Panama · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Panama
These are the places we would send a friend in Panama, from fish market ceviche and Casco Viejo rooftops to coffee farms, cloud forest trails and tiny Caribbean islands. Mix the classics with a few off the beaten path picks, and check opening times before you go.
Places to Visit in Panama City
Arts and Culture
- Casco Viejo (Casco Antiguo)
The restored colonial quarter of plazas, churches and sea walls is the heart of any first visit. - Panamá Viejo (Panamá Viejo)
The ruins of the first Spanish city on the Pacific, with a climbable cathedral tower and a museum. - Biomuseo (Amador Causeway)
A colourful Frank Gehry building that tells how the isthmus rose from the sea and changed the planet. - Iglesia de San José (Casco Antiguo)
Home of the Golden Altar, said to have been hidden from the pirate Henry Morgan. - Museo del Canal de Panamá (Plaza de la Independencia)
The story of the Canal, from the failed French attempt to the handover to Panama. - Catedral Metropolitana (Plaza de la Independencia)
The restored cathedral on Casco Viejo's main square, with white towers inlaid with mother of pearl.
Things to Do
- Miraflores Locks Visitor Center (Miraflores)
Watch giant ships rise and fall through the Panama Canal locks from viewing terraces. - Amador Causeway (Amador)
A seaside promenade linking three islands, great for bike hire and watching ships queue for the Canal. - Isla Taboga (Ferry from Amador)
The island of flowers, a short ferry ride away, with a sleepy village and a calm beach. - Agua Clara Visitor Center (Colón)
A view over the newer, larger expanded Canal locks on the Atlantic side. - Portobelo (Colón Province)
Spanish forts, cannons and the Black Christ church on a sleepy Caribbean bay.
Nature and Outdoors
- Cerro Ancón (Ancón)
A short climb to a giant flag and the best view over the skyline, the Canal and Casco Viejo. - Parque Natural Metropolitano (Curundú)
A rainforest reserve inside the city with sloths, toucans and a lookout over the bay. - Pipeline Road (Soberanía National Park, Gamboa)
One of the most famous birdwatching trails in the world, an easy drive from the city. - Cinta Costera (Bella Vista)
The waterfront park for sunset walks, cycling and skyline views along the bay. - Monkey Island boat trips on Gatun Lake (Gamboa)
Small boats glide past capuchins and howler monkeys beside passing ships.
Restaurants
- Mercado de Mariscos (Avenida Balboa)
The city's fish market, where stalls serve cups of fresh ceviche and fried fish. - Donde José (Casco Antiguo)
A tiny tasting counter where chef José Olmedo Carles reinterprets Panamanian ingredients. - Maito (Coco del Mar)
A creative kitchen built on Panama's mix of Afro Caribbean, Indigenous and Chinese influences. - Fonda Lo Que Hay (Casco Antiguo)
A playful, informal take on Panamanian fonda cooking from the team behind Donde José. - El Trapiche (Vía Argentina)
A long-running spot for classic Panamanian breakfasts, sancocho and tamales. - Tântalo Kitchen (Casco Antiguo)
Small plates downstairs and one of Casco Viejo's best known rooftop bars upstairs.
Cafés
- Café Unido (Casco Antiguo)
A Panamanian coffee bar pouring local Geisha and other single origin beans. - Bajareque Coffee House (Casco Antiguo)
A small café serving coffee from a family farm in Boquete, brewed with care. - Granclement (Casco Antiguo)
French style ice cream and sorbets in tropical flavours, ideal for a hot afternoon.
Bars and Nightlife
- Casa Casco (Casco Antiguo)
A multi-level venue with a rooftop pool bar and skyline views. - La Rana Dorada (Casco Antiguo)
A friendly brewpub with Panamanian craft beer and a lively terrace. - Calle Uruguay (Bella Vista)
The street where locals go out, packed with bars and clubs on weekend nights.
