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Panamá Province

Panamá Province has a rich history of pirates, plunder and pearls. Although it's the most populous province in the country, Panamá can be as big or as small as you want it to be. Tranquil rainforests and sizzling beaches are yours to explore, and the comforts of the capital are never more than an hour away.

The principal attraction remains the world’s most daring engineering achievement. Explore the Panama Canal and its expansion by visiting its locks, boating through its watery recesses or hiking along its jungle-clad shore. It is also the unlikely host of one of the most accessible and best-studied tropical rainforests on the planet.

Day trips from Panama City abound, ranging from beaches and surf breaks to ferry trips to the nearby island village of Taboga. Further flung is the Archipiélago de las Perlas, which attracts everyone from the moneyed elite to, occasionally, Survivor contestants.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Panamá Province.

  • See

    Miraflores Visitors Center

    The easiest way to visit the Panama Canal is to head to the Miraflores Visitors Center, just outside Panama City. This modern center features a four-floor interactive museum that looks at the canal's history, operations, expansion and ecology, an instructive 15-minute film and several viewing platforms, including the main one on the 4th floor with panoramic views of canal transits (the best times are from 9am to 11am and from 3pm to 5pm when transits are more frequent). There is a direct bus to the Miraflores Visitors Center from the Albrook Bus Terminal in Panama City, but it is infrequent. Otherwise take a Paraíso or Gamboa bus from the terminal. These pass along the canal-side highway to Gamboa and will let you off at the ‘Miraflores Locks’ sign (US$0.35) on the highway, 12km from the city center. It’s about a 15-minute walk along the main road to the locks from the sign. You can also take a taxi; drivers will typically wait 30 minutes at the locks and then drive you back to the capital. Expect to pay no more than US$30 round trip, but agree on the price beforehand.

  • See

    Cementerio Francés

    This cemetery in Paraíso on the road to Gamboa about 5km north of the Pedro Miguel Locks dates from between 1880 and 1889. Though there are just 300 crosses and other markers visible here, it contains many of the 22,000 diggers and other workers from France, China, India, Spain and Panama who died of malaria or yellow fever during France's early attempt to dig the canal.

  • See

    Pedro Miguel Locks

    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 strip from where onlookers can watch ships transit the canal.