It’s been a slow couple of weeks for our blog. It isn’t that we don’t have anything to write about during our last month in Panama City…it’s more that there really hasn’t been any one thing deserving of its own post!
But now that we are gearing up to return to the USA, we figured we’d get everyone up to speed on what we’ve been up to for the last month.
We’ve been enjoying our time in Panama City, even if we aren’t city people at heart.
Having grocery stores with a good selection is nice.
Having easy, cheap local transportation is nice.
Having so many points of interest in and around the city is nice.
And having GIGANTIC malls with cheap food options and air-conditioned walking opportunities is REALLY nice.
Let us show you what we mean.
Getting Around Panama City
Getting around in Panama City is actually pretty easy.
Uber is a reasonably priced option here, but honestly, we really haven’t needed it since we moved into our own Airbnb.
Safe and clean, for $0.35 USD for a ride on the subway and $0.25 USD per ride on city buses, you can go pretty much everywhere you want to go.
The Panama City Metro System is similar to metro systems you may already know. If you want, you can get a metro card (for $2 USD) that you charge with money to use on buses and the subway.
If getting a metro card doesn’t make sense, then you have to purchase individual tickets with a markup on the fare. Unless you are only needing a couple of rides during your stay, getting a card is usually the way to go!
The subway comprises only two connecting rail lines, with an additional mini-line that delivers you to Tocumen International Airport.
Panama Metro. (2023, August 13). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Metro
The subway doesn’t go everywhere like in some metro systems, but the city buses make up for that. Google Maps has the entire metro system represented, so finding bus stops and knowing where the buses go is a simple thing to figure out.
And of course, there is always walking.
Not the easiest thing to do in Panama City, which has a pretty inconsistent system of sidewalks and crosswalks. Thankfully, pretty much all of our basic needs could be accessed by foot without too much difficulty, which made day-to-day living convenient.
Supermarket Options
From our Airbnb, we had access to three good supermarket chains for food:
Supermercado Riba Smith – Excellent variety and quality, with many North American/European brands represented. Reasonable prices compared to other local chains, although you’ll pay dearly for anything that isn’t sourced in Central America. It reminded me a little of Whole Paycheck Foods in the United States, though with a less-inflated superiority complex.
Supermercado Rey – Has all of the Central American brands and some from further afield. Slightly cheaper than Riba Smith on some things, but with a bit less selection. Always worth a visit though, as their sales are often better than Riba Smith’s.
Super 99 – Our personal favorite. Similar selection to Supermercado Rey, with seemingly deeper local brand representation. And noticeably cheaper on almost everything! Sadly, the only Super 99 we have consistent access to is in the Albrook Mall, which takes a trip on the subway to reach. Thankfully the Albrook National Bus Station is also connected to the mall, so our day trips often allowed us Super 99 access with no additional effort.
A “Normal” Day in Panama City
If we aren’t planning a special day trip, our day-to-day lives are pretty chill.
We start the day early whenever our eyes open in the morning, usually around 6 am. We fire up a pot (or two) of coffee, work on our Spanish language studies, and catch up on recent events.
Before noon, we usually decide what we will be doing in the late morning and early afternoon.
If we stay near the apartment and do internet work, we usually eat lunch at home. However, we might walk to nearby supermarkets to stretch our legs and stock up on supplies.
But often we decide to head out by subway to Albrook Mall to walk a couple of miles in the MASSIVE air-conditioned facility. Albrook Mall is the 2nd largest in the Americas, to give you a sense of how big it is.
There be dinosaurs at Albrook Mall!
And when lunchtime comes around, we can choose from one of THREE food court areas for some pretty cheap eats by Panama City standards (around $5 USD per lunch). National and well-known international fast-food chains are represented. But we usually eat at the national chains because it is much easier to eat healthy whole food.
By the time we get home, it is usually around 2 pm. We might take a nap for an hour, then do personal interest projects. Or we fit in a resistance band workout if it is an exercise day.
Dinners are usually eaten at the apartment as prices are pretty expensive at restaurants in Panama City. $15 USD per person is a modest dinner out by city standards, at least in our area.
We then wrap up loose ends with any work that might need doing, catch up with friends and family, and then settle down with Netflix or a book for the night.
Getting Out On The Town
Of course, we go exploring too!
There are MANY things to do in and around Panama City, and we only scratched the surface. Here is a list of some of the places we went to during the past month.
Panama Viejo
Panama Viejo was the original location of Panama City during Spanish colonial times, from 1519 – 1671.
Destroyed by pirates in 1671, only a husk of the original settlement remains.
The location has been preserved as an archaeological site, and for $10 USD per person (tourist price), you can explore the entire campus and get entry into the Museum of Old Panama.
The expansive grounds are filled with Spanish colonial ruins.
Spiny-tailed Iguanas were a common sight here.
The remains of a convent.
A huge freshwater cistern, a luxury in those times.
Restored remains of the cathedral tower.
Quite the view from the top of the tower. You can see the Panama Viejo historical museum below.
It was a fun morning learning about the early history of Panama City and exploring the grounds. Worth the price of admission for those interested in local history!
