Panama - Panama

Panama is the southernmost country in Central America. It borders in the east Colombia and in the west Costa Rica.

Regions

Administrative division: ten provinces (provincias, Singular - provincia) and five territories * (comarca): Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, Coclé, Colón, Darién, Emberá*, Herrera, Kuna Yala*, Los Santos, Madugandí*, Ngöbe-Buglé*, Panama, Panamá East, Veraguas and Wargandí*.

Map of Panama

Cities

• Panama City - Capital
• Colón
• David
• Santiago de Veraguas
• Penonomé
• Changuinola

Other goals

• Bocas del Toro - Archipelago off the Caribbean coast
• Boquete - Lively mountain town next to the Barú volcano with coffee plantations
• Volcán - Mountain village below the Barú volcano
• Cerro Punta - high in the mountains on the edge of the cloud forest with fruit and flower cultivation
• El Valle de Antón
• Santa Fe - still quiet mountain village
• Las Lajas - extensive beach
• Isla Taboga - Island, an hour by boat from Panama City away.
• Islas de las Perlas
• Portobelo

background

In Europe, Panama is especially for the Panama Canal known. But Panama has more to offer than just the canal. Panama has wonderful beaches on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts and the country is full of national parks and tropical rainforests. Panama is a true bird paradise and is particularly popular with bird watchers. But water sports enthusiasts and nature lovers will also get their money's worth in Panama.

getting there

To enter Panama, EU citizens and Swiss citizens need a passport that is valid for at least three months. Officially, a valid return or onward travel ticket is also required, but this is required, especially at the international airport in Panama City, rarely controlled. When entering by land from Costa Rica however, this is very well controlled. You will also need to show at least $ 500 in cash or a credit card. Entry by land from Colombia is currently not possible. There is no road between Panama and Colombia, only the Bn Trek (a narrow path through the middle of the rainforest), but crossing this path is extremely dangerous and many European countries warn against crossing it because Colombian paramilitaries keep advancing and so is it repeatedly comes to battles with Panamanian border units.

By plane

Panama has three international airports: the Tocumen International Airport near by Panama City, as well as the airports in David and Bocas del Torowhich, however, only from San Jose in Costa Rica are flown from.

So most of the European tourists arriving by plane will arrive in Panama City, flying from Europe Condor above Santo Domingo and from November 16, 2015 Lufthansa directly from Frankfurt, KLM of Amsterdam and Iberia of Madrid out to Panama. Otherwise you can also use Lufthansa, Air France or other airlines through the United States, Colombia or Venezuela fly to Panama. There are regular direct flights from many Central American countries, South American countries and the United States. Of Colombia From here, arriving by plane is the only safe option.

By train

Unfortunately, it is not possible to travel by train.

By bus

Arriving by bus from Costa Rica is possible without any problems. There are several continuous buses from every day San Jose to David or Panama City. You drive on the Panamericana over the border crossing Paso Canoas. The border controls are usually stricter than at the airport, an exit ticket from Panama is often required, which can also be a bus return ticket to Costa Rica.

Alternatively, you can take buses from Costa Rica to the border. From there buses go every few minutes David.

To Bocas del Toro better take the border crossing Sixaola/Guabito. Instead of taking the direct bus from San José, it is more advisable from Cahuita or Puerto Viejo de Talamanca take local buses to Sixaola, cross the adventurous bridge on foot to Guabito (don't forget the border formalities) and go to by bus or taxi Changuinola to continue. The border crossing closes at 6 p.m. (5 a.m. Costa Rican time).

In the street

You can also travel by car from Costa Rica. The best way to go is through the border crossing in Paso Canoas. The border crossing is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., but the times are constantly changing. Another border crossing on the Pacific side is at Rio Sereno, the road leads from there to Volcán.

On the Caribbean side there is the border crossing over the Río Sixaola Guabito and on to the provinces Bocas del Toro.

By boat

Container ships run regularly from Europe to Panama, the crossing takes about three weeks and is very expensive. Further information is available from the Hamburg company Margis, Tel .: (040) 8512860.

It is also possible to arrive by ship from Colombia. There are many cargo ships that take passengers for a fee. However, it should be warned that these are often drug shipments. If such a ship is picked up by the police, the chances of getting past a prison stay are very slim, even for tourists. It doesn't matter whether you knew about the drugs or not. However, there is an alternative to the "drug ships". In some accommodations, especially in youth hostels, you will find advertisements from travelers who are traveling to Colombia by private sailing ship and are looking for passengers. In addition, there are now a number of sailing boats that regularly operate the Panama - Cartagena route (with a 2-day stopover in San Blas), but charge between $ 300 and $ 400, depending on the equipment and service. Info in Zulys Backpackers Hostel Panama City (http://www.hosteltrail.com/hostels/zulysbackpackers).

mobility

plane: The national airline Air Panama has a very dense route network and flies to almost all regions in Panama. Because of the small size of the country, the flights are not very expensive (maximum about 100 Balboa = US dollars), and for example the Isla Contadora or some places in Kuna Yala can only be reached by plane.

