The Casco Viejo waterfront and the Panama City skyline
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Panama

The canal, and everything either side of it

Photo: Panama City Casco Viejo.jpg by Holacocacola1968, CC BY-SA 4.0. All photo credits

Most people come for the canal and are surprised by the rest — a modern capital, cloud-forest highlands, Caribbean island groups and Pacific beaches, all within a small country.

What it's known for

  • The Panama Canal Watch a transit from the Miraflores locks, or sail a partial transit yourself
  • Panama City A glass-tower skyline alongside the restored colonial quarter of Casco Viejo
  • Bocas del Toro A Caribbean archipelago in the northwest, near the Costa Rican border
  • Boquete Highland town in the Chiriquí region, known for coffee farms and cooler air

When to go

The dry season runs mid-December to April. Panama sits south of the hurricane belt.

Getting there

Panama City is a major hub with direct flights from several US cities, which makes it easy to combine with elsewhere in the region.

This page is a starting point, not a packaged trip. Larry builds each itinerary around what you want and quotes it once he has confirmed availability and current pricing.