Shopping and Markets
- Mercado de Artesanías de Panamá Viejo (Panamá Viejo)
Molas, Emberá baskets and carved tagua nuts sold by the people who make them. - Albrook Mall (Albrook)
One of the biggest malls in the Americas, next to the main bus terminal. - Avenida Central (Santa Ana)
The busy pedestrian shopping street for cheap clothes and street food; watch your bag.
Events
- Panama Carnival (City streets and Cinta Costera)
Four days of parades, music and water trucks before Ash Wednesday. - Panama Jazz Festival (City of Knowledge)
An annual January festival with free outdoor concerts and workshops. - Independence parades (Across the city)
Early November brings marching bands and flags for the national holidays.
Stays
- American Trade Hotel (Casco Antiguo)
A beautifully restored landmark hotel with a jazz club on the ground floor. - Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo (Casco Antiguo)
Luxury rooms and a rooftop facing the bay on the edge of the old town. - Canopy Tower (Soberanía National Park)
A converted radar tower turned birding lodge in the rainforest canopy.
Places to Visit in Bocas del Toro
Nature and Outdoors
- Starfish Beach (Boca del Drago, Isla Colón)
Calm shallow water where starfish rest on the sand; look but never touch. - Cayos Zapatilla (Bastimentos National Marine Park)
Two uninhabited islands with white sand and reef, the highlight of island tours. - Red Frog Beach (Isla Bastimentos)
A jungle-backed beach where tiny red poison dart frogs live in the forest. - Wizard Beach (Isla Bastimentos)
A long wild beach reached on a jungle trail; strong currents, so admire rather than swim. - Playa Bluff (Isla Colón)
A long surf beach where turtles nest in season, reached by bike or taxi.
Things to Do
- Dolphin Bay (Bahía de los Delfines)
Bottlenose dolphins often swim alongside boats in this sheltered bay. - Coral Cay (Isla Bastimentos)
Snorkel over coral gardens, then eat lunch at a restaurant on stilts. - Hospital Point (Isla Solarte)
An easy snorkelling spot with a wall of coral close to shore.
Arts and Culture
- Old Bank (Isla Bastimentos)
An Afro Caribbean village of wooden houses, Guari Guari creole and coconut cooking.
Restaurants
- Bibi's on the Beach (Isla Carenero)
An overwater restaurant with fresh seafood and sunset views back to town.
Cafés
- Johnny cake and patí vendors (Bocas Town streets)
Caribbean coconut bread and spiced meat pastries sold fresh in the mornings.
Stays
- Hotel Bocas del Toro (Bocas Town)
A wooden hotel on the water in the middle of town. - Tranquilo Bay (Isla Bastimentos)
An eco lodge for wildlife lovers, set between rainforest and reef.
Events
- Día de Bocas (Bocas Town)
Mid November festivities with parades and music celebrating the province.
Places to Visit in Boquete
Nature and Outdoors
- Sendero Los Quetzales (Volcán Barú National Park)
The cloud forest trail where the resplendent quetzal is often seen. - Volcán Barú (Volcán Barú National Park)
A night hike to Panama's highest summit for a sunrise view of two oceans. - Lost Waterfalls (Alto Quiel)
Three cloud forest waterfalls on a short but steep trail. - Pipeline Trail (Alto Chiquero)
A gentle stream walk to a giant fig tree and a quiet waterfall. - Caldera hot springs (Caldera)
Natural thermal pools beside a river, a short drive below Boquete. - Cerro Punta and Guadalupe (Chiriquí highlands)
Vegetable farms, strawberries and the gateway to Parque Internacional La Amistad.
Things to Do
- Boquete Tree Trek (Palmira)
Hanging bridges and ziplines through the forest canopy. - Finca Lérida (Alto Quiel)
A historic coffee estate offering tours and birdwatching above town. - Kotowa Coffee (Boquete)
Tours explain coffee growing and roasting on a family estate. - Chiriquí river rafting (Chiriquí and Chiriquí Viejo rivers)
Whitewater trips through gorges for beginners and experienced rafters.
Events
- Feria de las Flores y del Café (Boquete fairground)
January's flower and coffee fair along the Caldera River.