Domestic flights do not depart from Tocumen International Airport, but rather near the center of Panama City in Albrook.

train: There is only one railway line in all of Panama, namely the one between Panama City and Colón. Taking this train is very expensive. A one-way ticket costs $ 20 and a return ticket costs $ 35. For comparison: A one-way ticket between the two cities costs $ 27 and the bus costs $ 2. But the route is a tourist highlight. It goes along the canal and at times you drive through dense jungle. The journey takes an hour.

bus: The bus system in Panama works very well and buses go to almost every place. Proper bus stations only exist in the larger cities, such as Panama City or David. In smaller cities you have to find out which street you can stop buses on. A show of hands is enough and the buses stop. You can get off anywhere on the way, you just have to say "Parada (por favor)!" ("Stop, please") call. When driving to a strange city, you should tell the bus driver roughly where you want to go so that he can show you the best place to get off. If you travel around Panama without a rental car, you will not be able to get past buses. The rides are very cheap, short distances within places cost about $ 0.50 (Balboa) to be paid when you get off. For longer distances with intercity buses, tickets can usually be bought in advance at the bus station - depending on the distance, they cost between five and 25 dollars. Bus, ship and train timetables can be found at thebusschedule.com.

The central bus station Gran Terminal de Transportes is located near the domestic airport in Albrook. Many places can be reached directly from there. Since most buses stop en route, you can also take buses that come through the destination. Smaller places can be reached from the provincial capitals. The American "school buses" hardly go there anymore (they only exist in the city traffic of Panama City), they have been replaced by minibuses. Even in small villages there are often "buses", which are sometimes shared taxis or pickups. After dark it becomes difficult or impossible to find buses.

automobile: Driving a car in Panama is basically problem-free. The roads are relatively well developed by Central American standards. But it can happen again and again, especially between May and October, that roads are closed due to flooding. In the event of an accident, the police must be notified in any case. It is better not to drive at night because many roads are littered with potholes. The main route from Panama City to Costa Rica is down to the section Santiago de Veraguas to David four lanes, west of Santiago, however, about 30-40 km are very holey. The signage leaves a lot to be desired, even smaller towns are not indicated, and almost never are for villages. Timely inquiries at petrol stations or bus stops can avoid some detours.

100 km / h are allowed on motorways, 80 km / h on country roads and 40 km / h in urban areas. Gasoline costs (as of early 2013) around 4 Balboa = US dollars per gallon.

Rental cars in Panama are apparently cheap, they are available from local companies for as little as 10 US dollars. However, the insurance cover is not sufficient. Liability is usually limited to $ 12,500 (even with internationally known rental companies), and the deductible for accidents, theft or hit-and-run for the rental car is several thousand dollars. The insurances offered additionally have various exclusions (windshield, tires, everything that is on the outside of the car) and are very expensive: many times the rental price! Except for Sixt (very expensive), the conditions on the homepages are hardly understandable, and calls do not provide complete clarity. An alternative to booking directly with car rental companies are intermediaries such as sunnycars.com, rentalcars.com or holidaycars.com, they offer more extensive insurance coverage that steps in when Avis, Hertz, Alamo etc. have claims.

ship: Traveling by ship is very important in Panama. There are many islands that can only be reached by liner or water taxis. Often fishermen take you from one island to another with their boats.

language

A trip through Panama is relatively difficult without Spanish at all. English is only available on the island world Bocas del Toro and spoken in or near the capital. Also in Panama City and in Boquete you always find people who speak English. Hardly anyone speaks English anywhere else, so ours is a little help Phrasebook Spanish.

to buy

In Panama City, shopping is generally not a problem, the shopping opportunities hardly differ from those in European cities. Also in the country you can usually find good supermarkets where you can get items for daily needs. Only in very remote villages can you usually only find the bare essentials.

Popular souvenirs are the mola and the panama hat. The mola is a handmade embroidery that embellishes the blouses of the Kuna Indians. The Kuna offer the Mola all over Panama. A popular place to buy mola and other handicrafts is El Valle. The panama hat that is actually made of Ecuador originated, is sold throughout Panama and is the traditional headdress of men in Panama.

