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Panama
The Republic of Panama is located in the isthmus joining South America with Central America. Panama is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Republic of Colombia to the east and the Republic of Costa Rica to the west. It has 75.517 km2. Its territory is only interrupted by the Panama Canal, a work that connects the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and significantly influences international commerce.
Panama has always been an international crossroad through its history, so Panamanians are used to meeting and greeting people from many countries
Panama has a stable democracy, a growing economy driven by a dynamic business sector and an unusual variety of landscapes with beaches and mountains very close from each other. |
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Language
Spanish is the official language in Panama, though English is widely spoken, especially in the tourism industry.
On the other hand, Panama’s seven indigenous groups speak their own languages in their communities. |
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Population
Being a point of contact and a crossing site, with 3,706,596 inhabitants (2014 census), this small strip of land is considered a true cultural melting pot. The population density is evident along the coastal region of the Gulf of Panama, particularly on the Azuero Peninsula, and in the metropolitan areas of Panama City and Colón. A high degree of urban development in recent years has attracted a growing urban population, currently representing 59% of the total country population. |
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Climate
Panama has a tropical weather. It is warm in the coast and low lands. The relatively high temperatures change little throughout the year.
In Panama city, temperatures range from 24° C (75.2 °F) to 35 °C (95 °F). In the highlands temperatures are usually lower and more constant, around 23 °C (73.4 °F). In the beaches, temperatures are high, averaging 31 °C (87.8 °F). |
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Golf
Panama has the best variety of golfing venues in Central America. Landscape diversity allows to play in the city surrounded by rainforest, in the cool Boquete highlands, or on the beach-lined coastline. |
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Panama City
The city is divided in three areas: Old Panama, where the visitor can see the historical ruins of the 16th century city; the 17th century Spanish colonial Casco Viejo section of the city and the modern skyscraper city with its prosperous business district, Manhattan-like skylines, lively nightlife, great restaurant, historical sectors and the only rainforest within city limits in the world.
You may as well explore on foot to have better access to all the places you want to visit, since Panama City has a variety of hotels, malls, and restaurants located within easy walking distance of each other. |
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The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal connects on a length of 50 miles Panama City on the Pacific Ocean with Colón on the Atlantic Ocean. Before the canal had been built, the shortest way from the US East to West coast was the circumnavigation of Cape Horn. But with the opening of the canal this route was shortened by approximately 12,000 miles. On a passage through the canal three sets of locks and two artificial lakes, Gatún and Miraflores, are traversed. The difference in elevation between Atlantic and Pacific is only 24 cm, but the vessels are lifted to the height of Gatún Lake, 26 meters above sea level, to cross the continental divide. The locks are operated without any pumps, only by gravity. |
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Taxi Cabs
If it is your first visit, the best way to explore the city is by taxi. You can have your hotel request a radio taxi and they will pick you up at the front door. Also, many hotels offer their own tour service or can put you in contact with agencies that give city tours if you ask at the front desk.
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Car Rental
- Sixt Rent-a-Car: (+507) 269-7222 (+507) 269-SIXT (7498)
- Hertz Rent-a-Car: (+507) 301-2611
- National Rent-a-Car: (+507) 236-5777
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Business hours
In downtown Panama, most stores open from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm. Government and private offices are open from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. Shopping center stores open at 10:00 am and close at 8.00 pm.
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Health
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Ambulances
- Social Security 503-2532
- Red Cross *455
- SUME 911
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Public medical emergencies
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Call in case of an emergency
- Police 104
- Fire Station 103
- Civil Protection *335
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Entrance to the country – Visa
Citizens of the USA, Canada and the European Union do not need a visa. They only require a valid passport for trips of up to 90 days.
Citizens of all other countries must consult their embassy or a Panamanian consulate about visa requirements. |
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Currency
Since 1904 Panama’s currency is the Balboa (PAB). As its implementation, the Balboa has been tied to the US Dollar, which is also legal currency in the country, at an exchange rate of 1:1, a great convenience for locals, visitors and tourists.
