Explore 4 of the Best Places to Visit in Panama: Panama City, Coronado Beach, David, and Boquete
Panama, celebrated as one of the best places in the world to visit, proudly lives up to its esteemed reputation and cheerfully welcomes you to share their paradise. What you’ll find here are 4 of the best places in Panama for exciting and diverse adventures making it easy for you to explore and experience Panama like a local – cities blended with the old and the new, picturesque pastoral mountain villages, blissful beaches and tropical islands.
Close to the equator, Panama enjoys 12 hours of sunny daylight almost every day. Thanks to the compact country’s astounding sea to ocean eco-diversity, you can choose a tropical climate in Panama City, the islands and beaches or pick a spring-like climate in picturesque mountain town communities found throughout the verdant highlands.
With Panama’s rich cultural past coupled with modern conveniences, the country has something exciting, engaging and of value for literally everyone to enjoy. Whether you hope to explore incredible rain forests, a Latin American world class city, or idyllic Caribbean and Pacific Ocean beaches & islands – you can do it all.
Thanks to good quality transportation infrastructure across the country, it’s easy and efficient to get around. In fact, where the isthmus narrows, you can breakfast gazing at crystal-clear Caribbean gentle waves in the morning and dine beachside breathing in salty Pacific Ocean mist at sunset.
Anywhere you wander, you’ll enjoy same-day harvested crunchy and colorful vegetables, juicy pineapples and sweet papayas. Traditional, indigenous and Spanish-influenced foods are also bountiful at local food stands, farmer’s markets and restaurants.
Panama is one of the best places to adventure like a local. Whether you choose pastoral green valleys, tropical sunny beach life or an exciting city stay and whether you are a nature lover or adventurer – you will have quality, comfort and conveniences wherever you go. If you want to experience it all, then picking a home base and day-tripping from there works well and treats you to different climates and geographic lifestyles without venturing too far afield.
With quick access to North America, the US dollar as their currency, easy country-wide exploring, perfect climate options, intriguing cultural discovery, abundant sun-drenched beaches, farm to table food choices, a very affordable cost of living and more. These 4 best places in Panama are outstanding destinations and definitely a must-see.
For your trip planning, here are 4 of the best places in Panama particularly that are well-suited for live like a local experiences – offering so much for so little.
Panama City – Vibrant International City
Perched atop Ancon Hill, gazing at the towering skyscrapers hugging the city with the glittering sun-washed Pacific Ocean as the back-drop, you find yourself serenaded by nature’s surround-sound, vibrant green foliage everywhere and sweetly misted floral fragrances wafting in the air. The stunning panoramic view reveals Panama City, a capital city known as a microcosm of the country’s rich history, blended cultures and diversified climates.
Recognized not only as one of the best places in Panama to visit, it’s also considered a premier Latin American world class city. The capital proudly provides all the conveniences of a sophisticated city with extensive city transportation (including Central America’s 1stmetro system), an international airport serving global travelers and offering domestic flights to many mountain towns, beaches and islands.
If you want to explore the city by foot, stroll the 2 ½ mile scenic waterfront walkway (Cinta Costera) dotted with food stalls, bike rentals, shops and activities along the way to historic old town. Visitors are drawn by the charming city’s history-drenched old town (Casco Viejo), exciting world-renowned food scene and intriguing indigenous and colonial heritage discovery.
Outside the busy city, you’ll discover Panama’s gentle white sanded beaches advantaged by soft warm breezes off the Pacific and cool azure waters. If you’re looking for a spring-like climate experience, head to one of the pretty picturesque mountain villages reached by car or a quick flight.
Bottom line – one of the Panama City’s biggest attractions is that it serves as a great home base from which to explore, at your own pace, nearby adventure with side trips to tropical beaches, island archipelago’s, lush rain forests, national nature parks and so much more.
Frankly, with the city’s incredible weather, stunning mountain views, immersive cultural scene and affordable living costs, it’s almost impossible to not stay a while.
