some tips are included in the bill, so check. You don’t have to tip taxi drivers-but it would be deeply appreciated if you did.

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What Time Zone is Panama in?
 

Panama is on EST from October to April and CST from April to October when daylight savings goes into effect in the States.

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Why choose Panama over other Latin American and Caribbean destinations?
Panama has...

  • The most accessible exotic nature in the world - the "hyper-diverse" Panama Canal Rainforest is 30 minutes from Panama City.
  • Beautiful beaches along 1000 miles on coast on both oceans and on fifteen hundred islands with hardly a soul in sight.
  • Seven living native cultures with their own unique legends and traditions.
  • Forty-eight fascinating historical monuments.
  • 954 bird species in vast National Parks
  • A fun, sophisticated and safe capital city.
  • An exciting night life with casinos, discotheques, superb restaurants.

For more reasons heck out: Why Panama is a Great Tourism Destination.
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What kind of clothes and other items should I bring?
In general, for the tropical climate, light colored, loose fitting cotton clothes are the most comfortable. Do bring neat clothes. Panamanians don’t appreciate grunge. Panamanians themselves, especially the women of Panama City are beautifully groomed. Panama City is a dress-up city , but as a tourist you’ll be excused from the dress code provided you are dressed neatly. The highlands can be cold in the night so a warm sweater or light jacket is necessary. If you plan to hike, bring long pants, boots , a hat and insect repellant. For everyone else a good sunscreen, sunglasses and binoculars.

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Is Panama a typical Latin American country? What’s the Ethnic makeup?
Panama is not typical at all. Don’t expect to see mainly the typical mestizo (descendants of a combination of Spanish and Indian) population like in the rest of Latin America. There is a saying that Panama was "born globalized." The population of 2.8 million people has diverse origins: Spanish descendants, blacks (brought in from the Caribbean to build the Canal), indigenous cultures, important immigrant populations from North America, Europe, China, India and the Middle East.

There are seven living native cultures each with their own language: Kunas in the San Blas Islands on the Caribbean, Embera and Wounaanin the province of Darien, Ngobe Bugle in the provinces of Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro & Veraguas; and Teribes & Bokotas in Bocas del Toro province.

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What’s the basis for the Panama’s economy?
Panama is a primarily service-based economy. The major services include the Panama Canal and related maritime and transport services, tourism, residential tourism, a large international banking center, the largest free trade zone in the Americas.Because of the quality of life many major American companies are making their Latin American corporate headquarters in Panama. Bananas, shrimp and coffee are the major agricultural exports.

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I would like to travel on to South America from Panama. Are there any roads, ferries or boats?
No. Panama is the literally the end of the road. No roads cut through the dense jungle of Panama's Darien province to South America. Nor are there any ferries or boat service. The only way to go is to South America is to fly. If you have a car, you can arrange to ship it by boat.

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Is there any anti-Americanism?
To the contrary; Panamanians are some of the most pro-American peoples anywhere. Yes they are proud and relieved to finally have complete sovereignty over their country but are delighted to see Americans back as tourists and investors. Due to their long historical association with the United States, Panamanians understand and appreciate Americans as few other peoples.

A local joke is that Panama is just like Miami " but Panama is safer than Miami, more people speak English in Panama than in Miami, there are no hurricanes in Panama and Americans are more popular in Panama."

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Is Panama a good place for business?
Panama has Latin America's second freest market economy (after Chile), a first-world communications and road infrastructure, the dollar as its currency, a major international banking center, the largest Free Zone in the Americas and an unmatched geographic position. Panama City in one of Latin Americas safest and most sophisticated capitals

If you talk to small and large foreign investors here many will tell you what a pleasure it is to work with Panama's entrepreneurial class most of whom were educated in the States or worked for Americans in the former Canal Zone.

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Does Panama run the Canal as well as the Americans?
Yes. As acknowledged in a February 2003 article in the Wall Street Journal, and the Smithsonian Magazine 2005, Panama runs the Canal as well, if not better than the Americans.

The Canal is being more efficiently run under Panamanian control because for the first time it is run on a for-profit basis. The country has a stake in its success since profits go to Panama's treasury. Technological developments are also dramatically increasing efficiency.

For more about the Panama Canal see Panama Canal Locations.

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