Layover Panama City, Panama

Panama City is the really hot and humid layover city in Central America. The airport is Misertravel’s preferred airport to many destinations in Latin America.  Never been delayed using the local airline and transiting is a breeze.

Where to stay?

Book your hotel based on distance where you need to be at using the map function when booking.  The city is really hot and humid if you are not use to it.  Misertravel has stayed in many major and local brand hotels in the city and has never had a bad experience.

What to see?

If you never been to Panama City before, misertravel recommends booking a city tour that includes a stop at the Panama Canal.  The tour should cost around $40 or less not including entrance fee where necessary.  Misertravel has toured the whole city hiring private and public guides and pricing hasn’t changed much in many years.

Misertravel favorite tour in Panama City area is the jungle at Gamboa.  You need a tour to go there.  You can visit some sections in Gamboa outside the resort, however, you should not go alone. Wild Mantled Howler Monkeys live here and they followed us high from trees until we left.

If you interested in a real cultural tour

Take the train to Albrook mall.  Albrook mall is included in your city tour.  However, you can take a bus from Albrook Mall to Colon Panama and see the city, the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean on a single day trip.  You want to leave Colon before nightfall.  The locals didn’t recommend misertravel stay after dark for safety.

ATM’s in Panama.

Panama currency the Balboa, is the U.S. dollar.  Misertravel has been to Panama MANY times and could not find any ATM that did not have a very high withdrawal fee of about $6 U.S. dollars.  All the ATM’s seem to be part of one network called CLAVE regardless of the bank name and have this fee.  Bring your own money to spend or use your card.  Most major credit/bank cards are accepted in Panama.