An adventurous and affordable destination, somewhat off the beaten path with impressive architecture, incredible wildlife, and relaxing coastline! A day by day itinerary on how to make the most of a ten day trip to this Central American country! This guide focuses of activities, lodging, and transportation as well as providing estimated costs for each. 

A Costa Rica Alternative: Panamá  

Panama is a great destination for all types of travelers! For those that love adventure travel, maybe have been to Costa Rica already and loved it and want something new, or looking for a similar experience but in a more unique destination. For those who maybe don't speak Spanish, but wanting to start exploring Central America, Panama is also a great first country to visit. We found that many Panamanians speak English, although knowing some basic phrases in Spanish is always helpful and appreciated! If you're coming from the US, Panama is also super convenient because the official currency of Panama is the US dollar so no need to convert cash or think about exchange rates. And Panama is located in the Eastern time zone, so minimal to no time zone change for most Americans. 

Visitors arrive to Panama from all over the world, but nearly everyone starts by flying into Panama City's Tocumen Airport (PTY). The airport is fairly small, with just two terminals. Most international airlines arrive to terminal 1. From there it's easy to get an uber, taxi, or shuttle to your hotel. We stayed at the JW Marriott our first night in Panama City and took an uber, which cost about $15. Our last night in Panama, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near the airport and took the free hotel shuttle. 

Before we left the US, I recommend downloading Airalo and buying an eSIM. I got one specific to Panama since that was the only country we visited on this trip, but there are other options if you'll be traveling to multiple countries in the region. I spent $18 for 3GB of data. As soon as we landed in Panama, it was super easy to turn off my US SIM card so that I didn't get any international charges, and turn on my new Panamanian eSIM card. I had great 4G data throughout most of the trip, which was super convenient for calling Ubers, looking up reservation details, and navigating walks through the city.

Although we were tired from traveling the whole day before, I recommend booking a tour for the first full day in country. The tour we booked through Viator picked us up at the hotel at 7:30am, which meant we got to see a beautiful sunrise during breakfast at the hotel and made sure we didn't waste any bit of the day! We love boats and were excited to be out on the water in the man-made Gatun Lake. The tour guides were very knowledgeable about the three species of monkeys found in this area, we even had a monkey whisperer on board with us! 

After being dropped off back at the hotel, its time for lunch! We chose to have lunch poolside at our hotel since the JW Marriott has an incredible 14th floor infinity pool and we wanted to enjoy more of the Panamanian sunshine! Since we visited in January, it was also a welcome break from the winter in Colorado! 

Of course we had to see the Panama Canal in the afternoon! We took an uber to and from the Miraflores Visitor Center, which only cost about $10 each way. The tickets to the visitor center are $17 per person, and include access to the observation deck and an IMAX film about the history of the canal. Typically, there is an exhibition hall as well, but unfortunately this area was closed when we visited. The observation deck gets crowded when boats pass by and is often in the sun so bring sunscreen and get there early!

After a full day of activities, we chose to stay close to our hotel for dinner and went to Petit Paris. However, Panama City has a wide range of cuisines available for all budgets and vibes. I'll post a few of the top restaurants below.  

Today includes an active morning and then a relaxing afternoon. We hit our step goal walking about 2 miles of the Paseo Cinta Costera (costal strip walk) to get to Casco Viejo. The pathway is removed from the road so safe for walking, biking, or renting electric scooters. The path also continues alongside the ocean and through Casco Viejo for about 5 miles total. Along the path we saw parks, sport complexes, and the colorful Panama sign. I highly recommend doing at least part of this walk if you're able to because it has great ocean views and local vibes. 

When you arrive in Casco Viejo you'll notice that this historical area is full of culture, color, cafes, and clubs. We had lunch at the Mahalo Snack Shack and then walked around the city. There are signs and maps posted that guide you to the major landmarks, including many plazas, churches, and the Panama Canal Museum. We chose to go inside the museum partly for the history and partly to escape the heat, but it was worth the $15 ticket! 

After so much walking we decided we were ready to head back to our hotel and spend the afternoon at the pool. We grabbed a $5 uber back to the hotel and changed to our bathing suits. If you prefer to stick around Casco Viejo longer there are many other museums, rooftop bars, and lots of nightlife.

