1

Looks as if your #1 ”must-see” shoud be a Panama guidebook. Lonely Planet puts out a pretty good one in my experience.

2

i have a guide book, i was looking for personal opinions as the book is just one stand point by one person.

3

What is your taste ?

You should see the canal.

At least visit the ruins of Panama Viejo.

Amador Causeway gives a great view back to the whole city.

4

Hi Ainsley,

Wanna share transport, rental car/boat? I will be in Panama during the same period as you are.

info@drienke.nl

regards,

drienke

5

You dont mention your interest? Must see according to who? You surf? Scuba? Trek? Kayak? Fish? Dance? Arts? Crafts? Language?

6

solohobo,

must see is always your personal meaning, always subjective.

I would go for Kuna people and the Canal. The rest is not unique to Panama. that is: can be found in other countries.
Perhaps must sees for that reason.

drienke

7

Although it is very much on the beaten path you should take one of the snorkeling tours but I suggest taking the catamaran sailing tour. It is more expensive but much more comfortable and relaxing. It is also the only Eco friendly option when visiting the dolphins in dolphin bay.

Hire a guide to bring you through the Bastimentos caves. It starts out with a ride up a jungle river and the a hike to a cave where you wade/swim through a bat filled cave system.

Visit the cemetery in Bocas town. If you haven't seen above ground graves before its pretty cool and very colorful with neon plastic flowers on the graves. At the back of the graveyard there is a break in the wall leading to a trail through the "poor persons" grave yard. This part is grown over with vines and wild flowers. Many of the graves stones are falling over and some only have stick tied together in the form of a cross.

Catch a soft ball game. Soft ball is taken very seriously here. Each island and different neighborhoods have their own team and on Saturdays and Sundays they all compete at through out the day. Each days is played at a different baseball field. I just went to the games on Isla Solarte (3 dollar water taxi) and I was the only white face around. The field was jungle on one side and the Caribbean on the other. Sometimes foul balls had to be fished out of the sea by kids. Beers are .75 cents.

Visit an Indian village. There are organized tours but you can also just go to one of the villages on Isla Cristobal or Isla Popa and have lunch and hang out on the beaches. Usually you will be the only tourist there.

Walk around the different neighborhoods. People complain the Bocas town too touristy but if you just walk off the mainstreet it gets very un touristy very fast. Check out Saigon in the edge of La Cabanas.

There are ATVS for rent which, of course, all the expats hate, but they are a fun way to go out to the end of Bluff and someone has made a trail through the forest to ride to a large lagoon that is the end of the Mimbi Timbi river. It used to be that it was a major hike to get there and so there was nobody ever there. Please don not ride the ATVs on the beach at Playa Bluff, it is a sea turtle nesting area.

Take the bus to Bocas Del Drago. This a popular tourist destination but there is plenty of space where tourist don't go. When the bus drops you off just back track along the road and find yourself a nice piece of water lay down in.

Go to Polo beach. It s much more expensive to get to and the water can't be too rough. This old guy name Polo has lived on the beach for over 40 years. His land is shortly d by reef so it's great for swimming. It's hard enough to get to that very few tourists go there. Only boat man that know the reef can get there because they need to go through a narrow channel through the reef. Polo surves very cheap food that he spears on the reef and cooks.

There are all sorts of other things to do, just ask questions and explore.

8

Thanks guys , this all seems awesome.

do does anyone know if there is any good mountain bike riding out there ( trail ) and if there are decent bikes for rent?

the atv and bat tour sound very good, i will totally look into it :)

Hey Solo, good to hear from you again, have to been on any adventures this year?

9

Hey man thanks for the offer, but we are just flying into bocas to save time.

10

Fishing would be great but everything i have looked up is very expensive. im going to approach it the way i did in costa rica and try to find a local to take us out on a panga for a half day, pay some money and fuel and hope for a good fish :)

11

Seems like half the posts got removed so it now looks like you are talking to yourself !

12

Ainsley- Was just in Turkey for weeks in Dec, that was great, may be going to ES/Nica shortly, waiting for a greenlight work related...otherwise, have a wedding in Ireland, cant wait..the motherland...