A typical first trip here runs about $550 to $750 per person for 7 days at a mid-range style, before flights. Get your own number from the Budget Calculator.
- Sancocho, chicken soup with yuca and culantro; considered Panama's national dish
- Ropa vieja, shredded beef stew with peppers and tomatoes
- Patacones, fried green plantain chips served with ceviche or guacamole
- Yuca frita and carimañolas (yuca fritters with meat), popular street snacks
- Seco herrerano, Panamanian sugarcane spirit, the traditional local drink
- Carnival (February), Panama City and Las Tablas have spectacular celebrations
- Independence from Colombia (November 3), Panama's national day
- Panama Canal, one of the engineering wonders of the modern world
- Kuna/Guna Yala Indigenous culture, vibrant mola textile art tradition
Spanish is official. English is widely spoken in Panama City and Bocas del Toro, Panama has strong US business and cultural ties.
The country uses the US dollar as its currency. Panamanians are warm and internationally minded.
- Panamanians are friendly and business-oriented, both cultures mix here
- Panama hats actually come from Ecuador, not Panama, don't make that mistake
- Tipping 10% is standard in restaurants
- San Blas Islands require permission and are governed by Guna people, respect their rules
Latest for Panama
Updates for Panama will appear here as they are published. Every update cites official sources, so you can plan on it.