Cafés
- Café Ruiz (Boquete)
A long-established coffee company with tastings and tours.
Restaurants
- Mercado Municipal fondas (Town centre)
Hearty set lunches of rice, beans and stews at the market.
Stays
- Finca Lérida Coffee Plantation and Boutique Hotel (Alto Quiel)
Stay on a coffee estate with forest trails on the doorstep. - Valle Escondido (Boquete)
A resort-style hotel in a gated valley close to town.
Places to Visit in Guna Yala
Nature and Outdoors
- Isla Perro (Assudub) (Carti area)
Snorkel a sunken boat just off the beach of this tiny palm island. - Cayos Holandeses (Outer islands)
Remote reefs and sandbars with some of the clearest water in Guna Yala. - Piscina natural sandbar (Carti area)
A waist-deep sandbar in the open sea where starfish dot the bottom.
Stays
- Isla Chichime (Western Guna Yala)
A popular overnight island with simple cabins and a calm lagoon.
Arts and Culture
- Carti Sugdub (Carti)
A crowded community island where you can see daily Guna life with a local guide.
Shopping and Markets
- Mola sellers (Across the islands)
Buy molas directly from the Guna women who stitch them.
Things to Do
- Sailing trips through the islands (Guna Yala)
Multi-day sailboat trips hopping between anchorages.
Places to Visit in Pedasí
Nature and Outdoors
- Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge (Off Playa El Arenal)
A protected island with white sand, coral reef and nesting seabirds. - Playa Venao (South of Pedasí)
A curved surf bay with beginner-friendly waves and beach bars. - Isla de Cañas (Los Santos)
A community-run refuge where olive ridley turtles nest in season. - Cambutal (Tonosí)
A wild beach and surf village at the far south of Azuero.
Things to Do
- Whale watching trips (Pedasí coast)
Humpback whales pass close to shore from about July to October.
Cafés
- Pedasí panaderías (Pedasí)
Small bakeries selling fresh bread and pastries each morning.
Arts and Culture
- Las Tablas (Los Santos Province)
The town of the pollera dress and Panama's most famous Carnival. - Museo de la Nacionalidad (La Villa de Los Santos)
The house where Panama's first cry of independence from Spain was made.
Events
- Carnaval de Las Tablas (Las Tablas)
Rival streets battle with floats, queens and water trucks before Lent. - Festival de la Mejorana (Guararé)
A September festival of folk music, dance and traditional dress. - Corpus Christi and the Diablicos Sucios (La Villa de Los Santos)
Masked devil dancers fill the streets in a centuries-old tradition.
Shopping and Markets
- La Arena pottery workshops (Chitré)
Family workshops making traditional clay pottery.
Places to Visit in El Valle de Antón
Nature and Outdoors
- Chorro El Macho (El Valle de Antón)
A tall waterfall in the forest, with walking trails and a canopy line. - India Dormida (El Valle de Antón)
A ridge hike shaped like a sleeping woman, with views over the crater. - Pozos Termales (El Valle de Antón)
Small thermal pools and healing mud masks. - El Nispero Zoo (El Valle de Antón)
A small zoo and amphibian rescue centre focused on golden frogs.
Shopping and Markets
- El Valle Sunday Market (Town centre)
Crafts, plants, soapstone carvings and fresh produce, busiest on Sundays.
Arts and Culture
- Piedra Pintada (El Valle de Antón)
A boulder covered in ancient petroglyphs beside a stream.
Things to Do
- Canopy Adventure (El Valle de Antón)
Zipline over the Chorro El Macho waterfall.
