{"id":1306304,"date":"2026-10-08T10:53:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T10:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?page_id=1306304"},"modified":"2026-10-12T13:56:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T13:56:58","slug":"panama","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/north-america\/panama\/","title":{"rendered":"Panama"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":200,"featured_media":0,"parent":1302043,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"hw-hub-country","meta":{"footnotes":"","hw_hub_hero_eyebrow":"","hw_hub_hero_h1":"","hw_hub_hero_intro":"","hw_hub_hero_image":"","hw_hub_hero_overlay":"","hw_hub_hero_cta":"","hw_hub_why_title":"","hw_hub_why_body":"","hw_hub_why_link_label":"","hw_hub_why_link_url":"","hw_hub_why_cards":"","hw_hub_stats":"","hw_hub_countries_title":"","hw_hub_countries_intro":"","hw_hub_featured":"","hw_hub_regions":"","hw_hub_hostels_title":"","hw_hub_hostels_intro":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_label":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_url":"","hw_hub_hostels_source":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_type":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_id":"","hw_hub_hostels_currency":"","hw_hub_hostels_count":"","hw_hub_hostels_cache":"","hw_hub_hostels":"","hw_hub_when_title":"","hw_hub_when_intro":"","hw_hub_seasons":"","hw_hub_costs_title":"","hw_hub_costs_body":"","hw_hub_cost_rows":"","hw_hub_cost_note":"","hw_hub_money_reads":"","hw_hub_rail_title":"","hw_hub_rail_body":"","hw_hub_rail_link_label":"","hw_hub_rail_link_url":"","hw_hub_rail_image":"","hw_hub_routes":"","hw_hub_events_title":"","hw_hub_events_intro":"","hw_hub_events_source":"","hw_hub_events_continent":"","hw_hub_events_count":"","hw_hub_events_cache":"","hw_hub_events_cta_label":"","hw_hub_events_cta_url":"","hw_hub_events":"","hw_hub_events_pills":"","hw_hub_reads_intro":"","hw_hub_article_rows":"","hw_hub_show_read_time":"","hw_hub_all_title":"","hw_hub_all_body":"","hw_hub_all_cta":"","hw_hub_trips_title":"","hw_hub_trips_note":"","hw_hub_trips":"","hw_hub_faq_title":"","hw_hub_faq_note":"","hw_hub_faqs":"","hw_hub_cta_title":"","hw_hub_cta_body":"","hw_hub_cta_buttons":"","hw_hub_newsletter_title":"","hw_hub_newsletter_body":"","hw_hub_newsletter_shortcode":"","hw_hub_hub_term":"","hw_hub_scope_rows":"","hw_hub_country_hero_eyebrow":"Panama country guide","hw_hub_country_hero_h1":"Things to do in Panama","hw_hub_country_hero_intro":"A canal that changed world trade, an archipelago on each coast, and the only place you can watch the sun rise over the Pacific and set over the Atlantic.","hw_hub_country_hero_image":"1307904","hw_hub_country_hero_overlay":"medium","hw_hub_country_hero_cta":"Pick a place | #cities\r\nWhat it costs | #money","hw_hub_country_stats":"\u20ac12 | Dorm bed, from\r\n80km | The canal, ocean to ocean\r\n$ | US dollars, alongside the balboa\r\n365 | Islands in San Blas","hw_hub_country_intro_title":"Where the continent narrows to fifty kilometres","hw_hub_country_intro_body":"Panama is the isthmus, and everything about it follows from that. The canal cut through it in 1914, the country uses the US dollar, and Panama City has a skyline that looks more like Miami than Central America, with glass towers on one side of the bay and the restored colonial Casco Viejo on the other.\r\n\r\nBeyond the city, Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean is an archipelago of islands, surf and a long-staying backpacker scene. Boquete in the highlands has coffee, cloud forest and a cooler climate. Santa Catalina is the surf and diving town on the Pacific, with Coiba national park offshore.\r\n\r\nSan Blas, or Guna Yala, is the one people remember: 365 islands governed autonomously by the Guna people, reached by 4x4 and boat, where you sleep in a hammock or a basic cabin on an island with a dozen palm trees.