The national currency in Panama is the US dollar. The Balboa does exist, but it only exists in coin form and is linked 1: 1 to the US dollar. The shape of the coins looks the same as the US dollar coins. Credit cards are mostly accepted in the capital and in the tourist centers (especially Visa and Mastercard), but in more remote areas you should always have enough cash with you.

kitchen

The cuisine is similar to that of Colombian. Beef and pork are eaten, as well as a lot of chicken and fish. Each dish comes with rice and a leguminous vegetable, i.e. beans or lentils, yucca (similar to potatoes, only a bit more fibrous) and platanos (plantains) are very popular. A lot is fried, fresh salads and beautiful vegetables are only available in restaurants and supermarkets, as Panamanians don't eat much of them themselves. Most of the dishes are not spicy, mostly just a little salt is used. Tropical fruits and fruit drinks or batidos (fruit drinks with milk) are therefore all the more delicious and can be bought and consumed almost everywhere without hesitation.

nightlife

It is especially suitable for going out Panama City. There is always something going on here and there are numerous clubs, bars and discos. Cinemas and theaters are also easiest to find in the capital. In the restaurant and night guide http://www.hastatarde.com you can always find what's going on where. In the country there are usually only a few bars and in the evening these are reserved for local men. Women are not welcomed there unless they are prostitutes, and strangers are also treated rather cautiously. But in the cities and villages where you have slowly got used to tourists, you will always find a place where you can spend your evening.

accommodation

Panama has hotels to suit all budgets. From international luxury chains to simple youth hostels, everything can be found in Panama. There are a number of hotels, especially in the capital. But also in the country there is no shortage of hotel rooms. A reservation in advance is usually not necessary. Only in the lower price range is it sometimes tight. You should also click on the Bocas del Toro Reserve in advance, because there are a lot of tourists there, and at some times hotel rooms can be in short supply.

The quality of the hotel rooms is mostly okay. If you are traveling as a backpacker, we recommend staying in one of the city's backpacker hostels, for example. in the Zulys Backpackers Hostel, a German-Panamanian run youth hostel in the center of Panama City. In the capital, you should generally be careful not to get lost in an hourly hotel, as these are relatively common.

Learn

In Panama City, in the Centro Cultural Aleman, Spanish courses tailored to customer needs are offered. The school documents are in German (Langenscheidt), but the courses can also be attended by non-German speakers. The school is located in the UDI, Universidad del Istmo, Justo Arosemena in the Bella Vista district. It is run by a German and a Swiss woman who have been living in Panama for several years. Information under www.spanischinpanama.com.

Work

It takes a lot of time, money and a good lawyer to get a work permit. Without a permit it is relatively difficult to find a good job, as the Panamanian labor is very cheap (minimum wage US $ 285.00 / month). Panamanians are also protected by a law that states that only 10% of foreigners can be employed by a company. If you work as Servicios Profesionales, you do not pay social security and you are not registered with the employment office.

public holidays

There are a total of 20 public holidays:

security

The dangers for tourists in Panama are relatively low. Crime against tourists is rather uncommon across the country. Of course, casual theft can also occur here. However, normal safety precautions that should be taken on every trip are sufficient. Tourists should avoid only a few neighborhoods in Panama City, in Colón and the border region too Colombia. Especially near the border with Colombia, there are frequent kidnappings by Colombian paramilitaries. Unfortunately, the Panamanian authorities are relatively powerless to face this problem.

health

Some inexperienced visitors are often unduly afraid of it malaria. Medical prevention is not necessary, however, unless you are hiking in remote regions. The most dangerous form of malaria, malaria tropica, only occurs in the provinces in Panama Darién in front. The best protection against malaria is to avoid mosquito bites at home. It is best to always hike with long pants and long-sleeved outerwear. Since this is not always possible or not very comfortable due to the heat, you should definitely use a good insect spray. The tap water is, except in the provinces Darién and Bocas del Toro safe to drink. The greatest health risk in Panama certainly comes from the sun. Especially lighter skin types should definitely take a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor.

climate

There is a tropical climate with only two seasons: dry season (summer) and rainy season (winter). The dry season is from January to April, temperatures of 28 to 36 degrees Celsius, a constant breeze and a humidity that is not as high as in winter. The rainy season is from May to approx. Mid-December, whereby it initially rains little, only every 2-3 days approx. 1-2 hours, but this intensifies until November and it can rain for days. The humidity in the rainy season can be up to 93%, temperatures from 26 to 34 degrees Celsius.

respect

In Panama, a lot of emphasis is placed on external appearance. Especially in the capital, people wearing shorts are a rarity. You won't be looked at crookedly if you walk around with shorts on, but you can still be clearly identified as a tourist. If you're planning a club in Panama City To visit, elegant shoes, nice trousers and a shirt should definitely be in your luggage.

In Panama things are very formal, especially in public areas, so you should always choose the form of courtesy when addressing them.

Post and Telecommunications

literature

Web links

• Visit Panama