The Fashionable Frequent Flyers

Reason 1: Panama City is Picturesque

Panama is an incredibly beautiful country, and Panama City specifically is spectacular. The architecture alone in Casco Viejo (the old city) is unmatched — most of the streets are short and narrow and look like they are straight out of a history book from the Spanish colonial era. It literally took a lot of willpower to stop ourselves from taking photographs on every street. Outside of Casco Viejo, Panama City is very colorful. Most of the hotels are in the new city, and the best ones have an incredible view of the Panama skyline. It becomes abundantly clear after a day or two why Panama is considered the Miami of Central America.

Reason 2: Affordability

Panama is very affordable! First, the average cost of luxury accommodations in Panama is under $300 per night, which allows you to experience the finer things in life without breaking the bank. The average cost of an Uber X ride to most of the sites around Panama, including Casco Viejo, is approximately $3-4. Uber X rides to sites that are a little farther out, e.g., the Panama Canal, is approximately $10. There’s also an array of tours that are quite inexpensive for the value offered e.g. full-day tours worth $100 per person. You can experience so much, and in luxury, in this wonderful country without going broke.

Reason 3: Diversity

Panama is an incredibly diverse country. Its diversity can be seen in its offerings — from the new modern city to the colonial-styled Casco Viejo in Panama City, as well as the different coastal towns like Bocas Del Toro or San Blas Islands. A trip to Panama should encompass multiple components — city escapade, adventure in nature in the different national parks and forests, and a beach getaway to the coastal towns. You get so much bang for your buck from one country. Furthermore, Panama has such a diverse population, with people from a wide array of backgrounds and races. Its cosmopolitan nature is one of the things that makes it so welcoming to tourists. Everyone we encountered was so great to us!

Reason 4: Food

Panamanian cuisine is a melting pot of many cultures such as African, Spanish, Asian, and Native American. It encompasses a mash-up of different communities, and history and will bring your taste buds to flavor town! One of the most notable restaurants we went to was, Fonda Lo Que Hay! What makes this restaurant unique is that they cook food that tells the story of Panama. They work with their pantry, local and seasonal produce, resulting in a menu that is constantly changing. Everything we had there was MIND-BLOWING! As you can tell, most of our dishes were seafood since we were staying in a coastal city and we had to take advantage. We were there for only a few days and barely scratched the surface of all the great food Panama City has to offer!

Reason 5: Ecotourism

Panama is a biodiversity hotspot! The land bridge between two continents and two oceans gives the isthmus the perfect locational advantage of housing an abundance of wildlife. In fact, the Panamanian government has designated 30% of the country as national parks, tropical forest reserves, or wildlife refuges. We also had the pleasure of seeing sloths, parrots, monkeys, and toucans during our visit! The Biomuseam (pictured above) is def worth a stop; not only is the architecture stunning, but it a great to learn more about the country’s past, present, and future tropical ecosystem.