Panama City Panama Tourism & Travel Information Hotels Tours Airport Transfers

Panama City					Panama

Panama City Travel Information

About Panama

Panama is located between Costa Rica and Colombia, the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Along this fringe is found the Panama Canal, an architectural marvel which unites the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (see map of Panama).

Panama Cityis the capital of the Republic of Panama and it is located next to the outlet of the Panama Canal towards the Pacific Ocean. It is the nation’s political, administrative and cultural center.

Panama City is made up of three zones: Old Panama where lay the ruins of the first city destroyed by the greed of the pirate Morgan (16th century), the Old Compound (Casco Viejo) with its colonial buildings from the 17th century and the modern cosmopolitan metropolis with skyscrapers and with its own prosperous commercial and financial district.

The modern Panama City has developed significantly since 1999, when the nation took control of the Panama Canal. It offers shopping centers, hotels, banks, duty-free markets and diverse tourist attractions (see Tours).

Panama offers many islands and beaches on the Pacific Ocean and on the Caribbean Sea (see pictures).

Hotels in Panama

Hotels in Panama present a wide array of options, from the modest but with personalized attention to the high category and luxurious.

The main hotels in Panama belong to the large international chains and include all types of services. They have been designed with the business traveler’s and demanding tourist’s needs in mind.

The hotels in Panama City, both first level and the most economic are located, for the most part, to the north of the financial/commercial district, a few blocks from the modern center along the Central-España Avenue.

Outside the Panama City, there are hotels with "All inclusive" plans in the beach zones and ecological hotels within the virgin tropical forests. Low cost hostels can also be found (see prices).

Tours in Panama

The tours in Panama are oriented towards those who wish to visit ancient buildings, go shopping, visit the Panama Canal, experience the autochthonous forests and enjoy the islands and beaches.

Old Panama is located 8 kilometers from the center of the Panama City. The Our Lady of Ascension Cathedral, the San José Convent, and the Town Hall, are some of the remains from the first city. There the National Market of Handicrafts offer their products at good prices.

Colonial Panama sticks out of the Old Compound where the Spanish, French and Italian constructions converge, such as the “Bóvedas” (Vault) (ancient prison), the “Arco Chato” (Flat Arch), several churches and museums, some converted today into art galleries, theaters, restaurants and discotheques.

The Panama Canal measures approximately 80 kilometers between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Between 13 and 14 thousand ships use its floodgate system every year. A mini cruise can be taken to travel along it and then go through the Miraflores Visitors Center to see how it operates.

Along the length of the Pacific coast, just a few minutes from the Panama City, begins a chain of precious beaches such as Punta Chame, Gorgona, Coronado, Río Mar, Santa Clara and Playa Blanca.

The impressive Metropolitan Natural Park, located between the capital’s urban area, houses tropical forests splashed by the color of butterflies and birds.

Taboga Island, an hour and a half boat ride away, is a refuge for wild species, particularly marine birds, immersed in a space of flowers and exuberant vegetation.

Contadora Island is another paradise belonging to the Las Perlas Archipelago, located about 30 nautical miles from the Panama City. It is a residential area with a runway and two hotels.

Colon City is located at the entrance of the Panama Canal in the Caribbean sector, 80 kilometers from the Panama City. It has the 2nd largest Free Zone in the world and the 1st in the Western Hemisphere. It offers magnificent beaches and islands in its surroundings, such as Isla Grande, Nombre de Dios, Playa Langosta and Palenque.

Car Rental in Panama

Renting a car in Panama is a good option for the tourist who wants to travel the region on his/her own.

Access by air to the Panama City is realized through the Tocumen International Airport, located 20 kilometers from the center and accessible via a modern highway. Within the building there are car rental agencies and authorized taxi services.

Panama City also counts on an airport for domestic and international flights on a lower scale, known as the Marco A. Gelabert Airport, located in the former Albrook military base in the central zone.

Taxi service is inexpensive and functions as a rate by zone system. Many operate in a shared form, for which it is necessary to clarify with the driver the exclusive use and the cost.

The city buses travel along the Central-España Via with different itineraries. From the Albrook Bus Terminal there are services towards all parts of the country, even San José de Costa Rica.

Panama possesses an efficient highway system, such as the Panamericana and the Transístmica highways, which unite Colon City with the capital. The Panama City Railroad also connects both cities, including trips along the canal and the forest.

A great number of cruise ships cross the Panama Canal, stopping at its ports to make visits on dry land, additionally there are ferry and catamaran services to the islands of Taboga and Contadora.

Tourist Information about Panama

Tourist information about Panama can be obtained at the Instituto Panameño de Turismo (IPAT – Panama Tourism Institute) with offices in the ATLAPA Conventions Center on Israel Avenue in the Panama City, at the airport or by calling Info-turística (Tourist information) at 226-7000.

Before traveling, the tourist should consult with the Panama consulate or embassy in their country for information about their migrating situation. The tourist card costs US$5 and the airport’s exit tax costs US$20.

Credit cards are accepted in the hotels, and in most of the stores and restaurants in Panama City.

The hotel tax is 10% (sometimes not included in the cost). The added value tax for products and services (ITBM), except for food and medicine, is 5%. A 10% tip is advised at restaurants and bars.

Panama relies upon an outstanding level of security, but as in all parts of the world, avoid dark and far off places, like the Old Compound, at night. Colon City, outside the Free Zone, is not a good place for tourists whether day or night.

The sanitary conditions in the country are good, including drinkable water although it is always best to drink bottled water.

The rainy season extends from May to December. During the dry season, the trade winds constantly keep the air fresh.