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Trip Report
City and ocean highlights in Panama
5 days short summary of Panamas beach and city life
+ 12
North AmericaPanama5 days / December 2018
Highs & Lows
Palmar Beach Lodge - great atmosphere, relaxed vibes and yoga with ocean view
Ocean-to-ocean tour to Colón to see also the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal - too much time spent on the highway
Itinerary Overview
Following a Costa Rica trip, I took the opportunity of the nearby border and spent another 5 days in Panama. From Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica you can book a transport including border crossing to Bocas with several tour providers. From there you can easily get to the islands of Bocas del Toro with small speedboats. I chose Isla Bastimento, where I spent 3 days in a beautiful Eco Camping.
After that I went by plane to Panama City - I couldn't miss to see the famous Panama Canal live once. The old town is also interesting and so different from any other old town I have visited. Since I was there during the pre-Christmas season, the city was nicely decorated in a kitschy way - with oversized plastic Santas.
Even though I could only get a brief impression of the country, I was fascinated by nature and culture. The climate is a bit hotter and more uncomfortable than in Costa Rica and I also found the people in Costa Rica to be more open and relaxed. Nevertheless, it was great to have been there once!
Q & A
What would you have changed?
The expensive Ocean to ocean tour was not worth the money - to visit the dock close to Panama City should be enough to get an impression of the canals hugeness.
What tips would you give a friend?
Stay at Palmar Beach Lodge and go with the flow ;)
Packing tips?
Bring a high sunblocker and - the sun's rays are very intense in this part of the world.
Transportation Tips?
To go to Islas Bastimento you have to take a "collectivo boat", which means that it runs when it's full. So look for people with the same route on your bus and go together.
Any surprises?
In Palmar Beach Lodge we had a visit from a sloth every evening - i didn't know these animals could be so trusting ;)
Lodging
Palmar Beach Lodge is an eco-camping directly at Playa Reg Frog with a great sustainability concept. Rainwater showers, electricity from solar energy and vegetarian, local food - everything has been thought of. They also organize tours and in the evenings there are campfires or quiz nights. Highly recommended!
I stayed at Lunas Castle Hostel, which has a perfect location at the entrance gate to the old town. From the balcony on one side you had a great view of the sea and the skyscrapers, from the other side into a quiet courtyard. My room had a fan and the atmosphere in the hostel was quiet and relaxed, so it was a good balance to the hustle and bustle of the city.