Bocas del Toro is the main tourist attraction in Panama but don't expect to exchange any foreign curriencies there, not even euros.
There is not only one bank in Bocas del Toro - it does not have money exchange.
There are no private exchange offices in Bocas del Toro.
Hostal Hansi exchanges euros - but only for its clients.
(the German lady showed me the door out when I went to beg for help - unexceptionally cold person.)
If you have run out of dollars (like I did after traveling more than five months) and you have a new European credit card with a security chip you are in trouble. An ATM will not give money to you and on a bank counter cash withdrawl is not possible.
The only thing you can do is to go to the farmacy (the only one). Sometimes they give dollars on your card. In the case that the owner is present and they have enough cash. They gave me dollars once but not for the second time.
I also heard of some Dutch girl living in Bocas del Toro that exchanges euros to dolars (one for one).
What I did is that I walk from hostel to hostel looking for tourists from euro zone. One German guy helped me out, forever grateful to him.
In Panama City you can get dollars on a bank counter in one bank (only one) and one branch: HBSC
on the main bank street,
In Panama City you can also exchange euros in many private exchange offices but the exchange rate is probably the worst in the world. Mexican pesos are also exchanged for as bad rate. In the end I got better rate for pesos back in Europe in my small and unimportant home country than would have got in Panama City.