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Credit Cards & ATM’s
The standard credit cards (VISA, MasterCard and American Express) are commonly accepted by hotels, restaurants and shops and ATM’s are widely spread over the country. However, some exceptions exist, mostly at remote areas as the San Blas Islands or the Pearl Islands. |
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Tips
Sometimes hotels and restaurants include a service charge on your bill. If not, a tip of 10 – 15% is appropriate. Hotel porters should receive between $ 0.50 and $ 0.75 per piece. Taxi drivers do not expect tips. |
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| Useful information |
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Telephones
Panama has a seven-digit phone numbering system, and there are no city or area codes. The country code for Panama is 507, which you use only when dialing from outside the country and cellphones are prefixed by 6. The cheapest way to phone is to use a prepaid phone card, available in kiosks, supermarkets, and pharmacies in quantities of $5, $10, and $20. |
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Electricity
The voltage in Panamá is 110 AC and electrical plugs are the same as in the US.
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Security
Panama is one of the safest countries in the region, however, as you would do in any other major city, be cautious and avoid lonely places or bad neighborhoods specially at night. |
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Transfer from the Airport to the Hotel
Upon arriving at Tocumen International Airport, you will have the following transportation options:
- Car Rental: Car rental companies have counters inside the airport where you can rent the vehicle of your choice and price range, with the appropriate insurance coverage standards.
- Special Tourist Service Taxis (SET): This service must be reserved in advance with your flight and hotel booking information. The cab fare is around $ 35.00.
- Regular Taxis: These are not official airport taxis but are used commonly by tourists and locals at a fare range of $ 15.00 to $ 25.00.
The trip to the city takes approximately 30 minutes. |
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Clothing
It is recommended to wear light clothes due to the tropical climate. Business in Panama is very formal, so expect to see businessmen wearing suits in the streets. However, tourists and locals usually wear comfortable jeans, shorts, short sleeve shirts and sandals to walk around in the city. |
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Shopping
Panama is the region’s favorite shopping destination. There are four large shopping malls: Multiplaza, Albrook Mall, Metro Mall and Multicentro. Each with a wide variety of stores offering everything from bargains to high end luxury, food courts, restaurants and movie theaters. |
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Gastronomy
Panamanian cuisine is a unique mix of African, Spanish, and Native American techniques, dishes, and ingredients, reflecting its diverse population. It has a large variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs that are used in native cooking. Common ingredients are maize, rice, wheat flour, plantains, yucca (cassava), beef, chicken, pork and seafood. |
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Recommended restaurants
Diablicos
Address: Avenida Central y 3rd Street, Casco Antiguo
E-mail: diablicospanama@gmail.com
Phone: 228-9495
Typical Panamanian cuisine in a colorful venue. Located in the historic sector Casco Viejo, Diablicos features popular typical dishes with a twist of sophistication: delicious fish, beef and pork dishes with appetizers entrees like ceviche and empanadas. For a main dish, shrimp in maracuya sauce.
Las Clementinas Café & Bar
Address: Calle 11 & Avenida B, Casco Antiguo
E-mail: reservations@lasclementinas.com
Phone: (507) 228-7617
The cuisine is Panamanian/Caribbean with both original and traditional dishes. The menu's mixture of Panamanian staples and exotic influences reflect Panama's history as an international crossroad for people from Africa, India, France... You can also dine in the peaceful backyard garden surrounded by the ruins of buildings that were built many centuries ago.
Las Tinajas
Address: Calle 51 #22, Bellavista.
E-mail: info@tinajaspanama.com
Phone: (507) 263-7890. (507) 269-3840.
Authentic cuisine based on a collection of the best traditional Panamanian recipes from around the country, carefully prepared with the freshest native ingredients.
Open from Monday to Saturday 11.00 am-11.00 pm
Maito
Address: At the end of 50th st., crossing Cincuentenario Ave.
E-mail: info@maitopanama.com
Phone: 391-4657
Maito specializes in innovative fusion cuisine based on the culinary traditions of Panama with local ingredients (with its own herb and vegetable garden), fresh modern decor and a helpful staff.
