Thread: documentation to Panama

I did not need a visa when I non-reved to Panama.

Just got back in town. Thanks for the info. I think the visa requirement was for passengers "transiting" through Panama. It's always nice to get first hand experience answers though. Thanks again.

Hi Cliffhangar,

Yeah, so what's the scoop? Where'd you stay? What were the best activities and the best places to eat.

Hi Cliffhangar,

Yeah, so what's the scoop? Where'd you stay? What were the best activities and the best places to eat.[/b]

In answer to Chris and 29Palms. We met up with my wife's sister and her husband who had flown into Costa Rica a couple of days earlier and rented a car. We met them at the " Bay View Resort" near Playa Corona (about 1 hour west of Panama City). Two nights there. Nice place, kind of American prices. Tried to watch the sunset over the Pacific. Watched it rise in the same location the next morning (takes a little orientation the first day). We took a day trip to El Valle up in the hills north of the resort. It is around 2500 feet elev and cooler than the beach. Neat little area in an old volcano. In-laws were checking out the country to possibly live there. Drove along the Pan American Highway to David and then flew to Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean side. Stayed in Bocas for 5 days. Bocas is a great place. Everything revolves around water. We stayed at a great place called Casa Acuario. It was definetely American price at Acusrio, for the rooms anyway but very unique. It is on stilts over the water and you can kick back and watch the world go by in pangas, tour boats, canoes or just about anything that floats. Bocas has scuba, snorkeling, enviro-tours, surfing, internet cafe's, and of course lots of drinking. It is a mix of panamanians, caribbean immigrants/workers and tourists/ex-pats from all over the world. It is more "key west/jimmy Buffet/hippie" than the other parts of Panama. All in all 12 days. Can't give a report on Panama City. We only spent the last night there with a quick city wide drive (local we hired did the driving). There are Pensions (same as a hostel) in a lot of places. We stayed 2 nights in one in Boqquete (4000 ' elev north of David). with en-suite bath it was only$16.00 per night. They had similar in Bocas. Flight from Panama City to Bocas was about $80.00 ow. Panama is booming. Real estate has gone nuts the last 5 years just like here. People still seem friendly and tolerent. Prices are very resonable and many things are very inexpensive. Food and drink is I would guess at least 1/2 of American prices. My wife and I speak no spanish. In-laws muy pokito (sp?) (very little. We got along fine but would be a lot better to know a little.

Novrev advice was 100%. NO visa needed, $5 tourist cards and $20 exit tax. Great trip (other than brother-in-laws driving on narrow side roads). Pan American Highway from Panama City to David was in very good shape. Hot and humid at sea-level, lots cooler above 1500 feet. Food was great although I ate a lot of seafood. Water was not a problem. Bocas is not supposed to have good water but most bars and restaurants "filter" it. Malaria is supposed to be a problem in Bocas but we didn't run into mosquitoes there. "no-see-ums" can eat some people alive.

P.s. COPA airlines was about the same cost with a direct fllight from L.A.(Continental interline agreement) They were very nice on the phone and had a lot of seats. Didn't use them due to arrival and departure schedules but definetely an option from L.A. if you have the same agreements.

Sounds like you had a great vacation. Did you see the little Indian sleeping on the mountain in El Valle? I've done all pretty much what you did except for visiting BOCAS DEL TORO, but I prefer the mountain cool air in the tropics such as in Panama. Not a beach person, rays are too powerful down there, burn the heck out of you. I have to question your elevations. I doubt El Valle is 2500 feet. I could be wrong, but I suspected it was maybe 1500 feet or so. Maybe at the top of the valley before you drop could get that high around there, same with Boquete. I thought Boquete ran 1500 feet, maybe VOLCAN gets those elevations. Did you check out AMADOR and the causeway in PC? I like Panama, its a great country, but I just can't stand the heat too much all year around and in those cooler spots such as El Valle, Volcan, Boquete, there ain't much to do unless you really get involved in something like farming or who knows what. Did you have pizza at PINIOCHOS in El Valle? Did you try a VOLCAN pizza in Boquete? How did you like DAVID? That's a nice town, but again, HOT.[/b]

I agree on the heat, but Bocas is worth it for a visit. Didn't see the Indian (whirlwind tour of Western Panama). The elevations were what I remembered from reading my small Magellan GPS. Didn't have a GPS map of Panama but it was fun for elev. and helped on backtracking a couple of times. The readings were from points overlooking both Boquete and El Valle. Just re-checked my "Frommer's" and it refers to 2500' for El Valle and a comment about 3200' for Boquete. It is a little bit of a drop into Boquete from the overlook where I took the reading. I looked at my map of Panama, but it had limited elev. info and it looks like it is in meters. We did drive out on the causeway. It was a monday and the place was dead, but we hear it is "the place" on weekends, except for traffic jams.

Well, we are off to Alabama tomorrow to hitch a ride down a river to the gulf with some friends. Tough job being retired with a daughter who is a F/A.