\r\n\r\nTwo to three weeks covers it.","hw_hub_country_facts":"Language | Spanish. English is common in Panama City and Bocas\r\nCurrency | US dollar, alongside the balboa which is pegged to it\r\nEmergency | 911\r\nTap water | Drinkable in Panama City and most of the country, not in Bocas\r\nTipping | 10% in restaurants\r\nGuna Yala | Autonomous territory with its own rules and fees\r\nHow long to stay | Two to three weeks\r\nBest months | December to April, the dry season","hw_hub_country_cities_title":"Where to go","hw_hub_country_cities_intro":"Buses cover the country cheaply. Domestic flights save long days to Bocas and the Dari\u00e9n side.","hw_hub_country_cities_live":"1","hw_hub_country_cities":"Panama City | Skyline, canal locks and the restored colonial Casco Viejo, all in one city. |  | 1307326 | I've been coming here going through the airport and never stopping and going into the city so I decided to stop and come and see the old town area and it's just beautiful beautiful culture beautiful music beautiful people everything's been wonderful here | \nBocas del Toro | A Caribbean archipelago with surf, islands and the longest-staying backpacker crowd in Panama. |  | 1307324 | Enjoyed our time in Bocas Del Toro. We stayed on 3 of the islands there. Bocas Town had the most to see and do, Bastimentos had the monkeys and sloths, and Solarte was good for doing nothing! | \nBoquete | Highland coffee country: cloud forest, hiking and cool nights. |  | 1308056 | Boquete ia a perfect option for relaxation, coffee and mountain views. It's a welcoming little town you want to visit. | \nSan Blas | Guna Yala: 365 islands run autonomously by the Guna, reached by 4x4 and boat. |  | 1307328 |  | \nSanta Catalina | A Pacific surf town, and the departure point for diving at Coiba. |  | 1308057 | Great area as yet unspoilt. Divers and snorkeling paradise. Nice restaurants cafe and bars within walking distance. | \nEl Valle de Ant\u00f3n | A town inside a volcanic crater, two hours from the capital, with waterfalls and hiking. |  | 1307325 | Chill vibes. Nice atmosphere. A surprising amount of things to do for such a small place. Very safe. Friendly people. Good if you're into hiking and nature | \nPedas\u00ed | Azuero coast base for Isla Iguana snorkelling, whales in season and surf at Playa Venao. |  | 1308058 |  | \nPortobelo | Spanish forts on a Caribbean bay, Congo culture and boats to Isla Mamey and beyond. |  | 1307327 |  | \nBoca Chica | Quiet fishing village and the gateway to the Gulf of Chiriqu\u00ed islands and reefs. |  | 1308059 |  | ","hw_hub_country_trips_title":"What kind of trip is this?","hw_hub_country_trips_intro":"Panama is islands, surf and one very good city, with a canal that explains the whole country.","hw_hub_country_trip_types":"Beach | sunset | sunglasses | An archipelago on each coast. | Island-hop in Bocas del Toro; Sleep on a San Blas island; Red Frog Beach | Bocas del Toro; San Blas; Santa Catalina | Bocas del Toro; San Blas | beach\nCity break | blue | city | Panama City deserves three days, which surprises people. | Casco Viejo on foot; Miraflores locks; A rooftop looking at the skyline | Casco Viejo; Cinta Costera; Amador | Panama City | city-break\nAdventure | green | backpack | Cloud forest, surf and diving at Coiba. | Hike the Quetzal Trail at Boquete; Dive Coiba; Surf Santa Catalina | Boquete; Coiba; Santa Catalina | Boquete; Santa Catalina | adventure\nCulture | purple | culture | Guna autonomy, Afro-Caribbean coast and canal history. | Stay with a Guna family in San Blas; Casco Viejo's architecture; The canal museum | San Blas; Casco Viejo; Portobelo | San Blas; Panama City | culture\nFood | sunset | local-markets | Seafood, sancocho and excellent coffee. | Ceviche at the fish market; Sancocho, the national stew; Geisha coffee in Boquete | Mercado de Mariscos; Boquete; Casco Viejo | Panama City; Boquete | food\nNightlife | pink | nightclub | Casco Viejo rooftops and Bocas beach bars. | Casco Viejo rooftop bars; Bocas town on a Friday; Filthy Friday, if you must | Casco Viejo; Bocas town | Panama City; Bocas del Toro | nightlife","hw_hub_country_do_title":"Things to do in Panama","hw_hub_country_do_body":"The canal is the obvious start, and the Miraflores visitor centre lets you watch ships rise and fall through the locks; go when a transit is scheduled rather than on spec, as the schedule is published.\r\n\r\nCasco Viejo, the restored colonial quarter, is the best few hours in Panama City: crumbling and renovated buildings side by side, rooftop bars looking back at the skyline, and the old sea wall.\r\n\r\nSan Blas is the trip people talk about afterwards. The islands are Guna territory, visited on organised trips from Panama City with a 4x4 transfer and boat, staying in basic cabins or hammocks. There is no electricity to speak of, the fish is caught that morning, and the Guna charge their own fees because it is their land.