For side-trips from the capital, you can adventure by land, air or sea for a couple hours or for overnight jaunts – here are some of the best spots in Panama City area:
- Coronado Beach– favorite beach for Panamanians and visitors – an easy one hour drive to a tropical paradise
- Panama Canal– just over an hour by car to this top spot
- Bocas del Toro archipelago– one hour flight – islands in crystal clear Caribbean with white sanded beaches bordered by tropical rain forests
- Isla Taboga– fast ferry (30 mins) to the volcanic island known as the island of flowers where there are no cars only sun-kissed idyllic beaches and pristine nature trails
Coronado – Beach Paradise
A short one hour drive from Panama City lies one of the most popular, beautiful and developed Pacific beach resort towns in Panama, along the Pacific beach coast. Before Coronado was discovered by expats and short-term visitors, it was their preferred tropical beach break for wealthy Panamanians.
Despite today’s resort fame, Coronado remains affordable offering local fresh market produce, a variety of beachside bistro’s, traditional restaurants, assorted reasonable vacation rentals and modern amenities like a modern shopping mall and supermarkets.
With so much sunshine, low rain fall, glittering tropical beaches with white sand marbled with black volcanic granules, Coronado has a laidback vibe. For golfers, there’s even a champion golf course for those so inclined.
If staying in Panama City, Coronado an easy city escape to enjoy the first developed beach resort in the country. And with bustling Panama City so close, day excursions are a quick hop away for dining, nature hikes, museums and cultural immersion.
David – Highlands Charm
As the 3rdlargest city in Panama and in the midst of Chiriqui Province’s bread basket agricultural region, David has much to offer in modern amenities including good city transportation and an international airport with daily flights to Panama City.
Less trendy and significantly lower cost than Panama City, many visitors and snowbirds are attracted to David thanks to the town’s endearing charm including colorful sidewalk cafes, family owned eateries, city parks and an active lifestyle.
Another perk for staying in David, is the easy access to abundant and diverse adventure activities including deep-sea fishing, bird-watching and rainforest hiking. In fact, you can day-trip toward the Pacific and find yourself kayaking or beach combing within 30 mins while heading in the opposite direction towards the Caribbean, you can be in cool mountain highlands exploring a rainforest or trekking to the top of a volcano within 45 mins.
Boquete – Slice of Highlands Heaven
Dramatic soaring mountains blanketed by colorful flower bursts and lush forested accents circle the picture-postcard valley lending the appearance of a painter’s freshly brushed canvas. When not shrouded by clinging misted clouds, the ancient Volcan Baru, the country’s highest peak, is also part of the breathtaking scene.
Tucked in the Chiriqui highlands, part of Panama’s bread-basket region, foreigners and Panamanians alike flock to the serene, yet active, lifestyle that thrives in enchanting Boquete, known as the mountain city of “eternal spring”.
Once in the velvety green valley, you can feel the valley’s relaxed atmosphere and sense a soothing vibe from the Caldera River’s bubbling mantra as it flows throughout the storybook village, delighting passers-by.
Formerly considered a hidden gem, the hamlet has become a secret in plain sight. Near-perfect climate, gorgeous natural surroundings, healthy lifestyle options, laidback lifestyle and a seemingly endless variety of social activities have attracted nature lovers and outdoor adventurers for decades.
Today, Boquete is the cultural “mecca” of western Panama thanks to its music, art and cultural focus. In fact, you’ll encounter many painters, musicians, photographers, actors, artists and crafters around town.
The pleasant pastoral highland town has also become a foodie destination of sorts for healthy lifestyle aficionados. Numerous eateries offer delicious delicacies, home-made chocolates, locally-sourced honeys, organically produced smoked sausages, and more. With hillside orange groves and coffee bean fincas (farms), you can also enjoy some of the freshest, best coffee and succulent oranges around.
With major cities like David just a 40 mins drive away, an affordable cost of living, friendly locals and expats, healthy food, eye-candy scenery, spring-like weather, a stimulating cultural scene – it’s easy to see why so many visitors have chosen to never leave this slice of heaven and other smitten visitors spend as much time here as they possibly can.
