We spent an incredible long weekend in Panama where I celebrated my 40th birthday exploring my 40th country. It was a quick trip, but we spent several days in and around Panama City as well as a couple days in El Valle de Anton.

July is not a prime time to visit Panama because it’s in the midst of their rainy season, so there were fewer people and prices were cheaper. However, although we had some rain each day, we found it never rained for long stretches of time and it certainly didn’t keep us from the outdoor activities on our list.

I really enjoyed our time in Panama learning the history of Panama Viejo, wandering the streets of Casco Antiguo, watching ships travel through the locks at the Panama Canal, hiking in El Valle de Anton, spotting wildlife, tasting local rum, eating delicious seafood, and relaxing by the pool on our final night.

Here are a few tips for planning your time in Panama based on our experience, including how to get around, where to stay, and the top things to do.

How to Get Around

Because we wanted to spend time in El Valle de Anton, we rented a car for the duration of our trip – after ensuring all of our hotels included free parking! If you choose to rent a vehicle, beware the added fees at the rental counter. I had read about this a little ahead of time, but we were still surprised with all the hidden add-ons and “local insurance requirements” that significantly changed the final price of our vehicle.

If you’re only visiting Panama City, I wouldn’t recommend getting a car. Depending on where you stay, many key sites are within walking distance of one another, and you can use Uber to easily get around to those farther away. Even though we had the car, we ended up using Uber for short trips within the city because it was cheaper and easier than trying to drive and find parking.

If you’re planning on driving, I would also recommend having your own GPS as well as someone else in the car to help you navigate. Driving in Panama City was an experience all its own – the roads are not well marked and often one-way, other drivers only vaguely follow the rules of the road and liberally use their horns to move you out of their way, and the overall pace is a bit overwhelming. I drove this trip, and I had to be quite aggressive while my co-pilot shouted out directions and warnings. Stressful to say the least!

Where to Stay

We stayed in three places and they all worked well for our itinerary.

• Aloft Panama, Panama City. While many people choose to stay in Casco Antiguo, we opted for much cheaper accommodations a bit northeast of that area and had no trouble taking an Uber to different sites. The onsite restaurant and free parking were also a plus.
• The Westin Playa Bonita Panama, Panama City. We spent our final days and night at this resort and found it very relaxing. Playa Bonita is the only real beach in the greater Panama City area, and while this resort is a little dated, it has all the normal amenities (private beach access, multiple pools, multiple restaurants, etc.). It’s not easy to get to downtown from here, but it’s a great beach escape.
• Golden Frog Inn, El Valle de Anton. I absolutely loved this little jungle chic inn. Great service, a lovely onsite restaurant with live music on the weekends, nice rooms, close to hiking trails, and exceptional surroundings in the middle of the jungle.

Top 7 Things to Do

1. Marvel at the Panama Canal

Obviously one of the main attractions just outside Panama City is the Panama Canal. We went early and had no trouble parking on-site. In fact, it felt like we had the Miraflores Visitor Center to ourselves – and we did! We had accidentally arrived well before ships were scheduled to come through and enjoyed watching the iMax film and exploring the different viewing platforms sans crowds.

The museum is currently closed for renovations, which was a bummer – I read good things about it. Thankfully we had spent several hours in the Panama Canal Museum downtown the day before so we had some background.

As ships started to approach the locks for the first passing, the place exploded – multiple tour buses dropped off tons of people who flocked to the viewing platforms. Because we were there early, we had secured a front-row spot along the railing to watch the boats come through, but it was chaotic. Definitely check the schedule and arrive early for an ideal viewing spot!

2. Wander Around Casco Antiguo

The weather was not cooperating for our afternoon stroll around Casco Antiguo – the old town – but we made the best of it and enjoyed walking around Plaza de Francia and visiting the Panama Canal Museum and Metropolitan Cathedral. I can see why people stay in this cobblestoned area with lots of shops and restaurants nearby.

If we go back, I would prioritize a Casco Viejo walking tour, the Museo de la Mola (which covers the indigenous Guna culture from the San Blas Islands), and the Church of San Jose.

3. Spot Wildlife in Parque Natural Metropolitano

One of my favorite sites during our trip was the Parque Natural Metropolitano, which is a massive nature reserve right in Panama City! We had no trouble parking at the visitor center, paying our $4 pp admission, and stopping in their clean restrooms before receiving helpful information from the rangers about the trail system. There are seven trails that link together throughout the park, and we covered all of them during our visit, including the spur to the top of Cerro Cedro for impressive views of the city.

While I enjoyed hiking through this lush jungle, the highlight was looking for wildlife – and we were wildly successful! From lizards, spiders, butterflies, and cicada-like bugs, to turtles, neque, and several types of monkeys, I couldn’t believe how many wild animals we spotted from the trails.

My favorite moment was seeing a sloth – I literally started to cry while Brian snapped some photos of it hanging quietly up in a tree. I’ve never seen one in the wild, and I’m not soon to forget the experience.

4. Visit Panama Viejo

We spent a rainy morning at Panama Viejo, the UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site of old Panama. This area was the first location of Panama City and was abandoned in the mid-17th century and relocated to Casco Viejo (the ‘new’ old town).

The free on-site parking was a bonus, and we found a helpful tour guide who explained we needed to wait by the entrance station for a shuttle out to the museum and grounds. There were restrooms and a gift shop near the entrance and there were also nice restrooms back at the museum.

We did not pay for a tour guide and didn’t have any trouble walking through the museum and around the grounds using the map we received when we paid for our entry. Climbing the tower was a highlight.

5. Hike in El Valle de Anton

I loved our time in El Valle de Anton. It was a bit of an adventure driving out to this valley, which sits in the crater of an extinct volcano, but we loved being amid the mountains and cloud forest for a couple days.

In addition to relaxing at our jungle retreat, we spent one afternoon hiking La India Dormida. This trail ascends over a steep, rocky, wet terrain with several waterfalls and ancient petroglyphs along the way. There are several overlooks with great views of the valley and small downtown nestled among the trees.

We tried to make out the silhouette of the sleeping Indian woman in the landscape (the trail’s namesake), but didn’t quite see it. I was happy Brian started Gaia before our climb as the loop trail back into town is rarely used and difficult to follow. Most people hike out-and-back to the viewpoint. I can see why this is a popular hike!

6. Relax at Playa Bonita

We aren’t usually beach people, but I was glad we ended our trip relaxing at Playa Bonita. Brian’s status gave us an upgrade to a balcony suite with awesome views of the coastline and resort complex.

It wasn’t busy so we had our pick of lounge chairs around the pools and enjoyed a quick dip in the Panama Bay. We also finally got to wear our Panama hats!

7. Taste local rum

During our time in Casco Antiguo we popped in Pedro Mandinga, Panama’s first artisanal rum distillery and bar. The space was atmospheric with dim lighting, lots of wood, and palm tree artwork and fabrics throughout.

We had a helpful server who directed us to a couple tasting flights that covered all of their different rums. I’ve only done a rum tasting once before in Belize and really enjoyed this experience. We also met a friendly couple next to us from New York who were just starting a month-long tour through Panama!

I put together our quick getaway to Panama at the last minute so I’m sure we missed key sites and experiences in and around Panama City. If there are some that top your list, please let me know in the comments for next time!

We found Panama to be very approachable, enjoyable, and reasonably priced so I wouldn’t be surprised if we headed back to explore more of the country and its national parks.