The breadth of Panama is so slender you possibly can cross it in about an hour by automobile, however that does not imply this Central American gem is not packed stuffed with sights. It’s one of the vital biologically numerous locations on earth, but sufficiently small to suit contained in the state of South Carolina. 

Regardless of the tropical setting, getting around Panama is simple sufficient. The nation boasts 1000’s of kilometers of paved roads, a contemporary bus community, water taxis, an progressive new Metro prepare in the capital – and, in fact, the Panama Canal.

 However bear in mind: some components of Panama are so distant that your solely possibility could also be to journey down a crocodile-infested river in a rickety canoe or hack via the undergrowth with a machete.

Whether or not you select to play it protected or go wild, right here’s our information to getting around Panama. 

Buses are finest

Panama has an reasonably priced and in depth bus community connecting all main mainland locations. Most intercity buses are 28-seat Toyota Coasters with icy air-conditioning and raucous salsa music.

Cumbersome baggage is strapped to the roof, and there’s an assistant known as a pavo (actually, “turkey”) to gather fares and assist out. The lengthy-distance buses connecting Panama Metropolis and David are one of the best in Central America.

You may additionally discover chivas – transformed cattle or pickup vehicles – with onerous benches and tarpaulin coverings to maintain off the rain. Chivas are sometimes solely seen on probably the most distant rural routes.

Then there are diablo rojos (purple devils) – previous US faculty buses, also referred to as “rooster buses” – glammed up with neon lights and gaudy art work. Rooster buses have been just about phased out in Panama Metropolis however proceed to function in a couple of areas, together with alongside the central Caribbean Coast. 

Most cities and cities have a downtown terminal. Elsewhere, buses decide up and drop off passengers at concrete shelters on the roadside. Stick out your thumb to flag down a passing bus, and yell “parada” (cease) once you wish to get off.

Suggestions for getting a bus out of Panama Metropolis

In Panama Metropolis, intercity buses depart from the big La Gran Terminal Nacional de Transporte de Panamá in Albrook – a contemporary, properly-designed terminal with a shopping center and a Metro station connected. 

Each bus route has its personal devoted ticket window. Seek the advice of the terminal web site for the route operator’s title, phone quantity and ticket workplace quantity. To go via the turnstiles to the departure gates, you will need to pay a US$0.10 tax utilizing the “3-in-1” Rapi-Cross card (no money).

Buy the cardboard on arrival at Tocumen Airport or from a Metro station – you may also use it to pay for journey on Metrobuses and trains.

Suggestions for catching the bus throughout Panama’s borders

Ticabus is the primary worldwide service working worldwide bus companies to San José in Costa Rica and past.

It takes 16 to 18 hours by bus to journey from Panama Metropolis to San José; worldwide buses sometimes take 1 to 2 hours to finish customs and immigration formalities on the Paso Canoas border crossing.

When you’re touring gentle, it’s faster to hop between native buses for the journey to San José. Take a neighborhood service from the bus terminal in David to Paso Canoas/Frontera (or Puerto Armuelles); from right here (or from close by Ciudad Neily), lengthy-distance Costa Rican buses connect with San José.

Word that the coastal freeway via Costa Rica is four to five hours faster than the (beautiful) mountain route on the previous Panamerican Freeway, so select your bus route properly.

Discover Panama’s rainforest rivers by piragua

The place roads are missing, dug-out riverboats referred to as piraguas (or cayucos) are used. Typically carved from the trunk of an enormous ceiba tree, piraguas are generally discovered on the jungle-shrouded waterways of mainland Bocas del Toro and Darién Province. 

The boats are historically punted with lengthy sticks, however outboard motors have gotten more and more well-liked.

Hiring a whole boat with a driver will not be low-cost, and the value will depend upon the gap you propose to cowl, the burden of the cargo, the variety of passengers, the engine kind and the gas used. As a tough information, anticipate to pay USD$100 to US$250 per day.  

Pangas, ferries, yachts and the Panama Canal

Motor-powered canoes are extensively used to get between offshore islands in Comarca de Guna Yala. For sea journey virtually all over the place else, take a panga – an extended, sturdy, open-hulled skiff with house for a dozen or extra passengers and baggage.

The Bocas del Toro archipelago can be served by a fleet of excessive-powered pangas that whizz between the islands and shuttle vacationers to and from the mainland port of Almirante.

As well as, there’s a day by day automobile ferry, though solely Isla Colón has paved roads. Standard ferries join Panama Metropolis with Taboga island and the Pearl Islands. 

Yachts continuously journey to Colombia through the Caribbean Sea; many have house for passengers and crew, however at all times correctly vet the captain and vessel earlier than committing to a visit. Hostel noticeboards usually promote their companies.

Full and partial transits of the canal are additionally attainable with Panama Marine Adventures.

Rent a automobile to discover at your leisure

Driving in Panama Metropolis is a logistical horror present, however there are a lot of advantageous highway journeys all through the remainder of the nation. Most main roads are paved, however not essentially properly-maintained.

Automotive rental companies are widespread in Panama Metropolis and David; you’ll pay upward of US$35 per day for a small automobile. You’ll want a 4WD to get off the crushed observe, particularly in the course of the moist season (April to December), when there’s a heightened danger of landslides and floods. 

Multi-lane highways join Panama Metropolis with Colón, and you may cross from the Pacific to the Caribbean Sea in about an hour when the site visitors is evident.

In western Panama, a winding transisthmian freeway connects Chiriquí Province with Bocas del Toro Province, passing via spectacular surroundings because it crosses over the continental divide. 

The Panamerican Freeway is the nation’s principal highway artery, but it surely’s solely paved so far as Yaviza in the east. The lawless forests of the Darién Hole are a no-go space for vacationers, and the police will detain you for those who try and cross into Colombia.

Perhaps skip that costly home flight

Home flights are comparatively costly, they usually carry a hefty carbon footprint, too. Panama is compact sufficient to get around by bus, and there are only a few distant areas that may solely be accessed by airplane.

Air Panama operates flights to each nook of Panama, together with Darién, Guna Yala, the Pearl Islands, the Azuero Peninsula, Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro. Home flights depart from Albrook “Marcos A Gelabert” Worldwide Airport, 3.5km (2.2 miles) from Albrook bus terminal. Take a taxi to get there.   

Accessible transportation in Panama

Not like neighboring Costa Rica, Panama will not be a giant vacation spot for companies specializing in excursions for individuals with disabilities. Past Panama Metropolis, there’s little infrastructure for wheelchair customers, and even in the capital, the horrible situation of the sidewalks makes getting around a problem. 

Many giant accommodations and resorts are geared up with ramps and seize rails, and lots of sights are wheelchair-pleasant, however lengthy-distance buses don’t have a lot house.

Hiring a automobile will be the best possibility. For extra data on accessible journey, see Lonely Planet’s Accessible Journey Assets.