\r\n\r\nBocas del Toro is where travellers get stuck: islands linked by water taxis, surf breaks, and a social scene that runs all week.","hw_hub_country_do_points":"Miraflores locks | Go when a transit is scheduled. The timetable is published\r\nCasco Viejo | The colonial quarter, and the best few hours in the capital\r\nSan Blas | Guna territory. Organised trips, basic cabins, no electricity\r\nBocas del Toro | Islands by water taxi, and easy to stay longer than planned","hw_hub_country_do_tag":"things-to-do","hw_hub_country_do_more":"All things to do in Panama","hw_hub_country_food_title":"Eating in Panama","hw_hub_country_food_body":"Sancocho is the national dish, a chicken and root vegetable soup with culantro, eaten as a cure for most things including hangovers.\r\n\r\nThe Mercado de Mariscos in Panama City is the essential stop: a working fish market with a row of stalls upstairs serving ceviche in plastic cups for \u20ac3 to \u20ac5, and it is the best cheap eating in the city.\r\n\r\nFondas and local restaurants serve a plate of rice, beans, plantain and meat for \u20ac4 to \u20ac7, against \u20ac12 to \u20ac20 in Casco Viejo restaurants a few streets away.\r\n\r\nBoquete is coffee country and grows Geisha, among the most expensive coffee in the world, with farm tours that let you taste it at a fraction of what it costs abroad.","hw_hub_country_food_points":"Sancocho | Chicken and root vegetable soup. The national dish and hangover cure\r\nMercado de Mariscos | Ceviche for \u20ac3\u20135 in the capital. The best cheap eating\r\nFondas | \u20ac4\u20137 for a full plate, against \u20ac12\u201320 in Casco Viejo\r\nGeisha coffee | Grown around Boquete and worth tasting at source","hw_hub_country_food_tag":"food","hw_hub_country_food_more":"All food guides for Panama","hw_hub_country_nightlife_title":"Going out in Panama","hw_hub_country_nightlife_body":"Casco Viejo is Panama City's nightlife: rooftop bars looking at the skyline across the bay, cocktail places in restored colonial buildings, and a mix of Panamanians, expats and travellers. Prices are higher than the rest of Central America, at \u20ac5 to \u20ac9 for a cocktail, and it is worth a night.\r\n\r\nBocas del Toro runs a backpacker circuit with a different bar each night of the week, including Filthy Friday, a boat-based crawl with a reputation that precedes it.\r\n\r\nElsewhere things are quieter. Boquete has a few bars and an early-to-bed crowd, and Santa Catalina is surfers and not much else.\r\n\r\nBalboa and Atlas are the local beers at \u20ac1.50 to \u20ac3, and seco is the national spirit.","hw_hub_country_nightlife_points":"Casco Viejo | Rooftops and cocktail bars. \u20ac5\u20139 a drink\r\nBocas | A different bar each night, and a boat crawl on Fridays\r\nBeer | Balboa and Atlas, \u20ac1.50\u20133\r\nElsewhere | Quiet. Boquete and Santa Catalina are early nights","hw_hub_country_nightlife_tag":"nightlife","hw_hub_country_nightlife_more":"All nightlife guides for Panama","hw_hub_country_transport_title":"Getting around Panama","hw_hub_country_transport_body":"Long-distance buses run from Albrook terminal in Panama City to everywhere, cheaply: David is seven hours, Boquete eight, and Almirante for Bocas about ten. Night buses cover the long legs and are cold enough that a jumper is not optional.\r\n\r\nFor Bocas, the bus goes to Almirante and then a water taxi takes thirty minutes to Bocas town. Flying from Panama City takes an hour and costs \u20ac80 to \u20ac140.\r\n\r\nPanama City has a metro, which is clean and cheap, plus Uber, which is the easiest way around the city.\r\n\r\nSan Blas is reached only on organised transport: a 4x4 from Panama City at around 5am, then a boat. Guna Yala charges its own entry fees on arrival, payable in cash.","hw_hub_country_transport_points":"Albrook terminal | Buses to everywhere, cheaply. Night services on long legs\r\nBocas | Bus to Almirante then a 30-minute water taxi, or fly for \u20ac80\u2013140\r\nUber | The easiest way around Panama City\r\nSan Blas | 4x4 and boat on organised transport only. Cash for Guna fees","hw_hub_country_transport_tag":"transport","hw_hub_country_transport_more":"All transport guides for Panama","hw_hub_country_money_title":"What Panama costs","hw_hub_country_money_body":"Panama sits in the middle of the Central American range: more than Nicaragua, less than Costa Rica. Dorms start around \u20ac12, fonda meals are \u20ac4 to \u20ac7, and buses are cheap.\r\n\r\nA day comes to \u20ac30 to \u20ac50, with Panama City and Bocas above that and everywhere else below.\r\n\r\nThe costs to plan for are San Blas trips at \u20ac120 to \u20ac250 for two or three days including transport, food and Guna fees, and diving at Coiba at \u20ac100 to \u20ac160 a day.