Isla Colón
French-Canadian Robert Bezeau crafted this four-story castle from 40,000 plastic bottles. The epitome of recycling, it's one of a kind and worth a good…
Must-see attractions in Panama
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…
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…
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…
Panama City
Once the headquarters for the US Southern Command in Panama, ‘Ciudad del Saber’ is today a government-sponsored center for education, research and…
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Playa Barqueta
Chiriquí Province
The Refugio de Vida Silvestre Playa Barqueta Agricola oversees about 14km of eastern Playa Barqueta, where mangrove and scrub offer protection to four…
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,…
Darién Province
Yaviza's only real 'sight' (apart from the wobbly footbridge spanning the Río Chucunaque), the ruined Fort of St Geronimo, built by the Spanish to keep…
Isla Colón
Playa El Istmito, also called Playa La Cabaña, is the closest beach to Bocas town (2.5km away), but as it's on Bahía Sand Fly the chitras (sand flies)…
Panama City
At the end of Isla Flamenco, this complex contains a two-story shopping center, a marina, a cruise-ship terminal and a number of restaurants and bars. At…
Taller de Restauración Macario José Rodriguez
Península de Azuero
Macario José Rodriguez has been restoring the wooden altars and statuary of Panama’s colonial churches since the early 1980s, and this is the only such…
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…
Portobelo
Atop a hill overlooking much of the bay is a small but well-preserved watchtower called Mirador Perú, which was built at the same time as Fuerte Santiago…
El Valle
The exhibits in the three rooms of this small museum east of the center focus on local history and the eponymous mestizo national hero. The most…
Iglesia y Convento de La Merced
Panama City
Erected by the Mercedarian friars in the early 17th century, these Panamá Viejo buildings survived the fire that swept the city following privateer Henry…
Bocas del Toro Province
This is a lush cloud forest covering more than 167,000 hectares set high in the Talamanca mountains. There are three trails maintained by MiAmbiente in…
Panama Canal
North past the Miraflores Locks, the Pedro Miguel Locks can be seen from the highway to Gamboa. One hundred meters beyond the locks there’s a parking…
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…
Comarca de Guna Yala
This badly maintained, privately owned collection of Guna artefacts over two floors includes the usual baskets, molas and gammu burwi (bamboo flutes),…
Isla Colón
Further up the coast from Playa El Istmito and Sand Dollar Beach is Playa Punch (or Paunch), which is dangerous for swimming but good for surfing. It's…
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…
Panama City
This esplanade runs along the top of the sea wall built by the Spanish to protect the city. From here, you can see the Puente de las Américas arching over…
Panama City
In Panamá Viejo, Iglesia de San José belonged to the Augustine order. Of special interest here are the building’s vaulted side chapels, an architectural…
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…
Panama City
INAC is responsible for maintaining the country’s museums and other cultural institutions. There is a small gallery on the 1st floor that displays works…
Panama City
There's not much left of Panamá Viejo's sole hospital, Hospital de San Juan de Dios. Much of the remains were scattered when Av Cincuentenario and a side…
Panama City
Facing the Plaza Mayor in Panamá Viejo, the Cabildo de la Ciudad was built by one of the city’s wealthiest citizens, Francisco Terrín, in the early 17th…
Panama City
The small Afro-Antillean museum has exhibits on the history of Panama’s West Indian community, particularly their work building the railroad and later the…
Panama City
This awkwardly over-restored stone bridge in Panamà Viejo took its name from a nearby slaughterhouse. It marked the beginning of the Camino Real to…
Panama City
The Palacio de las Garzas is named after the great garzas blancas (white herons) that reside here. The president of Panama lives on the upper floor.
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).
Panama City
Museo de Ciencias Naturales has sections on geology, paleontology, entomology and marine biology, as well as an impressive display of taxidermy.
Panama City
This neoclassical Casco Viejo building, dating to 1910, houses the modest Museo de Historia de Panamá.
Panama City
The massive ruins of Casa Alarcón represent Panamá Viejo's best-preserved and largest known private residence, which dates from the 1640s.
Darién Province
Cross the Río Sábalo bridge to reach Sambú's twin indigenous village of Puerto Indio.
