A weekend in Panama City offers much more than the canal. Panama’s capital is home to island escapades, ravishing rooftops, and tropical cuisines. The hardest part of the weekend trip will be deciding where to begin, so here are suggestions for how to spend the perfect weekend in Panama City.
Friday
Evening
Check in to your hotel. It’s no exaggeration to say that Panama City is Central America’s most stylish capital, so great hotels are plentiful. In the historic quarter of Casco Viejo, your best bet is the American Trade Hotel, a charming building restored to perfection while maintaining its Old-World feel. The 50-room boutique hotel features a grand dining hall and an elegant rooftop pool overlooking the church bells of Iglesia La Merced. If you’d prefer to stay among the skyscrapers of ‘new Panama’, opt for the W Panama, where local influences inform the menus and décor. Enjoy a splash at the 15th floor at the aptly named Wet Deck featuring an outdoor pool, cabanas, and two bars.
Once settled in, your first port of call should be wandering around Casco Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the epicenter of activity. Here, crumbling and palatial buildings coexist peacefully along narrow cobblestone streets. Traipse through the squares to appreciate Spanish colonial architecture, uncover ruins, and hunt for treasures like the Golden Altar at Iglesia de San José. Purchase souvenirs like Panama hats and Mola fabrics from Kuna women along Paseo Esteban Huertas, a seafront walkway with stunning views of the Bridge of the Americas.
For dinner, enjoy live music at Plaza Bolivar’s al fresco restaurants or dine under dozens of devil masks at Diablicos, a traditional Panamanian eatery. Be sure to try sancocho, Panama’s national dish (and a well-respected hangover cure). For dessert, indulge in a condensed milk-drizzled raspao, a Panamanian snow cone, at Fonda Lo Que Hay. Casco abounds with ice-cream parlors (em>heladerias). Head over to Insta-famous Ay Mi Negra, Palettaméica, or The Cookie Jaar for generous portions and complimentary samples.
The Panamanian heat can be punishing, so escaping to a breezy rooftop is always wise. Casco’s rooftop bars and clubs are notorious, and your evening can be as mild or wild as you desire. For a thrilling experience, consider joining a Panama Bar Crawl, which is arguably the best way to experience these high-altitude venues all in one night. Along with multilingual guides, you’ll visit five glittering locations, including Tantalo, where you may salsa the night away with the wind in your hair.
Saturday
Morning
Break your fast with a no-frills meal at Café Coca Cola. Panama’s oldest café is well past the century mark and will fill you up without draining your wallet. Literary and historical giants have dined at this humble Casco establishment, including Pablo Neruda and Che Guevara.
Taxi over to the scenic Amador Causeway where you’ll find the Frank Gehry-designed BioMuseo. Learn how this isthmus changed the world and discover little-known facts, including Scotland’s failed Panamanian invasion via the Darién, one of the world’s wildest jungles.
Afternoon
Stay on the Amador and take a 10-minute taxi ride to Taboga Express’s ferry terminal. With over 1,500 miles of shoreline and more than 1,400 islands, a weekend in Panama City can effortlessly include a beach trip. The most accessible island is Taboga, just a 30-minute ferry ride away ($20 round trip). Nicknamed ‘Island of the Flowers’, its beauty attracted French impressionist Paul Gauguin, who lived there in 1887. The last ferry back to the city is at 5 PM, so do not be late.
Once back on solid ground, return to your hotel to shake off the sand and change clothes. Make your way to Mercado de Mariscos (the fish market) to satisfy your seafood cravings with freshly caught dishes.
Night
Begin the evening with a stroll along Cinta Costera, the city’s prized outdoor park and waterfront promenade to enjoy the sunset. From the fish market, walk until you reach the kaleidoscopic Panama sign to snap that obligatory photo.
Still on foot, head back to Casco to soak in the sparkling skyline at Salvaje. Those who enjoy nightlife will appreciate this popular rooftop club and restaurant, adorned with a tropical ethos offering one of the best views in Casco. Alternatively, consider Danilo’s Jazz Club, where the crème de la crème of Panama’s jazz scene entertain an elegant, intimate crowd.
Sunday
Morning
American Trade Hotel’s on-site café, Tiempos, offers the Panamanian Geisha – one of the most expensive coffees in the world, often dubbed ‘the Champagne of coffees’, which incidentally tastes more like tea.
Next on your itinerary is Panama’s star attraction, the canal. A weekend in Panama without witnessing the canal is like visiting Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. Wake up bright and early and head over to the Miraflores Visitor Center to witness passing ships. To guarantee a glimpse, it’s best to visit when it opens at 8 AM. Tickets cost $20 and there are observation decks with varied views, alongside an interactive, multi-story museum that takes around two hours to explore.
Afternoon
For nature enthusiasts, Panama City is graced with two tropical forests where, if luck is on your side, you may spot monkeys, sloths, and toucans. Take a taxi from the canal to Cerro Ancon or Parque Natural Metropolitano. Both locations reward visitors with sweeping panoramic views after a brisk hike.
Night
As the sun sets on your weekend, indulge in a cocktail at the highest pool bar in Central America – the Panaviera – or find yourself at the city’s first beach club, Lost. The Panamanian culture emphasizes dressing well, so do follow suit. Wrap up your weekend with dinner at Donde José, featuring experimental Panamanian cuisine prepared by the country’s top chef. It’s a popular spot, so be sure to plan ahead.