We had a great time, even with the heat and humidity!
Cinta Costera (Coastal Beltway)
Cinta Costera is a reclamation project consisting of a long coastal walkway, parks, and other public use areas.
Extending from Punta Paitilla to the historic center of Panama City, we often walked sections of this route day or night for exercise. It was only about 5 or 6 blocks from our Airbnb!
The coastal beltway is 7 km long!
Raccoons are a common sight, looking for handouts.
This UV index meter goes to 11. And it was 11 (“extremo” level) this day!
The views are really pretty, and the whole area comes alive at night when the sun and temperatures go down.
View from the Paitilla end of the walkway.
View from the historic center end of the walkway.
Casco Antiguo (The Old Quarter – AKA San Felipe)
The historic center of Panama City and a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage site, Casco Antiguois where Panama City was relocated in 1673 after the old settlement was destroyed.
We usually would walk here from our apartment along Cinta Costera, then take the subway back to our place from the 5 de Mayo Metro Station.
Filled with restaurants, bars, museums, monuments, cobblestone streets, artisan stalls, and lovely coastal views, there is a lot of eye candy here.
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria the Ancient.
But wow, the prices here for food and drink are expensive!
Lunch cost us around $20 per person, and dinners can be much more expensive. We came here several times to browse and people-watch, but rarely indulged in the more touristy (and expensive) options.
Mola Museum
The Mola Museum was a gem in the Casco Antiguo region of Panama City.
Molas are a form of textile art unique to Panama, depicting many aspects of the natural and spiritual lives of the indigenous people.
Free to enter, this museum was a great way for us to escape the heat of Panama City for an hour when we were exploring Casco Antiguo.
The examples on display were beautiful!
Handmade molas can be purchased from indigenous artisans all around the Casco Antiguo and Cinta Costera areas, with prices ranging from $10 – 30 USD (depending on size and the amount of work put into the piece).
Panama Canal & Miraflores Visitor Center
Of course, you can’t visit Panama City without seeing the Panama Canal, which really needs no introduction.
Tourist ticket prices were $17.22 USD each and they included a 45-minute IMAX historical documentary as well as entry into the canal viewing platform area.
They have a full-sized IMAX theater here!
The Panama Canal historical documentary was really informative!
We timed our visit so we would see ships going through the canal locks, and it was really cool to see!
In the observation area, where you can see the canal channel doors very easily. Note the difference in water levels on either side.
A personal watercraft and a huge cargo ship waiting at the channel lock.
This video shows the cargo ship being guided through the channel lock.
This video shows you just how big the cargo ships are. And even bigger ones pass through the canal using specially designed channels built when the Panama Canal was upgraded over 10 years ago!
Totally worth the price of entry, especially if you see the Panama Canal in action!
Puenta Culebra Nature Center
Operated by the Smithsonian Institution, Puenta Culebra Nature Center (located at the tip of the Amador Causeway) consists of a series of trails, exhibits, and interpretive areas that feature the coastal wildlife of the area.
It’s worth the trip just to walk the Amador Causeway!
From Albrook Station, we hopped on the C850 city bus and got off at the Smithsonian-R bus stop.
Tourist ticket prices were $8 USD per person, and we thought it was a great way to get outside, connect with nature, and get some really lovely coastal views.
Protected sea turtle nesting area.
Rhonda is the length of a Leatherback Sea Turtle, apparently.
Murals scattered around the campus were really pretty.
And wherever you looked, you saw ships entering or exiting the Panama Canal.
They had several interpretive areas, featuring the marine and coastal wildlife of the area.
At one of the observation decks, this wild Green Iguana was giving me the stink-eye.
We were really impressed with their jungle frog exhibit. Forgive us for the photo dump of our favorites!
The female on the bottom was less than amused.
We even had an unexpected encounter with a 2-toed sloth in a high-traffic area outside the facility, right above the sign for the nature center!
2-toed sloth, 1 meter above the sign. Truth in advertising!
Metropolitan National Park
The Metropolitan National Park is a 573-acre jungle located in Panama City! It is the only protected tropical forest in Central America that is located within city boundaries.
It is fairly close to our Airbnb. So we hopped on the C941 city bus at the bus stop near our place and got off at the Domo-I bus stop, within easy walking distance of the park entrance.
Tourist tickets were $4 USD per person.
There were 5 different named trails in the park, and we hiked all of them! We even spotted toucans a couple of times, although we weren’t able to get good pictures.
The trails were well manicured and went into some serious jungle!
The inclines on the way to the highest points in the city gave us a workout.
And two of the trails had really nice mirador lookout points with city views.
From Sendero Los Caobos
From Camino del Mono Titi
The trails weren’t too strenuous by our standards, but the heat and humidity made having a good supply of water mandatory.
And at the end of the hike, we ate our packed lunches and walked to Albrook Mall, which was only a couple of kilometers away. Air conditioning never felt so good!
Parque Municipal Summit
Well outside Panama City proper, Parque Municipal Summit is a botanical garden with a facility for rescue and wildlife rehabilitation of exotic and native wildlife in central Panama. Many of the animals at the rescue center that cannot be returned to the wild, are displayed to the public in a well-kept zoo.
