Panama

Central America

The narrow isthmus where the Americas meet and two oceans nearly touch, best known for the canal that cuts through it. Beyond the Panama City skyline lie the Guna Yala islands of the Caribbean, the surf and dive waters of Coiba and Bocas del Toro, and the cloud-forest coffee highlands of Chiriqui around Volcan Baru.

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What you can do in Panama

Scuba Diving

Surfing

Santa CatalinaApr May Jun Jul Aug SepSanta Catalina holds the most famous wave in Panama, La Punta, a long right-hand point break that peels over a volcanic rock reef and can hold size when the swell is up. It is the reason this remote village became a surf town. La Punta works best from mid to high tide and, on a solid south swell, offers long, powerful walls that reward intermediate and advanced surfers, while the nearby beach break at Playa Estero is a gentle sand-bottomed spot where beginners take their first lessons. The Pacific here catches south and southwest groundswells that arrive with real consistency, so from roughly April to September there is rideable surf most days. Because the point breaks over rock and the tidal range is large, local knowledge matters, which is what the village's surf schools and guides provide. Add the near-empty lineups outside peak weeks and the same boats that run to Coiba, and Santa Catalina works as a genuine surf-and-dive base rather than a one-trick stop.

Trekking / Hiking

BoqueteJan Feb Mar Apr DecBoquete is the trailhead for the two best walks in Panama. Volcan Baru, at 3,474 metres the highest point in the country, is a hard overnight ascent: hikers usually set out around midnight and climb through the night up a rough vehicle track to stand on the crater rim at dawn, when on a clear morning you can see both the Pacific and the Caribbean at once, a rare thing to do on foot. The gentler and arguably more beautiful option is the Sendero Los Quetzales, a cloud-forest trail through Volcan Baru National Park that links Boquete with the village of Cerro Punta. It runs along old paths beside a rushing river through moss-hung forest, and from February to May it is one of the most reliable places on earth to see the resplendent quetzal, the emerald bird with the metre-long tail feathers that the ancient Maya prized above gold. Between the two you have a big-summit challenge and a world-class birding walk within a short drive of the same town, both best tackled with a local guide who knows the weather, the transport logistics between trailheads and where the quetzals are nesting.

Whitewater Kayaking / Rafting

BoqueteMay Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct NovThe Chiriqui highlands around Boquete drain some of the best whitewater in Central America, and the headline river is the Chiriqui Viejo. Fed by rain and snowmelt-free tropical cloud forest off Volcan Baru and the Talamanca range near the Costa Rican border, it drops through a warm jungle canyon in a series of read-and-run rapids that range from forgiving Class II and III to committing Class IV and V, so the same river serves a first-timer's introduction and an experienced paddler's adrenaline day depending on the section. The water is warm, the gorge is green and roadless in places, and the rapids come one after another rather than in isolated bursts, which makes for a continuous, read-and-run day. Boquete is the base: operators here have the guides, the shuttle logistics and the safety kit to get you to the right put-in for your level. Rafting is the marquee, but the river also draws whitewater kayakers, and multi-day trips can combine a rafting day with the town's coffee and cloud-forest hiking. It is the adventure heart of Panama's highlands.

Witness / Attend

Best months at a glance

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Culinary
Museums
Music Festivals
Sailing
Scuba Diving
Surfing
Trekking
Whitewater / Rafting
Witness / Attend

What you can do in Panama

Best months at a glance

Upcoming events in Panama