I keep reading all about CR, Guate, Honduras, etc. . . What
about Panama? I'm planning to be in Panama in May and June,
and I'm looking for beaches, parks and any other interesting
places to visit. Any ideas??
Cheers
[There are 6 posts - the latest was added on Sat 8 May, 7:04]
Use the form at the end of this page to add your own post.
Topics
| Thorn Tree
| Home
i haven't actually been there (yet), but have been reading
up on panama, and the islands in bocas del toro in the
northwest corner sound fabulous. there is also some sort of
park nearby on the mainland that sounds pretty good too.
We didn't really care for Bocas but liked the San Blas
Isalands. Panama has a lot to offer besides beacches. Old
Panama City, Boquete, Guadalupe, Isla Grande. I guess it
depends on how much time you have. Maybe we didn't give
Bocas a fair chance. The l.p. is coming out with a guide
book just on Panama. The hiking we did was fabulous.
I was there for 3 weeks last month and I had a good time.
Boquete is a great place for excursion (Volcan too). I went to Bocas del Toro but I was unlucky : heavy rain on the carribean cost during many days !!. I had to change all my plan and I went in a small, wonderful place : Boca Chica (check out the LP guide). It's a small island on the pacific coast, not so far away from David. To get there is not that easy but once you arrived, it's really great : no tourist, fresh and cheap fish (lobster for 6 $), beautiful beaches only for yourself. I arrived there during the week and we were only 3 peoples. You can rent a hut for 8 $. This place is run by a german guy.
David is also interesting and alive but really hot. There is another nice place to go : El Valle, close to Panama City.
If you want more info, just send an e-mail.
Fred
We spent two weeks in Panama in Feb/Mar for no other reason
other than we didn't know anyone else that had been there
and knew absolutely nothing about the country. We were not
disappointed. It was amazing. The people are absolutely
incredible. They are very generous & honest. Even if you
don't speak Spanish (as we don't) they want to talk to you &
help you.
We could have done without seeing Panama City. It's not the
nicest, cleanest or safest city, but the people are
wonderful. There is a great hostel in the Los Angeles
district. I think it's is called the Voyageur. It has all
the comforts of home including internet access (check out
their web site).
The bus system is very efficient & cheap. I was warned (by
a travel agent!) that bus travel can be dangerous. This is
completely untrue. But do board bus early to get a seat!
Heading west from Panama City, El Valle is nice, but rather
dull. Aguadulce is a quaint town on the sea (wish we had
stayed more than one day here). Don't miss Johny Tapias
Restaurante. Tell him that you heard about him in Lonely
Planet & his smile will light up the room! It's true what
everybody says about David - it's HOT! Boquete is a
beautiful town with lots to see & do. There is a hostel
across from the park. Axel at Pension Topas is a good
resource for hikes in the area. Check out the hot springs &
don't get lost in the mountains (as we did). It gets really
cold here at night & in the mountains - be prepared. We
didn't really like the town of Bocas (it was overrun with
wealthy US tourists interested in purchasing real estate to
turn into resorts), but ten minutes away by dug out canoe is
Bastimentos. This island is paradise.
We were a bit disappointed to see that all the tourists (us
included) was travelling with the latest edition of the
Lonely Planet Panama. Try to get off the beaten path. Talk
to the locals & get their recommendations for places to eat,
see etc. Panama is waiting to be discovered. Accomdations
are generally more expensive than most of Central America,
but for every overpriced dump there is a beautiful, charming
pension for less than $10.
Have a great time.
Thanks to all for the ideas on places to go and things to do
in Panama, esp to kjw for all the detail. I have a few more
questions before I depart.
The big issue for me now is money. Am I going to need US
TCs, or will Canadian be OK? Does it matter if they are
issued by Visa or Amex? Are ATMs reliable/plentiful?
Thanks again
Unless you go to Panama City first, you'd be ill adviced to
bring canadian $. Panama uses the US dollar as it's own
currency, hence the idea of exchanging Canadian $ might
seem easy but the reality is that unless you're in Panama
City (where there are 120 international banks and you can
go to a Canadian bank to change currency), you're much
better off with U.S. Dollars, Credit Cards, Bank Cards, and
American Express Travelers Cheques in US $ (roughly in that
order of preference). ATM's are frequent enough throughout
the country to allow you to depend on your ATm card with
the possible exceptions of Bocas del Toro island and San
Blas.
Happy trails!