Issue 24  August 28th 2022

14 ways to see Panama City on a budget: make your dollars go further with these money-saving tips

If you’re a budget-conscious traveler looking to visit Panama City, start with these money-saving tips.

While Panama is more expensive than most of its Central American neighbors – except for Costa Rica – its cosmopolitan capital is still good value, especially when compared to cities in the US and Europe.

There are plenty of opportunities to splash your cash in the city – stylish boutique hotels, world-class museums, gourmet restaurants, and hip cocktail bars among them – but there are ways to cut costs too, from sharing a hostel dorm room to taking the bus and eating with the locals.

Here are our top tips to stretch your budget further.

lonelyplanet.com  

The Colorful History Behind Panama's Mola | Travel | Smithsonian Magazine

Panama is a nation full of colorful imagery, from the aquamarine seas lapping at the country’s coastlines to the deep green canopy of rainforests shrouding its interior. But perhaps the most iconic example of its vibrancy is a traditional garment known as a mola.

For centuries, the Guna (previously known as Kuna), an Indigenous group residing in Panama and parts of neighboring Colombia, have been creating colorfully embroidered clothing. A mola, which translates to “shirt” in the Guna language, is a piece of traditional dress typically worn by women and known for its bright colors and intricate designs depicting flowers, birds, reptiles, animals and other emblems indicative of Mother Nature. The textile art began in the San Blas Islands, an archipelago off the northern coast of Panama that’s part of the Guna Yala Region, where many Guna people continue to live.

smithsonianmag.com  

The best time to go to Panama

With deserted islands, Indigenous outposts, dense rainforests, cosmopolitan cities and two magnificent coasts to explore, Panama is somewhere to linger. But it pays to go at the right time – Panama lies just 9º north of the equator, buffeted by the trade winds, meaning a tropical drenching often comes with the territory.

Activities play a key part in the decision about when to go to Panama.

If you want to bask on golden sands or trek into the rainforest, visit during the dry season from December to April.

Surfers prefer the rainy months from April to December when the best waves are unleashed along the coast.

Divers and wildlife spotters gather from August to September, when humpback whales, sharks, and orcas congregate off the Pacific shoreline.

lonelyplanet.com  

Panama's Pacific coast

While beach-loving travelers have been drawn to Panama’s tropical Caribbean spots such as Bocas del Toro and the San Blas islands for some time, its Pacific side remains less visited.

A few hours west of Panama City, the Azuero Peninsula bulges out into the ocean. At its tip is Playa Venao, which is now becoming the country’s most talked-about surf town with brightly painted hostels and wave-riding camps run by pros, including Magnum Martinez, along its horseshoe bay.

cntraveller.com  

Where the rainforest meets the city: an inside guide to Panama City | National Geographic

Quietly cool Panama City fits the bill for travelers in search of sun, sea, rainforests, reefs, and ruins. Redraw your travel map to behold Panama’s most miraculous feats — natural and manmade.

The 573-acre Metropolitan Natural Park is a wildlife preserve and tropical forest situated in the heart of Panama City. Here, travelers can take guided tours or choose from five hiking trails to spot some of the park's most iconic residents, such as the sluggish three-toed sloth.

nationalgeographic.co.uk