From Albrook Station, we hopped on the F030 city bus and got off at the Summit-R bus station. We then walked about 1 km to the park entrance. Hindsight being 20/20, we should have taken the C800 city bus from Albrook Station and gotten dropped off directly at the park!
Tourist ticket prices were $5 USD per person.
The park map was very helpful.
The park grounds were really pretty, with gardens, trails, play areas for families, and observation areas where you could view the animals being cared for. Sadly the animal pens were not the type suitable for good photography.
The visitors center.
There is an extensive network of paths throughout the campus.
There was even a cafe area where you could buy reasonably priced food and drinks, although we packed our own.
A portion of the cafe area. The prices were quite reasonable!
A remnant from the Panama Railroad, that used to run frequently between Panama City and Colon. Now used as a playhouse for kids.
Wild agoutis (basically big guinea pigs) could be seen throughout the park.
Well worth the price of admission!
Taboga Island
20 miles off of the coast of Panama City, Taboga Island (= Island of Flowers) was a lovely place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
A popular beach destination, it is a great place to beach comb, hike, swim, and see up close the boat traffic waiting to use the Panama Canal!
To get to this volcanic island, you first need to get tickets from one of several possible ferry companies. We chose Taboga Express Fast Ferry, mainly because you could reserve tickets in advance online.
We chose the ticket package that included a guided tour of the town of Taboga, which only added $5 USD to the cost of each ticket. So for both of us, round trip tickets cost a total of $60 USD (tour included).
You had to schedule arrival and departure times in advance, so we decided to sail to the island at 8 am and return at 2:30 pm.
To get to the ferry, we used the same bus that we did for the Puenta Culebra Nature Center, except we got off at the Isla Flamenco bus stop instead.
We then walked to the Taboga Express Fast Ferry check-in station close by and boarded the ferry.
Dawn at the marina.
Our chariot awaits! (foreground, not background 🙂 )
All aboard! Not a lot of people on a Friday @ 8 am. And apparently, I need more coffee.
There are some big yachts at this marina!
The trip was a lot of fun!
On our way to Taboga Island.
Pulling into the dock, where you get a good view of Taboga town.
And when we reached the island we were immediately met by our tour guide, who showed us all around the town of Taboga. In addition to explaining the historical significance of the island, he gave us tips on the best hikes to take, as well as the best value places to go for food and adult beverages.
The little town is really cute!
The obligatory social media spot.
A funky dolphin.
One of several little parks along the shore.
A beautiful view back toward the dock.
The artist Paul Gaugin liked it here, we’re told.
A wall mural reproduction of one of his works.
St. Peter’s Church.
Worth the extra $5 USD for the tour, we thought!
After the tour, we explored some of the local beaches, and then made the hike to The Vigilant Bunker, a WWII installation that provides the best views of the island!
We took the jungle trail route (following Sendero Los Tres Cruces), which was actually quite strenuous with the heat and humidity. Otherwise, it would have been a moderate difficulty trail by our standards, even with the incline.
The trail would have been impossible to find, were it not for our Maps.me app!
This is the route we took (3.7 miles total), past Tres Cruces on our way to the bunker:
This was as good as the jungle trail got on the way to the bunker. Good thing we wore boots!
Poison Dart Frogs were a common sight.
The only sign on the entire trail, 2/3rds of the way to Tres Cruces.
The Tres Cruces site. No idea what the significance of this place is.
Made it to the bunker!
Awesome view of all the ships pointing in the direction of the canal, waiting their turn.
View from inside the bunker.
The views were spectacular, although the weather wasn’t as clear as we would have liked. Still, we got some good photos!
Afterward, we took the longer dirt road down to the town because it was less steep.
When we returned, we ate our packed lunch, explored another beach, and then went for pina coladas at a restaurant that was suggested to us.
2 for $8 USD with a free refill!
Yes, please.
By the time we returned to the mainland, we were completely spent! Good thing we returned at 2:30 pm.
We had a great time on Taboga Island. Well worth making a trip!
Closing Thoughts About Our Month In Panama City
So this sums up all of the greatest hits of our month in Panama City. We’ve had a great time and, even though the city is expensive by our travel standards, we’ve been able to make things work.
Really, there is a lot to like about Panama City.
Aside from the heat and humidity, Panama City had as many perks as other big cities we’ve stayed in over the last year, although the perks look different.
The city is super safe, the public transportation is excellent, and you have access to a wide range of products and amenities.
Not the cheapest place though. Every city has its pluses and minuses, I guess.
Now we are preparing to fly back to the United States for a couple of months!
Wednesday will be a big travel day when we fly into Boston in the early evening. It will be really nice to reconnect with friends and family after so long away.
Wish us luck!
Until next time…
Thanks for reading!
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4 thoughts on “Wrapping Up One Month in Panama City, Panama”
A beautiful display of the beauty in Panama City!!
Thanks! Panama City has a lot going for it.
What a year. If down in SW Ohio sometime let us know.
Absolutely! Count on us getting together in October.