Portobelo
Under renovation at the time of research, the handsome, two-story Royal Customs House of Portobelo was originally built in 1638 to serve as the contaduría…
Must-see attractions in Panama
Comarca de Guna Yala
With excellent birdwatching and good rainforest trails, the 994-sq-km Área Silvestre de Narganá is a wildlife reserve of species-rich primary forest…
Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán
Península de Azuero
This 18th-century churrigueresque (an ornate Spanish baroque style) church has some lovely carvings; check out the pulpit and the retablo (altarpiece). It…
Portobelo
Located in and around Portobelo, this 360-sq-km park and Unesco World Heritage Site protects islands and coastal communities of coral reefs, mangroves and…
Isla Bastimentos
One of Bastimentos' most fascinating natural wonders, Nivida is a massive cavern with swarms of nectar bats and a subterranean lake. The cave lies within…
Península de Azuero
This modest museum, on the north side of Plaza Simón Bolívar, occupies the former house where Panama’s Declaration of Independence was signed in 1821. Pre…
El Valle
The most famous waterfall in the El Valle region is 35m-high Chorro El Macho, one of four cascades located about 2km north of town; it's a 15-minute walk…
El Valle
About 1km north of Av Central, this zoo set in the forest is home to everything from tapirs and capuchin monkeys to jaguars and more than 50 species of…
Panama Amphibian Rescue & Conservation Project Center
El Valle
This conservation center was created in 2007 with the support of Houston Zoo to help save amphibians from a deadly virus threatening their numbers around…
Portobelo
Approaching from the west, Portobelo's first fort is Fuerte Santiago. Built in 1753, some 14 years after Vernon’s attack, some walls were 3m thick and…
Portobelo
In 1601 Fuerte San Felipe and Fuerte San Diego were built near the mouth of the bay but were subsequently destroyed by Admiral Vernon in 1739. Fuerte San…
Comarca de Guna Yala
Stuffed with objects from everyday life as well as molas and religious artefacts, this small museum provides a good cultural and historical understanding…
Bocas del Toro Town
If sun, sand and surf isn't your thing then consider a trip to this cave in Colonia Santeña, a small village of cattle farmers 7km northwest of Bocas town…
Portobelo
This Roman Catholic church dating from 1814 is home to Portobelo's famed Black Christ; it's to the left of the main altar. The faithful attribute scores…
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Islas Taboga y Urabá
Panamá Province
This 258-hectare wildlife reserve was established in 1984 to protect a key avian habitat. Taboga and nearby Urabá are home to one of the world's largest…
El Valle
For the largest selection of orquídeas (orchids) in the region, visit this idyllic, not-for-profit garden east of the center, run by the local association…
Península de Azuero
Master mask-maker Carlos Ivan de Leon creates the most elaborate and frightening masks in Panama at his house just after Calle Segundo Villareal. He…
Península de Azuero
At the Hacienda San Isidro near Pesé, 23km southwest of Chitré, Varela Hermanos, the country's largest seco (alcoholic drink made from sugarcane)…
Iglesia y Convento de la Compañía de Jesús
Panama City
In Panamá Viejo, the Jesuits arrived a decade or so after Dominican friars and built Iglesia y Convento de la Compañía de Jesús, whose stone ruins are…
Academia de Costumbres y Tradiciones Gabriel Villarreal
Península de Azuero
A local training ground for young festival artists, the Academy of Customs & Traditions Gabriel Villarreal offers classes in dancing, mejorana (a kind of…
Península de Azuero
The walls and base of the pulpit in this baroque-style church on Parque Belisario Porras are original, as are the painted faces of cherubs on the ornate…
Boquete
Great for families, this private garden is located in a hilly area 3km northeast of the town center. You can walk to it in about 45 minutes. The 2…
Bocas del Toro Province
In 1903 a 12km-long canal connecting the Río Changuinola and Almirante Bay was dug parallel to the Caribbean shoreline to facilitate the barging of…
Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco
Panama City
Like other Panamá Viejo churches, this is among the settlement's most outstanding structures: rectangular, with stone outer walls, timber roofs, internal…
Darién Province
From Sambú, visitors can cross the Río Sábalo Bridge to the twin village of Puerto Indio (with permission from the Emberá and Wounaan) and visit…
Isla Bastimentos
The most beautiful beach on Isla Bastimentos is awash in powdery yellow sand and backed by thick vine-strewn jungle. It's connected to Old Bank via a…
Bocas del Toro Province
These relatively unknown wetlands covering 160 sq km just 5km north of Changuinola harbor an incredible variety of tropical fauna. In addition to sloths,…
Panamá Province
At 307m, the island's highest point, this 'peak' offers fabulous views across the island and out to the sea from its mirador. Also here are the remains of…
Panama City
With 1600 species, Panama City's butterfly garden is a worthy stop for nature lovers. Fifteen-minute guided tours explain the life cycle of butterflies…
Panamá Province
A Wounaan indigenous community that receives visitors for cultural tours, including traditional dances and rainforest walks, and also sells beautiful…
Panamá Province
Founded in 1550, the Church of St Peter is the second-oldest church in the western hemisphere after the one in Natá in Coclé Province. Inside there is…
Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo
Panama City
Built in 1678, these gorgeous ruins in Casco Viejo are what remain after two major fires brought down the church's tower and interior areas. Left are the…
Iglesia y Convento de la Concepción
Panama City
In Panamá Viejo, Iglesia y Convento de la Concepción was erected by the nuns of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción. Most of the ruins, which cover the better…
Boquete
Some of the best examples of petroglyphs found in Panama can be seen in this park at Caldera, about 23km southeast of Boquete. It's located 400m down a…
Comarca de Guna Yala
This island's superlatives are threefold: it is the largest island in the archipelago yet has the smallest population (100 people) and it is the only San…
Isla Bastimentos
Polo Beach wraps around a sheltered cove and is protected by a reef. It has good snorkeling. Can be reached by short hike from Red Frog Beach.
Panama City
Inaugurated in April 2014, this is the home stadium of Chorrillo FC and Club Deportivo Plaza Amador. It was named after the legendary Maracanã Stadium in…
Comarca de Guna Yala
Escape from Gardi Sugdub (Cartí Suitupo) to picture-perfect 'Needle Island,' with its lazy palms, golden sands and gentle surf. Excursions cost from US$35.
Comarca de Guna Yala
A massive shipwreck at the spot known as Wreck Reef is clearly visible at low tide from deserted and idyllic Diadup (Isla Coco Bandera).
Darién Province
This waterfall and its crystal-clear pool is a welcome relief after a hot and sweaty climb to spot harpy eagles.
