3 Days in Panama City: The Central American Stopover That Completely Surprised Me
This post kicks off my Central America series, starting in Panama before continuing through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. I thought Panama City would be a quick gateway stop. Instead, it became one of the biggest surprises of the trip.
Before this trip, Panama wasn’t really on my travel radar.
It simply made sense as the starting point for a three-week Central America itinerary that would continue through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. I figured we’d spend a couple of days seeing the Panama Canal before moving on.
Instead, Panama City ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the trip.
Between its modern skyline, walkable historic district, incredible seafood, and surprisingly easy logistics, I left wishing I had planned an entire trip around Panama instead of treating it as a gateway to somewhere else.
If you’re looking for an easy international getaway from the East Coast, don’t overlook Panama City.
Why We Chose Panama
One of the biggest surprises came before we even landed.
Award flights to Panama City were much easier to find than I expected. We flew from Philadelphia to Panama City with a quick connection in Miami, making it a surprisingly convenient destination for a long weekend.
For hotels, we combined Hyatt points with one of my Hyatt Free Night Awards for a stay at the Hyatt Regency Panama City. Since my friend also had Chase points, we were able to keep the out-of-pocket cost low.
It ended up being one of the best values of the entire trip.
First Impressions: This Isn’t What I Expected
I’ll admit it: when I pictured Panama City, I mostly thought about the canal.
What I wasn’t expecting was a skyline that reminded me of Miami.
Glass skyscrapers lined the waterfront, modern neighborhoods stretched across the city, and getting around with Uber was incredibly simple. If someone dropped me downtown without telling me where I was, I never would have guessed this was my first stop in Central America.
Our hotel wasn’t within walking distance to Casco Viejo, the historic center, but it was in a more modern part of the city. That ended up giving us two completely different impressions of Panama City: the sleek, high-rise side and the historic, colorful side.
It immediately made me wonder why Panama City isn’t talked about more often.
From centuries-old church ruins to colorful streets lined with art and local shops, Casco Viejo blends Panama City’s colonial history with a vibrant atmosphere that makes it one of the country’s most rewarding neighborhoods to explore.
Exploring Casco Viejo
After dropping our bags at the hotel, we headed straight to Casco Viejo, Panama City’s UNESCO-listed historic district.
We joined an evening walking tour that gave us a great introduction to the city’s history while wandering through colorful streets, charming plazas, and beautifully restored colonial buildings. Along the way, we passed landmarks like Plaza de Francia, the golden altar of Iglesia San José, and the old city walls overlooking the Pacific.
Although Casco Viejo isn’t particularly large, every block feels a little different, with boutique hotels, cafés, rooftop bars, churches, and local artisan shops tucked between centuries-old buildings.
Once the tour ended, we spent another couple of hours simply wandering on our own. As the sun set, the historic center took on an entirely different atmosphere as the buildings lit up and the rooftop restaurants began to fill.
We finished the evening with dinner overlooking the skyline.
The views?
Absolutely worth it.
The food?
Honestly…I’d skip dinner there next time. I’d still recommend stopping for a cocktail or appetizer because the rooftop views alone are worth experiencing, but I’d save your main meal for somewhere else.
Visiting the Panama Canal
The next morning we headed to the Miraflores Locks, one of the world’s most famous engineering marvels.
Before the trip, I had actually done my homework. I knew the busiest ship crossings happen early in the morning and later in the afternoon.
But vacation mode got the best of us.
Instead of setting alarms, we enjoyed a slow morning at the hotel, grabbed breakfast, took our time getting ready, and arrived almost perfectly between the two busiest transit windows.
If watching massive cargo ships slowly rise and fall through the locks is high on your list, I’d absolutely recommend planning your visit around those schedules. Even though we missed most of the ship traffic, I still enjoyed the visitor center because the movie gave helpful context on the canal’s history, construction, and engineering.
The exhibits explain why Panama was chosen over Nicaragua for the canal, how it transformed global trade, and why Panama uses the U.S. dollar today.
Even without seeing ships actively passing through, it was fascinating to learn just how much the canal shaped the country’s history.
Renting a covered pedal bike along the Amador Causeway turned a simple waterfront walk into one of the most memorable afternoons of the trip, combining skyline views, ocean breezes, and a surprisingly fun way to explore Panama City.
My Favorite Unexpected Activity
After leaving the canal, we made our way to the Amador Causeway.
Originally, we planned to simply walk along the waterfront. Instead, we rented one of the covered pedal bikes.
It turned out to be one of the funniest parts of the trip.
Steering wasn’t exactly our strength, inclines required far more effort than expected, and we spent most of the ride laughing at ourselves. But the views back toward the Panama City skyline were incredible, especially with the breeze coming off the water.
Sometimes the activities you never planned become the ones you remember most.
The Meal I Couldn’t Stop Ordering
Lunch at the local seafood market introduced me to what quickly became my favorite meal in Panama.
Fresh fish served with rice and black beans.
Simple. Affordable. Absolutely delicious.
Over the next week, I ordered some variation of that meal almost everywhere we went through Central America whenever it appeared on the menu.
Watching the sun set over Casco Viejo before our catamaran cruise was the perfect way to end our time in Panama City. What almost became a missed excursion ended up being one of the most memorable evenings of the entire trip.
The Sunset Cruise We Almost Missed
Our final evening almost ended in disaster.
Panama City’s rush hour traffic is no joke. We sat in an Uber watching the minutes tick by while messaging the boat company on WhatsApp, convinced we were going to miss our sunset catamaran cruise.
Eventually, we did.
Or so we thought.
The crew asked us to wait at the dock while they checked whether a smaller speedboat could bring us out to the catamaran. A few minutes later, we got the signal.
We jumped aboard a tiny speedboat that tore across the bay, bouncing over waves and spraying water everywhere as it raced to catch the larger boat.
By the time we climbed aboard the catamaran, we were completely soaked, but neither of us could stop smiling. What had started as a stressful rush through traffic had suddenly become one of the most unexpectedly fun moments of the entire trip.
As the adrenaline wore off, we dried off, grabbed a drink, stretched out on the catamaran’s front nets, and watched the sun disappear behind the Panama City skyline.
I can’t imagine a better way to end our time in Panama.
Final Thoughts
Originally, I thought Panama City was simply a stopover before Costa Rica.
Instead, it became one of my favorite surprises in Central America.
Three days gave us enough time to appreciate the city, but it also made me realize how much we left unexplored, from the beaches and islands to the cloud forests and mountain towns.
If I return, and I fully expect I will, it won’t be for another quick stop.
It’ll be to experience Panama as the destination, not just the gateway.
Panama City convinced me that Panama deserves more than a stopover. In my next post, If I Went Back to Panama, Here’s How I’d Plan My Trip, I’ll share exactly how I’d structure a first visit today.