Panama is a compact country that packs in an outsized range of experiences. You can stand on the observation deck at Miraflores and watch a container ship squeeze through the Canal locks in the morning, then be ankle-deep in Caribbean sand by the afternoon. That is the defining quality of Panama: everything is close together, but the contrasts are enormous. Panama City has a glittering skyline, a colonial old quarter, and some of the best ceviche in Central America. A short flight north takes you to the island archipelago of Bocas del Toro, where the pace drops and the water turns turquoise. Head west into the highlands around Boquete, and you are in cool cloud forests drinking some of the most expensive coffee on the planet. The US Dollar is the currency, which removes exchange-rate hassle, and there are direct flights from London.
CANAL · SAN BLAS · JUNGLE
Panama
Canal, Cloud Forests & Caribbean Islands
OCEAN TO OCEAN
Where two oceans meet
The Panama Canal opened in 1914 and is still one of the great engineering achievements of the modern world — around 14,000 ships transit it every year, and watching one squeeze through the locks is oddly mesmerising. The Miraflores Visitor Center, twenty minutes from downtown, has observation decks, a museum and a film on the history and mechanics; you can visit it independently in a morning.
Back in the city, Casco Viejo is the historic quarter — a restored grid of colonial and neoclassical streets with some of Central America's best rooftop bars and seafood. The Amador Causeway, built from rock excavated during the Canal's construction, links a string of small islands with skyline views, and Frank Gehry's Biomuseo tells the story of how the isthmus changed the biology of the planet.
This is the defining quality of Panama: stand on the Miraflores deck watching a container ship in the morning, and be ankle-deep in island sand by the afternoon. Everything sits close together, but the contrasts are enormous — and the US Dollar plus direct flights from London keep the logistics simple.
CARIBBEAN ISLANDS
Panama's island time
Bocas del Toro is an archipelago of more than a hundred islands off the Caribbean coast. The main island, Isla Colón, has a laid-back town of wooden houses on stilts, reggae bars and cheap seafood; from there, water taxis shuttle you out to quieter islands with white sand, coral reefs and almost no development.
Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos is named for the tiny poison-dart frogs in the forest behind the sand, and the snorkelling across the archipelago is excellent — coral gardens, tropical fish, the occasional nurse shark. Boat trips to Starfish Beach live up to the name: shallow, warm water and big orange starfish scattered across the sandy bottom.
Panama's islands suit travellers who want Caribbean island life without the polish — or the price tag — of more developed destinations. A few unhurried nights here is the natural counterweight to the city and the Canal.
HIGHLAND MIST
Coffee in the cloud forest
Boquete sits at about 1,200 metres in the Chiriquí Highlands, ringed by cloud forest, coffee plantations and the slopes of Volcán Barú — at 3,475m, Panama's highest peak. The air is noticeably cooler than the coast and smells of damp earth and flowers; it is a place for hiking, birdwatching and slow mornings on a veranda.
The Los Quetzales Trail winds through cloud forest toward Cerro Punta, and with luck you'll spot a resplendent quetzal, the iridescent bird the Maya and Aztecs held sacred. Coffee is the other draw — Boquete grows Geisha, a variety that regularly fetches hundreds of dollars a kilogram at auction, and estates like Hacienda La Esmeralda run tastings through the January-to-April harvest.
Cool, green and quiet, the highlands are the third face of a small country — and the reason Panama rewards a slower, multi-stop trip rather than a single base.
Two coasts, one country
Panama is compact enough to combine in a single trip: the Canal and Casco Viejo in Panama City, a few unhurried nights out on the islands, and the cool cloud forests and coffee country of the Boquete highlands. We'll build the route, pace and hotels around your dates — tailor-made, ATOL protected, with a specialist who has actually been there.
Practical Information
UK citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 180 days. Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure date. You may be asked to show proof of onward travel and sufficient funds. No vaccinations are compulsory for entry from the UK, though Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines are recommended.
WHAT TO SEE
Panama highlights
Real reviews
What our customers say
From travellers who visited Panama with us
We'd never considered Panama before Travelfab suggested it and we're so glad they did. Bocas del Toro was paradise — we kayaked through mangroves, snorkelled over coral reefs, and ate the freshest fish. The Biomuseo in Panama City was a lovely surprise. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish.
Linda & Keith R.
Spent a week in Panama and it packed in more variety than I expected. The cloud forests around Boquete were stunning — we did a coffee plantation tour and hiked part of the Quetzal Trail. The food scene in Panama City surprised us too, especially the ceviche at Mercado de Mariscos. Great value compared to Costa Rica.
David M.
Panama was a revelation. We spent three days in the San Blas Islands staying with the Guna people — absolutely pristine islands with crystal-clear water and not a soul around. Then the contrast of Panama City's skyscrapers and the old Casco Viejo quarter was brilliant. The canal locks at Miraflores were genuinely jaw-dropping; you just can't appreciate the scale until you're standing there watching a container ship slide past. Fabian sorted every detail including our domestic flights.
Sarah & James W.
Tailor-made · ATOL 10898
Plan your tailor-made Panama trip
Tell us when you want to travel, who with, and roughly what budget you have in mind. A Latin America specialist replies within one working day with a bespoke proposal.
Plan a tailor-made Panama tripPlan Your Panama Adventure
Our specialists can put together a Panama itinerary that combines the Canal, Caribbean islands, and highland cloud forests in a single trip. Every holiday is ATOL protected and designed around your interests and pace.