Today is a travel day, we flew from Panama City's Tocumen Airport to David International Airport in the Chiriqui province. We flew with Copa Airlines because they have one of the highest safety ratings in the area. There are only two flights between these cities per day and we opted for the afternoon flight so that we wouldn't have to wake up so early. In the morning, we chose to spend so more time at the pool (because when else will we get to stay in an affordable five star hotel??) but my other recommendation for the morning would be a tour of the original Panama City ruins, Panama Viejo. 

Don't get to the airport too early, because the domestic terminal is tiny. There's one waiting room with no food or concessions and only opens about two hours before a flight departs. Once we landed in David we chose to rent a car to travel around the province with more flexibility. Our rental car was about $10 per day, but Panama requires additional car insurance which was $20 per day (even if you have insurance in the US or through a credit card). We ended up spending about $145 total for a five day rental. Driving in Panama does not require an international driving permit and was easy since they drive on the right side of the road like the US. We wouldn't have wanted to drive in Panama City since it's so much more crowded, but where we drove had little to no traffic and felt safe.

We did not spend any time in David, but if you arrive earlier in the day you could visit the Parque Cervantes or San Jose de David Cathedral. We drove directly from the airport to our hotel in Boquete, which was an easy 45 minute drive. As we arrived at our hotel we were treated to a colorful sunset and fireworks (we never figured out the occasion for the fireworks though).

After checking in and getting the tour of the property, we headed to the main part of Boquete for dinner. We ate at Retro Gusto, an Italian farm to table restaurant. They were fully booked, but we were able to eat out on the patio which gave us a great breeze and chance to watch the town while we dined. A perfect first night in Boquete!

We were happy to have a car so that we could explore the Boquete region today. We started with one of the most popular hikes in the area, the Lost Waterfalls hike. Some of the other popular hikes, such as Sendero los Quetzales and the Pipeline trail were closed when we visited. The Lost Waterfalls hike is 3 miles and took us close to 3 hours. The trail is muddy most of the year and has some steep sections, but you'll also get to see 3 amazing waterfalls, lots of jungle-like foliage, and if you're lucky, a Quetzal bird. There is a $10 per person fee to use the trail, it's paid about a quarter of a mile into the hike near a house that's for rent on airbnb. We parked on the side of the road near the trailhead (there is a small sign for the trail but no mention of parking). You can also take a bus or taxi to the trailhead if you choose not to rent a car. 

After hiking we went back to the hotel to shower, and then had lunch at the Boquete Sandwich Shop. This was one of the cheapest and best meals we had, especially the smoothies were delicious! Boquete is primarily one main road, that can be quite busy but we had no trouble parking or driving downtown. 

We spent the rest of the day exploring the town of Boquete. We drove nearly out of town to see the colorful Boquete town sign. Nearby we came across a band of Coati Mundi animals! We then drove through the neighborhood near the Baru Volcano. If you have more time, I would highly recommend taking a trip up to the top of the volcano. You can choose to hike up, a long 8 hours hike that requires a permit in advance, or you can book a 4x4 tour to drive to the top. Note that you cannot drive up in a personal/rental vehicle. 

For dinner, we made reservations for The Rock restaurant and this was our favorite meal on the trip! We sat out on the back patio along the river, there was live music, string lights, an upscale menu, and a bonfire. They give all patrons a massive marshmallow on a stick to roast over the bonfire after dinner. Although it was also pricier than any other Panamanian meal (about $90 for two drinks, meals, and dessert), it was well worth the experience! 

If you're here for adventure travel, today is the day for white water rafting! We booked with Boquete Outdoor Adventures and was one of the best days of the trip for us! The company drove the group out to the river, which was about 2 hours away (although this depends on the season) and then gave a safety orientation and then we hopped on the river. Half way down, we pulled over and had a riverside picnic lunch! We had a blast chatting with other travelers and cooling off in the river. The guides were also kind enough to take pictures of us throughout the trip and distribute the photos later so that we didn't have to risk bringing cameras or phones. Do not forget sunscreen for this activity! Especially legs and knees! 

