7 Ways to Spend the Day in Panamá City

Six Months in the Americas: Part 24

After backpacking nearly five months in South America, it was time to leave Colombia and head to Central America. I only had three stops on my trip left: Panamá, the self-governing islands of Guna Yala, and Costa Rica, to visit friends I hadn’t seen in a decade.

I quite liked Panamá City. It reminded me of a more chill version of a Florida city like Miami, with better ceviche and decent public transport. If you haven’t traveled outside of your home country or in Latin America before, I’d say Panamá is a good place to start. 

Here are seven recommendations I have for Panamá’s capital:

1. Tour the Old Town

The historic center is a good starting point for getting a feel for the city. You can find cheaper drinks and snacks at La 10, a bar that’s good for travelers on a budget, or grab some fresh fruit at the local market. In the Casco Antiguo, you can visit several museums including the Museum of Panamanian History, the Panamá Canal Museum, and my personal favorite, the Mola Museum, which showcases the artistry of the Guna people’s fabulous mola fabric.

2. Get fresh ceviche at the seafood market

The ceviche at the open air market, Mercado de Marisco, was so good that I went twice. First, with an Italian friend who used to live in Panamá, and then with my friend, a Panamanian local named Katherine. The prices were great, the seafood was fresh, and the atmosphere was lively, even on a weekday night. 

3. See the sloth sanctuary at the Gamboa Reserve

My favorite part of visiting Panamá City was taking a taxi out to the Gamboa Reserve to see their sloth sanctuary.

The Gamboa Reserve is gorgeous and surrounded by jungle, with short hiking trails around. You can also take a boat tour on the nearby lake, and we were able to see all sorts of lizards, amphibians, and butterflies at the sanctuary as well.

We met several orphaned sloths, including Manny (pictured below), who were being rehabilitated with the goal of being reintroduced to the wild. We learned that sloths aren’t actually lazy, but they have such slow metabolisms that they must conserve their energy in case of a predator attack. Then, they can strike with their claws at lightning-fast speeds.

It’s important if you see one in the wild to avoid their claws at all cost and not try to touch them. If you do need to get one out of the road, you can use a stick to help them grab onto or take them by the scruff of their neck.

Seeing Manny on the ground is actually not realistic, wild sloths spend the majority of their lives in trees, they only come down once every three days or so to poop.

4. Walk/ jog along the Cinta Costera at sunset

Katherine and I met for a walk along the promenade, where she often runs after work. We had fantastic sunset views of the city, and there were long-legged raccoons occasionally popping up and playing on the sea wall. You can grab a bite to eat from one of the many food trucks and stands along the way and walk for miles next to the water.

5. Go on a jungle hike at a nearby preserve

Panamá City is surrounded by several nature preserves that you can easily reach by taxi or public transport. On these hikes, you’re completely immersed in the jungle and almost forget you’re minutes from a major capital city.

My Italian friend and I took a bus and taxi from the Albrook National Terminal, a fantastic hub for public transportation all over the country. We went on a pleasant day hike at the national park Camino de Cruces, where we were caught by an afternoon rainstorm. You can also hike in Soberanía National Park or the Metropolitan Natural Park, which are a little easier to access by public transport.

6. Visit the famous Canal

I’m always a little wary about visiting places that I’ve heard so much about, however, the Panamá Canal ended up being a fascinating stop during my trip. The Canal really is an engineering marvel, and the adjacent museum at Miraflores Locks has a well-executed IMAX documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman.

We went later in the afternoon, when there were fewer crowds, and we were able to see several ships pass through.

We learned that there are zero pumps in the canal, all water moves from gravity. It takes 52 million gallons of freshwater to move one ship through the canal’s locks. The water is recycled from Gatun Lake, which also provides most of the drinking water for the center of the country. It’s not a cheap endeavor; one ship may pay upwards of $280,000 to pass through.

7. Enjoy the city views

I was able to meet up with a few Colombian friends who live in Panamá and are travel gurus. They invited me to the Faro, or OId Town Lighthouse, a rooftop restaurant high above the city where people go to enjoy the sunset. There are several high rise buildings throughout the city where you can go and have a drink and admire the views.

I spent a week in the capital, and it was great to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and get a quick introduction into my first stop in Central America.