Panama City has quite a lot to offer, and most of it is pretty easy to access and not expensive at all. Whether you’re a night owl, a nature fan, or interested in history, Panama City won’t let you down. I must say I was positively surprised since a lot of people told me not to stay too long in Panama City because it’s “just another big city”. In my opinion, you can easily spend around 5 days there without getting bored.
1. Take stroll through Casco Viejo
This is probably one of the best-known parts of Panama City. It’s a historic district that was built in the 1670s. Its characteristics are the beautiful ancient buildings with vibrant colors. It has many nice restaurants and cafes, little parks to take a break and linger, and some nice souvenir stands where you can support the local artists. If you want to know some details about this beautiful part of the city, you can join a free walking tour. They are usually twice per day, in English and Spanish.
You can get there either by taxi, walking, or public transport. If you want to take the metro, just get out at Estación 5 de Mayo or take the bus until Mercado de Marisco. From both stations, it will take around 10–15 minutes to walk to the historic center. If you get the chance to actually visit the Mercado de Marisco, do it. It’s one of the biggest fish markets, and you’ll for sure see a lot of fish and seafood you haven’t seen before. There are also a bunch of restaurants right behind it that serve freshly caught fish and seafood dishes. It’s delicious and won’t get any fresher than this! My favorite was the patacones (a typical dish from Panama, fried plantains) with seafood. It’s not the cheapest place, but definitely worth the visit, and they do serve pretty big portions, so you can consider sharing a plate with someone or taking the leftovers with you to eat them later.
2. Visit the Panama Canal
For sure, everyone has already heard of the Panama Canal. It connects the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and is one of the most important conduits for maritime trade. It’s pretty impressive to see these massive ships passing through the big locks while also learning about the engineering work and history of the canal. The Miraflores Visitor’s Center offers tours for approximately $10 USD, and it takes around 1.5 hours to see it all. It’s easily accessible by bus; just take the C810 and drive until Esclusas Miraflores or take an Uber.
If you don’t want to spend any money and just see the canal from the outside without any further details, you can go to Puerto de Panama Amador. It’s a dock right in front of the Bridge of the Americas, which has a beautiful view as well. And if you’re lucky, you’ll also see a big ship with containers passing through right in front of you. To get there, take the bus C850 until Estacion Albrook and then walk for around 5 minutes.
3. Bike along the Calzada de Amador
I recommend doing this by bicycle since it’s a very nice and long way with beautiful views. You can rent them at the beginning of the street, next to the Restaurante Pencas. Single bikes are around $4 USD per hour, and tandem bikes for two people with a roof are $10 USD. It takes around 30 minutes to paddle to the first restaurant on the island. I think it’s a really nice afternoon activity, and you’ll have great views of the Panama City skyline.
If you want to spend some more time there, it’s probably better if you go by bus; otherwise, it will get quite expensive. The bus C850 will drive you all the way to the end of the island and is scheduled every 30 minutes. It’s the same bus that drives to the Bridge of the Americas, so you could easily combine those two things.
Once you reach the island, they have shopping opportunities, some restaurants, and cafes. They also have the Punta Culebra Nature Center, with an entry fee of $8 USD. They have aquariums and some nature paths where you can encounter sloths, iguanas, raccoons, and other animals. It’s a nice place to spend an afternoon and get out of the city.
4. Visit Taboga Island
This was probably my favorite of all the activities around Panama City and was the perfect getaway from the busy city life. To get there, you have to take a ferry from the end of the Calzada de Amador. A round ticket costs $24 USD, and I recommend purchasing the ticket in advance since the tickets can sell out. You can easily buy them online on their website, tabogaexpress.com, where you’ll also find the schedule for the ferry. The trip to the island is around 30 minutes. Make sure you’ll arrive at the port 15-20 minutes earlier and bring an ID or passport with you.
Once you’re there, you will realize how it’s got a completely different vibe than Panama City. A small island with colorful houses, nice beaches, loads of greenery, and friendly people. The prices are a bit higher because they have to import everything from the mainland. You will find some restaurants that offer meals between $10 and $20 USD, and drinks are usually around $3–5 USD. They have a few accommodation options as well, all above $50 USD per night though.
5. Hike up the famous Ancon Hill
I haven’t personally been to this one, but it’s definitely worth going. It’s the most popular viewpoint and mini-hike in Panama City. It takes around 30 minutes to walk up, and while doing so, keep your eyes open for the wildlife. On top, you’ll have a beautiful view over Panama City, Casco Viejo, and the Panama Canal, depending on where you’re standing.