Open Monday-Friday 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Miraflores Restaurant & Bar
Address: At the top of the Miraflores Visitors Center at the Miraflores Locks
Phone: (507) 232-3120
Located next to the Miraflores Locks, on the first floor of the visitor's center, the Miraflores Restaurant offers its diners a delicious variety of seafood and fusion dishes. A fabulous executive buffet is available for your evening business meetings, with an excellent panoramic view of the progress in the widening of the Panama Canal. The restaurant is managed by the Hotel El Panama.
Open daily from 12:00 p.m. to 11:30 pm
Sal Si Puedes
Address: Avenida Aquilino de la Guardia (Bristol Hotel), Panama City
Phone: 264-0000
Panamanian gourmet cuisine by Cuquita Arias, Panama's most lauded chef. Cuquita has a way of combining fresh local ingredients into some of the most mouthwatering dishes anywhere. And if you are a dessert lover, you are in for a sweet treat. The decor is elegant, a good place for a romantic or special Panama dinner.
Open daily from 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm |
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Craft Shopping
- Reprosa: replicas of the jewelry made by pre-Columbian Indians. Old Town or downtown on Samuel Lewis Avenue next to Obarrio Plaza.
- Figali Convention Center: handicrafts made by the country's various indigenous groups. At the entrance to the Amador Causeway.
- Additionally, there is a craft center in Old Panama, several craft stalls on Perico Island on the Amador Causeway, and more shops in Old Town, the pedestrian shopping street, and near the Plaza 5 de Mayo.
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| Points of Interest |
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Seafood Market
One of the true icons of the capital city is the seafood market, and it stands as a symbol for all nationals by representing the daily life of Panamanian fishermen. The building's location at the end of Balboa Avenue and the Coastal Strip, next to Old Town, attracts many locals and foreigners interested in buying fresh seafood and the famous ceviche at an excellent price. On-site restaurants serve up a wide range of dishes, such as the famous paella or the traditional Guacho de Mariscos, a local version of seafood risotto. They also have fish accompanied with patacones (fried green plantains).
Miraflores Visitor Center
Located on the east side of the Miraflores Locks, the Miraflores Visitor Center is the ideal place to observe canal operations. From large balconies, visitors can watch as the lock gates are opened and closed for ships to start or complete their journey through the Panama Canal.
For more information call (507)276-8325 or e-mail cvm@pancanal.com
Biomuseo
This extraordinary museum relates an equally extraordinary story: how the Isthmus of Panama emerged from the sea and how it changed the world. Designed by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, the Biomuseo is a powerful combination of science, art, and design. Contact www.biomuseopanama.org
Panama Canal Museum
A museum dedicated to preserving, researching, and disseminating the testimonies of the history of the Panama Canal. The museum is situated on the Plaza de la Independencia in the township of San Felipe, part of Panama City's Old Town district. In ten permanent exhibit halls, the museum displays the history behind the inter-oceanic route that crosses the isthmus and depicts the construction process of the Panama Canal.
Amador Causeways
Located next to the Bridge of the Americas, approximately 15 minutes from Panama City, the Amador Causeways is a road that connects the mainland of Panama City with four islands in the Pacific Ocean that form a small archipelago. It was built in 1913 with rocks excavated from Snake Cut during construction of the Panama Canal. The site was originally part of a U.S. military complex known as Fort Amador, established to protect the entrance to the canal.
San José Church
This colonial structure built from 1671 to 1677 and is an indulgence in baroque details with strong influences from indigenous or colonial art. It holds one of this country's greatest treasures, the Golden Altar.
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| Information about the event |
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Dress code
For the social meetings, elegant casual clothes are recommended, no jeans. No tie is necessary.
Punctuality
Punctuality is indispensable and will be welcomed for all programmed events.
Badges
You will be requested to show your identification card / badge at all the social and academic events to be allowed into the meeting rooms.
Don’t forget to bring with you
Prescribed glasses, photo or video camera with battery charger, personal medicines, comfortable and smart shoes and sweater.
Luggage
We suggest that you identify your luggage with bag tags (name and surname).
Insurance
The organizers assume no responsibility for medical, travel, robbery or personal insurance.
In case of needing medical attention at the hotel please call Reception (24 hours). Hotels may have medical insurance. |
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