October 2023

Tourism Guide Panama City

The city where the Panama Canal is located. Know the basics and important before visiting it.

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Panama City is the capital of the Republic of Panama, a Central American country that connects South America with the rest of Central America. Its amous for being the country where the Panama Canal is located, and very visited for its beaches, natural reserves, fauna, flora and folklore.

In this article we will talk about some aspects you should know if you plan to visit the capital of the country, Panama City.

Weather

The climate of the country is somewhat unpredictable, on most days of the year, both nationals and foreigners comment that the weather is hot, some of us even joke that the seasons are hot and hotter. By this I don't mean that it is only sunny days, on the contrary it is a complex mixture of both (sunny and rainy).

But when does summer begin? Commonly, the dry season (summer) begins approximately in December and lasts until April. In theory and by definition, if you ask yourself, when does winter begin? The answer would be all the remaining months, that is, from April to December. If your plan is to visit a beach, the most appropriate months will be in the dry season, with a peak of visits between December and January.

You know the weather is not very predictable, hot and humid. So it's a good idea to use sunscreen, and stay hydrated.

Transportation

The transportation system in Panama City consists of the Panama Metro, Metro buses, cabs and alternative vehicles such as uber or other similar systems. If your plan is to visit the city using the public transportation system it is good to consider purchasing a Rapi Pass card which gives you access to use the subway and metro bus. This card is charged a certain amount of money in dollars, and you will be able to use it throughout the system's network.

This card can be purchased at any of the Panama subway stations for a cost of two dollars, another place where you can buy the card is the Albrook transportation terminal.

To use the Panama Metro, the transportation cost is thirty-five cents (0.35 USD) for Line 1 and fifty cents (0.50 USD) for Line 2. In the case of the metro bus, most routes have a cost of twenty-five cents (0.25 USD), but there are certain very specific routes that have a higher cost.

An important detail is the possibility of transferring for the same initial cost, as long as it is the same route, and it is within two and a half hours. When getting off the metro bus, at the rear exit, there will be a turnstile with a sensor where we must validate our exit with the card, if we want to make use of the benefit.

If you land at Tocumen International Airport, and you want to use the subway, you must locate the shuttle that will take you to the "Airport" station where a train will take you to the "Corredor Sur" station giving access to Line 2 of the Panama Subway. You will have to consider the luggage size limitations, which have a maximum size of (100cm x 75cm x 65cm).

The metro bus system operates 24 hours a day, while the Panama Metro operates on a schedule of:

For more information visit:

In addition, you can use cabs, shuttles or car rentals for transportation.

When you are using public transportation, you should be alert to the possibility of theft, especially your cell phone. And use GPS to confirm the route to your destination.

What to do and where to go?

Within Panama City there are multiple options to visit, the most representative destination is the Panama Canal, the Miraflores locks have a visitor center for locals and tourists, where you can see the transit of a ship through the locks a few meters away from the steps, and then see an original film with the history of the Panama Canal.

If you are interested in history, science, or geographical data there are some museums you should visit, there is the biomuseum where the theme is biodiversity of Panama, the Museum of History of Panama located in Casco Viejo, or the museum of La Mola exposing the evolution of the mola for the region of Guna Yala.

If your interest is entertainment, there are options of movie theaters throughout the city, options of plays in multiple theaters in the city where we can highlight the National Theater with theatrical performances, musicals, dances such as ballet, among other artistic expressions.

The National Theater, is located in the Casco Viejo, within the same area you can find multiple places to eat, or hang out. From a la carte restaurants to Rooftops. And if you are in this area you should visit the Plaza de Francia, a place of interest within the Casco Viejo. For nightlife, Casco Viejo is one of the favorite places with bars, discos, rooftops, karaokes, and restaurants.

To plan your city tour you can use our itinerary application.

Hosting

Every tourist needs a place to sleep while in the city, there is a wide variety of hotels scattered around areas frequented by tourists, many hotels are expensive, but there are affordable options.

If your budget is modest, or you want to stay in an exotic location, perhaps you should look for an airbnb or similar service, where specific properties are rented.

An important recommendation is to avoid a hotel in an area where crime rates are high, for example:

If for major reasons you must pass through these places, it is better to stay in a group, avoid traveling at night with cell phones, clothes, money, etc. in sight.

Telecommunications

Inside international airports, cellular SIM cards are very expensive, but they can be purchased outside at a modest price, for example in shopping malls and some authorized stores.

You can also access Wifi in public areas, such as Mcdonald's, restaurants and cafes, shopping malls, thus avoiding having to buy SIM card and data.

Panama's telephone signal is usually of good quality, but data access costs can be high.

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