Panama is an extraordinary country and it surprised me quite positively. It is wrong to think that there is little more to visit than the famous Panama Canal.
When is the best time to visit Panama?
The climate is tropical, temperatures are high and do not vary much (annual average of 30ºC), but it rains a lot. So I recommend that your visit be made in the driest season, which runs from December to April.
How to move around the country?
One of the most practical ways in the city is by taxi or UBER. And to move, for example, to the boat dock where you get on the boat to San Blas, you always have to use a 4×4 Jeep (the roads are terrible).
What money to use?
The official currency is called Balboa (PAB) but it is equivalent to the US Dollar (USD) and the “money” in circulation is the same as that of the United States. Nor are there printed Balboa banknotes, just coins.
My trip
Panama City
Even if we just want to go to San Blás, we have to stay at least one night in Panama City, as the transfer leaves the hotel around 5 am. And there are no more transfers throughout the day, just this one.
The city of Panama is incredible, full of tall buildings and very cosmopolitan. It is not an expensive city. To build the most urban area, there is the old part of the city, O Casco Viejo (historic area). It is also a very beautiful region, and is where the most social and lively area is (super restaurants, bars and boutique hotels, as well as being one of the attractions you will visit). For those who know Cartagena, Casco Viejo has a similar style.
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is an artificial ship canal 77.1 kilometers long, located in Panama and connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It would be a shame not to visit.
San Blás
Famous archipelago composed of several idyllic islands. The San Blas archipelago (officially the indigenous region Kuna Yala) is located on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, opposite Panama City (bordered by the Pacific Ocean). To get there it will take 2h30 on a winding road and a few more minutes by boat from the Panamanian capital.
The entrance to the Kuna Yala region is marked by a barrier where all passengers not resident in Panama are required to present their passport and pay a US $ 20 fee. Residents can present only their ID and pay the US only fee. $ 5. The entire procedure is done from inside the car and the driver takes care of the contact with the kunas.
It is possible to visit San Blas in just one day, and at the end of the day, return to Panama City again. Or, stay in one of the hotels that exist on the different islands. I note that the people of Kuna Yala are the ones who fully exploit their properties. Tourists staying in San Blas must know that they will be treated very well, however they want to keep their culture as intact as possible. Soon the hotels have few luxuries. There is an electric light during certain hours, at night for example it is turned off. There is no hot water. And meals are fished on each tour that is done during the day. It may seem a little strange, but it was a week that I was staying with Canaba Naranjo Chico, in which I was very happy. https://www.instagram.com/cab_naranjochico/
Every day there are several tours to discover the most famous islands in San Blás. I particularly liked the Dutch Cayos, Isla Perro Chico, and Isla Pelicano