\r\n\r\nThe country uses the US dollar, which removes exchange questions entirely. Cards work in cities; San Blas and the smaller islands are cash-only, and there are no ATMs in Guna Yala at all.","hw_hub_country_money_points":"Dorm bed | From \u20ac12\r\nA day, all in | \u20ac30\u201350\r\nSan Blas | \u20ac120\u2013250 for two or three days, all inclusive\r\nCash for San Blas | No ATMs in Guna Yala. Take everything you need","hw_hub_country_money_tag":"budget","hw_hub_country_money_more":"All budget guides for Panama","hw_hub_country_safety_title":"Staying safe in Panama","hw_hub_country_safety_body":"Panama is generally safe for travellers, with Panama City requiring city sense: some neighbourhoods near Casco Viejo change character within a block or two, so take Uber at night rather than walking, and keep phones out of sight.\r\n\r\nThe Dari\u00e9n Gap on the Colombian border is a genuine no-go. It is jungle with no road, controlled in parts by armed groups and used by migration routes, and every government advises against travel there. There is no overland crossing to Colombia: you fly or take a boat.\r\n\r\nIn Bocas, water taxis at night have had accidents, and drownings occur at beaches with strong currents and no lifeguards, particularly Red Frog and Playa Bluff.\r\n\r\nSandflies in Bocas are a genuine nuisance and their bites can become infected.","hw_hub_country_safety_points":"Emergency | 911\r\nThe Dari\u00e9n Gap | No overland crossing to Colombia. Fly or take a boat\r\nPanama City | Neighbourhoods change fast. Take Uber at night\r\nBocas currents | Strong at Red Frog and Playa Bluff, with no lifeguards","hw_hub_country_safety_tag":"safety","hw_hub_country_safety_more":"All safety guides for Panama","hw_hub_country_entry_title":"Entry and documents","hw_hub_country_entry_body":"Most European, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens enter visa-free for 90 to 180 days depending on nationality.\r\n\r\nPanama enforces two requirements more strictly than its neighbours: proof of onward travel, checked by airlines at boarding, and occasionally proof of funds: officially US$1,000 or equivalent, or a credit card.\r\n\r\nPassports need three to six months' validity depending on nationality.\r\n\r\nSan Blas is Guna Yala, an autonomous territory with its own administration, and you pay entry fees to the Guna on arrival, in cash, separately from whatever your tour costs.","hw_hub_country_entry_points":"Visa-free | 90\u2013180 days depending on nationality\r\nOnward travel | Enforced, and checked by airlines at boarding\r\nProof of funds | Occasionally requested. US$1,000 or a credit card\r\nGuna Yala fees | Paid in cash on arrival in San Blas, separate from tour costs","hw_hub_country_entry_tag":"travel-tips","hw_hub_country_entry_more":"All travel tips for Panama","hw_hub_country_season_title":"When to go","hw_hub_country_season_intro":"December to April is the dry season on the Pacific side. Bocas and the Caribbean coast follow their own pattern and can be wet at any time.","hw_hub_country_season_note":"Average highs for Panama City. Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean has no reliable dry season and often gets its clearest weather in September and October, when the Pacific side is wettest. Boquete in the highlands is much cooler and misty year-round.","hw_hub_country_season_rows":"January | 31 | 5 | Peak dry season. Best weather and busiest\r\nFebruary | 31 | 5 | Excellent. Dry and breezy\r\nMarch | 32 | 5 | Hot and dry. Still peak\r\nApril | 32 | 4 | Dry season ending. Very hot\r\nMay | 31 | 3 | Rainy season starts. Afternoon storms\r\nJune | 31 | 3 | Wet afternoons, and often a drier spell in Bocas\r\nJuly | 31 | 3 | Similar. Good Pacific surf\r\nAugust | 31 | 3 | Wet on the Pacific side. Whale season\r\nSeptember | 30 | 2 | Wettest stretch. Bocas often clearer\r\nOctober | 30 | 2 | Still wet. Quiet and cheap\r\nNovember | 30 | 2 | The wettest month in much of the country\r\nDecember | 30 | 4 | Dry season returns and prices climb over the holidays","hw_hub_country_budget_title":"What your trip will cost","hw_hub_country_budget_intro":"Pick how you travel and how long for. Per night, for one person, in euro equivalents of US dollars.","hw_hub_country_budget_note":"San Blas trips at \u20ac120\u2013250 for two or three days and Coiba diving at \u20ac100\u2013160 a day sit outside these figures.","hw_hub_country_budget_rows":"Shoestring | 12 | 10 | 5 | 6\r\nMiddle of the road | 22 | 22 | 10 | 20\r\nComfortable | 40 | 42 | 18 | 