Guide to Panama City, Panama

Panama! 

Known as one of the seven wonders of the industrial world, most people come to Panama to view the famous Panama Canal, a waterway in Panama that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans while also separating the Northern and Southern American continents. Watching some of the world’s largest ships pass through the Canal is a sight to see to say the least, but Panama has much more to see. I visited in June of 2022 with some of my friends. See below for my recommendations and tips!

Food

  1. El Caribe
    • Owned and operated by a Black woman that attended Howard University, this restaurant sets itself apart. My friends got curry chicken, honey and lemon wings and oxtail. They said it was the best that EACH has had in their lives. I had sea bass that was half grilled and half fried and it was so good I ordered another plate right after eating the first (with a different sauce). It too was the best fish I had in my life. This place is highly recommended and the owner is opening one up in Barcelona, Spain next year. 
  2. Avantika Cocina Tailandesa and Lounge
    • If you know me, you know I love Thai Food. This ended up being the best Curry I had in my life. I had the Jungle Curry with a spice level of 8 (7 and higher is extremely spicy and 10 is Thai spicy). I ended up going back the next day for dinner and had the Drunken Noodles at the Thai Spicy level. Not as good as the curry but still was amazing.
  3. Keene’s
    • This is a famous, woman owned, ice cream spot in Panama City known for offering vegan and gluten free options in addition to traditional ice cream and gelato flavors. The name lived up to the hype and we even met the owner who was extremely nice.
  4. El Trapiche
    • El Trapiche is known for using fresh, local ingredients to create tasty Panamanian food. The three founders each come from different regions of Panama and thus bringing their own culture and family recipes to the menu. This place I went here for breakfast/brunch. Come here for a taste of authentic Panamanian cuisine.
  5. Planticeria
    • This 100% plant based restaurant SLAPS. Went here twice during my time here and would definitely come back next time in Panama. 
  6. Al Basha
    • A restaurant and hookah lounge that offers food from a wide variety of nationalities. Highly recommend for a chill spot to watch sports 

Things to Do

  1. Monkey Island and Native Barrio Tour
    • On this tour, we traveled through the Panama Canal, visited an Indigenous village, and got to see crocodiles, bats, and monkeys (amongst other animals), in Panama’s Gamboa Rainforest Reserve. This was an unforgettable excursion and highly recommended. See here for the Monkey Island and Indigenous Village Tour.
  2. San Blas Islas
    • There are about 378 islands within the San Blas archipelago and approximately 50 of them are inhabited. We did a day trip and visited four of the islands. We had a 5am pickup by our driver, a 3ish hour driver to the region and then hopped on boats to the islands where we enjoyed the breezes, snorkeled, mingled with the Natives, swam in the Caribbean Sea (one of my friends kayaked from one of the islands to another), and of course ate and drank. See here for a list of various San Blas Island Tours.
  3. Miraflores Watch Center
    • This was about a 10-15 minute Uber from our AirBnb. Make sure to go see the Panama Canal here as opposed to location on Uber that will charge you around $20 USD. The Uber ride should only be $3 USD. We got here, paid $10 to get in and observed the museum at the Watch Center then at the roofdeck we were able to watch vessels pass through the Canal.
  4. Nightlife
    • Casco Antiguo (Old Quarter) is where most foreigners go out. This area was ok but I highly recommend talking to Locals on places to party at night if you want to avoid the tourists. The El Cangrejo area is more fun and less touristy. In addition to a vibrant nightlife, this neighborhood has a variety fo restaurants and bars for daytime activities.
  5. Albrook Mall
    • This is the largest mall in the Americas. I did not get a chance to go personally, but the mall has over 700 stores, restaurants and services. If you love malls/to shop this is a must see.
  6. San Miguel
    • San Miguel is a rougher neighborhood that is nice to check out during the day. There are a bunch of street vendors and shops and its worth seeing the real Panama City aka the Hood and non touristy spots. We went at night and that is a whole different story but we were fine during the daytime.

Plants and Passports