After the 2 hour drive back to Boquete we got some ice cream and rested at the hotel for a bit. Then we ventured back out and had dinner at Big Daddy's Grill. This is another popular restaurant in town and one of the few that had a latin focused menu. We had great margaritas and tacos! The restaurant is also all outdoors and has a great backyard vibe. 

Today is another travel day to the last location on this whirlwind tour of Panama! I recommend leaving Boquete by 9-10am because there is a 3.5 hour drive from Boquete to Almirante, where you catch a boat to the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Despite warnings that the road was winding and treacherous, we actually found it to be a fairly easy drive. The first half is nicely paved and plenty wide for cars to pass. The second half did have numerous potholes, but still very wide and felt safe. There was one police checkpoint that we passed, but the guard was extremely friendly and we didn't even have to show our passports (but definitely have them available just in case). 

When we arrived in Almirante, locals on bicycles stopped us and offered to show us where to park and catch the ferry to Bocas. We accepted and followed them to the Leiza Secure Parking lot. We were told that you could pay $3 per day, but had to leave the car keys so that they could move the car or could pay $5 per day and take your keys with you and the car stayed in one spot. We chose to pay the $5. We then paid $10 each for a roundtrip ticket for the boat between Almirante and Bocas Town on the main island Isla Colon. There is a car ferry twice a day, but cars are unnecessary in Bocas del Toro and can only be drive in the main Bocas Town. All other islands are car-free. 

We stayed with a hotel chain called Azul Paradise. They have a hotel in the main Bocas Town, and an overwater bungalow resort on Isla Bastimentos. We stayed in the overwater bungalows but were able to leave our luggage at the main hotel while we explored Bocas Town. 

Since the boat to Isla Bastimentos didn't leave for another three hours when we arrived in Bocas Town, we rented eBikes and explored the main island. We paid $30 to rent two eBikes for 2 hours. Bicycles are the main form of transportation on the island, so you can also rent standard bicycles for as little as $2 per hour. We chose the eBikes since we didn't have much time and wanted to see as much of the island as possible. We rode up the eastern coast of the island to Playa Bluff and enjoyed ocean views the entire way. If we'd had more time, I would have loved going to the western side as well to Playa del Drago and Starfish beach. 

If biking isn't of interest to you, you could also take a water taxi to the Floating Bar. This bar/restaurant floats off the coast of Bocas Town and is very popular with locals and visitors and a great place to spend the afternoon. 

Around 6pm we caught the hotel boat to the Azul Paradise resort on Isla Bastimentos. This island is much quieter and less populated. From our resort there was one village that a local would take you on a tour, but no restaurants or shops accessible. If you prefer access to more nightlife and activities, I'd recommend staying on Isla Colon. 

Life on Isla Bastimentos is slower paced so we enjoyed a relaxing morning in our bungalow while it rained outside. In the afternoon, we booked a trip through the hotel to the nearby Zapatilla islands. There, they took us on a short nature walk and provided quesadillas for lunch. Then we lounged on the white sand beach, floated in the clear blue water, and soaked up our last relaxing day of vacation. If you want to see more of Bocas del Toro, I'd recommend a tour to Starfish Beach and Bird Island. There's also Dolphin Bay and Coral Cay if you enjoy snorkeling or scuba diving. 

If you have more time in your trip, I'd highly recommend staying longer in Bocas del Toro. There is so much to see and do here! There also is an airport on Isla Colon if you prefer to fly directly from here back to Panama City. We flew round trip from David because the flights were cheaper and on a more reliable airline, and we did not want to pay a one way fee for our rental car. 

On our last day, we had breakfast at the hotel and took a walk along the beach before being taken back to Isla Colon by boat and catching another ferry to Almirante where we left our rental car. From there we drove about 3 hours to the David Airport and flew back to Panama City. We landed late in the afternoon so we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near the airport to get some sleep before heading back to the airport for an early morning flight home to the US. 

If you can get a later flight home you could spend this day exploring more of Panama City or shopping for souvenirs! 

Have more time? Less time? Need more recommendations? Feel free to reach out, I'm happy to help plan and personalize your trip to Panama! 