40","hw_hub_country_budget_currency":"\u20ac","hw_hub_country_events_title":"What is on while you are there","hw_hub_country_events_intro":"Carnival is the biggest week of the Panamanian year and the whole country takes it off.","hw_hub_country_events_source":"api","hw_hub_country_events_country":"panama","hw_hub_country_events_count":"8","hw_hub_country_events_cache":"24","hw_hub_country_events_cta_label":"All events in Panama","hw_hub_country_events_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/events\/north-america\/panama\/","hw_hub_country_events":"Carnaval | February or March | Las Tablas \u00b7 Panama City | Four days before Lent, with Las Tablas the most famous. The country effectively closes. |  | \nWhale season | July to October | Pacific coast \u00b7 Pearl Islands | Humpbacks calving in the Gulf of Panama. |  | \nFestival de Diablos y Congos | February, even years | Portobelo | Afro-Caribbean masked festival on the Caribbean coast. |  | \nIndependence days | November | Nationwide | Several separate holidays across the month, with parades and drumming. |  | \nDry season | December to April | Pacific side | The best weather for the capital, the Pacific coast and the highlands. |  | \nCoiba diving season | December to April | Santa Catalina | Clearest visibility for the national park's dive sites. |  | ","hw_hub_country_hostels_title":"Where to stay in Panama","hw_hub_country_hostels_intro":"The highest-rated hostels in the country, live from Hostelworld. Panama City, Bocas del Toro and Boquete have the most.","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_label":"All hostels in Panama","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/north-america\/panama\/","hw_hub_country_hostels_source":"api","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_type":"country","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_id":"163","hw_hub_country_hostels_currency":"EUR","hw_hub_country_hostels_count":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels_cache":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels":"","hw_hub_country_team_title":"","hw_hub_country_team_intro":"","hw_hub_country_team":"","hw_hub_country_faq_title":"Panama travel questions","hw_hub_country_faq_note":"The ones we get asked most.","hw_hub_country_faqs":"Can I travel overland from Panama to Colombia? | No. The Dari\u00e9n Gap is roadless jungle, controlled in parts by armed groups and used by migration routes, and every government advises against travel there. You fly, or take a multi-day sailing boat via San Blas.\r\nWhat is San Blas like? | An archipelago of 365 islands in Guna Yala, an autonomous Guna territory, reached by 4x4 and boat on organised trips. You sleep in a basic cabin or hammock, there is no real electricity, the fish is caught that morning, and the Guna charge their own fees in cash.\r\nHow long do you need in Panama? | Two to three weeks for Panama City, Bocas del Toro, Boquete and San Blas. The country is small but bus legs are long: Panama City to Bocas is about ten hours plus a water taxi.\r\nIs Panama expensive? | Mid-range for Central America: more than Nicaragua, less than Costa Rica. Dorms from \u20ac12, fonda meals \u20ac4 to \u20ac7, and a day around \u20ac30 to \u20ac50. Panama City and Bocas run higher.\r\nDoes Panama use the dollar? | Yes, alongside the balboa which is pegged to it one to one and circulates as coins. No exchange needed for anyone carrying dollars.\r\nWhen should I go? | December to April for the dry season on the Pacific side and the highlands. Bocas del Toro follows its own pattern and is often at its clearest in September and October, when everywhere else is wettest.\r\nIs Panama City worth time? | Three days, yes. Casco Viejo's restored colonial quarter, the Miraflores canal locks when a transit is scheduled, the fish market for ceviche, and rooftop bars looking back at a skyline that belongs somewhere else entirely.","hw_hub_country_cta_title":"Say yes to hostels, meet the world","hw_hub_country_cta_body":"Compare hostels across Panama: live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. Then meet the people already there in the app.","hw_hub_country_cta_buttons":"Find hostels in Panama | https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/north-america\/panama\/\r\nGet the app | https:\/\/hostelworld.onelink.me\/IdiK\/f5a50nhd","hw_hub_country_newsletter_title":"Get the good stuff monthly","hw_hub_country_newsletter_body":"New city guides, deals and route ideas. No 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