Panama
I was born in Panama and grew up in the United States. I have visited twice since my birth. I will share some of the popular tourist sights I have visited. I encourage you to get off-the-beaten-path and talk to the people who live there. Use this as a guide to put together your own itinerary, explore and plan to come back and see more.
Panama City
On our first day, we got on the Big Red Hop On and Off bus to take us around so we could see where everything was. The Red Bus covered most of the tourist highlights. In between, all the sites we made trips to the Albrook and Alta Plaza Malls, the Mercado de Mariscos, a fish market that has an informal group of restaurants in the back, Restarante Tinajas, a dinner and folk dancing show, a nice relaxing pedicure and on one rainy day we visited several beautiful resorts. We enjoy a good church service so we visited Hosana Apostolica on Sunday and we also visited an orphanage, Hogar San Jose de Malambo during our trip. The subway is more of an event for us than a trip as it requires some getting used to since our town in the U.S. doesn’t have one. It’s modern, fast and crowded during peak hours.
Tobago Island
We took the Express boart from the Amador Causeway which took us about 30 minutes to get to the island. The Island is beautiful with a few restaurants and a very nice beach. Plan to stay the day. There a vendors who will set things up for you on the beach including umbrellas and ground covers for a reasonable price. Cash only. If you arrive early make sure you bring snacks or food. It seems many of the restaurants open late in the afternoon. My family and I visited during a weekday which was less crowded. I left them on the beach because I was interested in the hiking, so I followed the main road up to the foot of the mountains. On that particular day it was too late in the day to hike up the mountain but the walk was long and very nice along the coast. After my long walk I was hot and tired and promptly jumped in the ocean, joining my grandkids in the cool waters.
Mira Flores Locks and Canal Zone Museum
Panama City
The Panama Canal is a modern Marvel. There are 12 locks in the Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The picture is showing the multi-level viewing area at the Mira Flores Locks. This is also where the Canal Zone Museum and the movie theater is and I highly recommend it.
Casco Antiguo, Panama City
There is a lot to do in this beautiful area from colonial squares and churches, museums, nightlife anf excellent food. I recommend taking a bus and walking in or getting an uber. It can get crowded but enjoy all the shops and sites.
Bio Museo, Panama City
The Biomuseo is a natural history museum and an interactive museum. The ourside is as interesting as the inside. Its colorful and the staff is very knowledgeable. Ive visited twice and the events were different each time. Dont miss it!
The Amador Causeway, Panama City
The Amador Causeway is a great place for families. Its a causeway or boulevard that links four islands. On the Causeway are pkaces that you can bike, skate and play with lots of places to get equopment. Restaurants are poppin up everywhere. Its also the place where you can catch the express fast ferry to Tabogo Island. A little gem is the Punte Calebra Nature Center a enter of the Smithsonian Institute and the Bio Museo.
Ancon Hill, Panama City
Im always up for a good hike so Ancon looked like a great fit. Its in the city and not to hard to get to. I dragged my family out of bed, we had a great breakfast at our hotel, Hyat Place, Panama and took a cab to the foot of the hill. It was paved all the way up with stunning views of the city at the top. We came down and found our way to a good bath back at the hotel and some shopping.
Isla Grande And Portobello, Colon
Isla Grande is a small island that was a part of a tour that we took. It is part of the Portobelo District, in the Colón Province. Our driver took us to a small dock where a big canoe took us for a fun 5-minute ride to the island. We had fun playing in the warm water and then afterward we hiked up to the light house. the hike was strenuous, especially after playing in the water and walking in the heat. On the way back we visited the old fort in Portobello which was interesting and we also stopped at the church of the Black Christ. One important note is that the church requires you to be appropriately dressed when you enter. For us, that meant a quick adjustment from our swim wear to street clothes that covered up enough to enter the church respectfully. .
Gamboa Rainforest Resort
The Gamboa Resort is a popular tourist sight. It has a lot going on with its activitis on the water and in the sky. We have purchased various tour packages and I have never been dissapointed. I always got the package that included transportation from my hotel to the resort for the day’s activities. I really liked the buffet lunch that the hotel serves its tour guests. Ive been there twice and each time it did rain during the walking tour in August, so bring raingear. The staff is friendly and if it rains they often make last minute changes that always accomodate their guests. In this last visit it began raining at the rainforest frog exhibit and they took us to see many other things. My favorite is the sky tram. Have fun!