Restaurants
- Market fondas (Town centre)
Simple local food stalls next to the market.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Mercado de Abastos (Avenida Ricardo J. Alfaro, Panama City)
The wholesale produce market, a real slice of local life and tropical fruit. - Restaurante Mi Salsa (Calidonia, Panama City)
A no-frills fonda serving rice, beans, stewed meats and fried plantain at local prices. - Diablicos (Casco Antiguo, Panama City)
Traditional Panamanian dishes in a room hung with devil masks, sometimes with folk dancing. - Selina Casco Viejo rooftop (Casco Antiguo, Panama City)
An easy rooftop for sunset views over the old town and the skyline. - Museo Afroantillano de Panamá (Calidonia, Panama City)
A small museum honouring the West Indian workers who built the railway and the Canal. - Emberá Drua village (Chagres National Park, Panama City)
Visit an Emberá community by dugout canoe up the Chagres River with a guide. - Gamboa Rainforest Reserve (Gamboa, Panama City)
An aerial tram, a lookout tower and wildlife exhibits on the edge of Soberanía. - Luna's Castle Hostel (Casco Antiguo, Panama City)
A sociable hostel in an old mansion, ideal for budget travellers. - Nivida Bat Cave (Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro)
A guided wade through a river cave full of bats, deep in the forest. - Green Acres Chocolate Farm (Dolphin Bay, Bocas del Toro)
A small cacao farm tour that follows chocolate from the pod to the bar. - Om Café (Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro)
Long-running Indian restaurant on the water, a Bocas favourite. - Fish market stalls (Bocas Town waterfront, Bocas del Toro)
Simple fried fish, patacones and coconut rice at local prices. - El Último Refugio (Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro)
Creative seafood served on a dock at the quiet end of town. - Raw Fusion (Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro)
Sushi and raw fish dishes on a deck over the water. - Bocas Bakery (Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro)
A breakfast stop for coffee, pastries and banana bread before the boat. - Selina Bocas del Toro (Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro)
A busy waterfront hostel bar with a swimming dock and sunset crowd. - Aqua Lounge (Isla Carenero, Bocas del Toro)
The famous over-the-water party bar with a swing and a trampoline. - The Bookstore Bar (Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro)
A little bar with live music, mixing locals and travellers. - Sweet Bocas (Isla San Cristóbal, Bocas del Toro)
Overwater bungalows in a quiet bay far from the town bustle. - Finca Dos Jefes (Alto Lino, Boquete)
An intimate coffee tour run by the farm's owners. - Mi Jardín es Su Jardín (Alto Boquete, Boquete)
A free private garden open to the public, bursting with flowers and odd sculptures. - Boquete Jazz and Blues Festival (Boquete, Boquete)
A music festival held in some years; check dates before you plan around it. - Boquete Tuesday Market (BCP community center, Boquete)
A community market with crafts, baking and local produce. - Boquete Coffee Roasters cafés (Town centre, Boquete)
Taste local Geisha coffee brewed by baristas in town. - The Rock (Palo Alto, Boquete)
A riverside restaurant serving local trout and highland produce. - Retrogusto (Boquete, Boquete)
Popular Italian food made with local ingredients. - Boquete Brewing Company (Boquete, Boquete)
A relaxed craft brewery with a garden by the river. - Hostal Boquete (Town centre, Boquete)
A simple budget base with river views. - Isla Aguja (Carti area, Guna Yala)
Guna-run cabins on a classic postcard island. - Isla Diablo (Carti area, Guna Yala)
Basic huts and hammocks on a tiny island with good swimming. - Achutupu (Eastern Guna Yala, Guna Yala)
A more traditional island area, reached by small plane or long boat ride. - Yandup Island Lodge (Playon Chico, Guna Yala)
A Guna-owned eco lodge with overwater cabins in the east. - Smiley's Restaurant (Pedasí, Pedasí)
Friendly bar food in the centre of town, a meeting point for travellers. - Panga restaurant (Playa Venao, Pedasí)
Fresh seafood and grilled fish right on the beach. - Selina Playa Venao (Playa Venao, Pedasí)
A beachfront hostel and hotel with surf lessons and yoga. - Casa de Campo Pedasí (Pedasí, Pedasí)
A small boutique guesthouse with gardens and a pool. - Los Mandarinos Boutique Spa and Hotel (El Valle de Antón, El Valle de Antón)
A spa hotel in the green crater.